Green Mountain Soccer is much more than an after-school activity, and winning games and championships is a consequence rather than a goal. Our goal is to help develop physically and emotionally healthy young adults capable of successfully transitioning into productive, stable, and ethical people with healthy habits and attitudes.
Alcohol and other drugs are tremendously damaging to the developing prefrontal cortex of a teenager. Our goal defined in the paragraph above is unreachable if our players are consuming potentially addictive toxins. We teach our players to love the game of soccer, and get natural dopamine hits from the fun they have on the pitch.
There is a popular myth among young people that alcohol and other drugs enhance their performance in artistic and athletic endeavors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Alcohol and other drugs dull our senses and give us the false impression that we are more engaged, courageous or skillful when intoxicated. The fact is, we are just poor judges of our own mediocrity when under the influence.
We will, of course, enforce all CHSAA, Jeffco Schools, and Green Mountain High School alcohol and drug policies. But enforcement is not what this message is all about. Punishment is an insufficient deterrent. Our message is not punitive. We want our players and families to understand how much more joy, stress relief, and value they can achieve from an alcohol-and-other-drug-free life.
Green Mountain Soccer is a natural alternative to a chemically induced existence that limits potential and ultimately sucks the happiness from life. Be part of something bigger than yourself. Reject the myths and help crush the stigma. Make soccer your life-long habit and get back far more than you put into this beautiful game.