The Department of Athletics and Recreational Services is pleased to announce that athletes in the Windsor Lancer family will participate in the Succeed Clean program to help bring awareness to local youth on the hazards of appearance and performance enhancing drugs.
 
Succeed Clean is a prevention program delivered by peer-mentors from local universities to educate children and youth in Grades 7-12 about the dangers of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs (APEDs). The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), in partnership with the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the Waterloo Police Services, developed Succeed Clean in 2010 in response to multiple university football athletes testing positive for banned substances.
 
After a highly successful 2-year pilot in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Ontario Trillium Foundation granted funding for the program's expansion to eleven new communities. Over the next two years, Succeed Clean will be delivered in schools and community organizations across Ontario, in partnership with local universities, school boards, community groups, and police services.
 
Locally, the Lancers are working with both the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB), the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), as well as the Windsor Police Service (WPS) and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to help spread the message to the local community. 
 
"Our student athletes are proud and excited to be able to enter Windsor-Essex schools to speak to local students about the risks of appearance and performance enhancing drugs (APED)," said University of Windsor Athletic Director Mike Havey. "With the support of local law enforcement, Lancer student athlete peer mentors will be delivering a positive message regarding ethical behaviours; as well as safe and healthy training alternatives to APEDs."
 
"We hope this program will have a profound impact on our students," said GECDSB Superintendent of Education Sharon Pyke. "Hearing this important message from other young people, who are admired for their athletic accomplishments, will make a difference."
 
"Students need to know that they can achieve athletic success without resorting to the use of performance enhancing drugs, but they also need to know about the consequences associated with using them," said WECDSB Director of Education Paul Picard. "Using a peer-to-peer approach to deliver that message is the best way to influence behaviour. Hats off to the University of Windsor for spear-heading this initiative."
 
"We are very pleased that the Windsor Lancers are participating in the Succeed Clean program," said Paul Melia, President and CEO of the CCES. "We know that the pressure to use APEDs can be far-reaching and extends beyond athletes. Today's youth are bombarded with unrealistic images of how they should look. Peer mentors play a crucial role in helping debunk these false standards, while educating youth about the dangers of APEDs."
 
The Lancers campaign will kick off this Friday, February 19th, with multiple presentations to the students of St. Anne's High School in Tecumseh. Thus far, 22 student-athletes have been trained as peer mentors to present this important message.
 
The WPS and the OPP are equally as excited to be partnering with the University and the local school boards on this initiative, and former collegiate student-athlete, OPP Inspector Mike Beatty sees only positive things coming from this program.
 
"Public safety is a core function of all police services in the Province of Ontario.  The Ontario Provincial Police are pleased to work with our partners in the community to create a safe school environment for everyone," commented Beatty. "The Succeed Clean Program, with its focus on fairness and making ethical choices, matches OPP goals for public safety.  As a former Canadian University athlete, I view the Succeed Clean program providing an important message to our communities' youth."