Pubdate: Sun, 03 Feb 2008 Source: Buffalo News (NY) Copyright: 2008 The Buffalo News Contact: http://www.buffalonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61 Author: Dan Herbeck TRYING TO KEEP STUDENT-ATHLETES ON THE RIGHT PATH Area Attorney, Sports Expert Offer Advice for Youngsters Last year, high school athletes from Cheektowaga, Clarence, Elba, Evans, Grand Island and other communities were suspended from their teams after underage drinking incidents. Allegations of unruly behavior by soccer players -- which the players denied -- led the Lackawanna School Board to cancel its team's entire season. Five Niagara University basketball players were arrested in 2006 after a confrontation with a baseball player outside a Niagara Falls bar. Amherst attorney Michael S. Taheri looks at all these incidents, shakes his head, and offers a simple piece of advice for student-athletes everywhere. "In any given situation," Taheri said, "I tell them to ask themselves, 'Would my mother be proud of me if she saw what I am doing at this moment?' If you look at your actions from that perspective, it can keep you out of a lot of trouble." While no local statistics are available, scholastic sports expert Dick Gallagher believes the problem of student-athletes with legal troubles is serious and growing. For 25 years, Gallagher has published Western New York High School Sports magazine. He is also executive director of the Alcohol & Drug Dependency Services agency. "Every year, I see more and more of them getting into trouble," Gallagher said. "Every year, I see situations where outstanding student- athletes who have the potential to be scholarship players, or even potential pros, throw it all away for drugs or alcohol." Taheri said that is exactly the type of situation he hopes to prevent, both at the high school and college levels. A criminal defense attorney for 21 years, Taheri has handled many cases involving student-athletes, ranging from drug possession and driving while intoxicated arrests to allegations of sexual assault. With his legal assistant, James F. Orr, Taheri recently published a handbook called the Student- Athlete's Guide to the Criminal Justice System. The book's release led Taheri to a number of speaking engagements before parents, educators and athletes at local high schools and colleges. "I try to explain to them that the things they do in their high school years can have serious ramifications for them years down the road," Taheri said. "When they apply for sports scholarships, many colleges ask them right up front, 'Have you ever been convicted of a crime?' "When they hit the job market, a lot of employers ask the same question. A DWI or drug conviction at age 17 can hurt you down the road." Taheri believes the advice in his book would be helpful to any high school or college student, but over the years, he has found that student-athletes are especially susceptible to situations that can get them into trouble. He said the vast majority of student- athletes he has represented over the years were "good kids who made bad decisions." Student-athletes, especially the most accomplished ones, are highly visible in their schools, often popular and often faced with many temptations, including opportunities to attend parties where drugs and alcohol are available, Taheri said. Top student-athletes are sometimes coddled and often put on a pedestal by American society, Taheri said. But society also subjects the young athletes to extreme pressures -- including the pressure to succeed, and peer pressures that lead some into illegal conduct. "The Number One problem for student- athletes I have represented has been alcohol," Taheri said. "Kids start drinking, the inhibitions come down, and people start doing very foolish things, without thinking about the fallout for their future." Gallagher estimates that 75 percent of school districts in Western New York now require participants in sports programs to sign a contract, agreeing to stay away from drugs, alcohol and other illegal activities. "Some schools kick the player off the team immediately for drug or alcohol violations," Gallagher said. "Other schools will refer the player to a counseling program and work with the player on his problem, which I believe is a better approach." The concerns covered in Taheri's book and his speeches include alcohol and drug offenses, driving offenses, illegal sexual relationships, Internet crimes, hazing and bullying offenses, criminal mischief and assault. He cited a number of issues that student-athletes need to give serious consideration: . A DWI arrest can cost an offender and his parents anywhere from $8,960 to nearly $12,000. That's the combined estimated cost of fines imposed by a judge, alcohol evaluation and counseling, various state fees, increased insurance costs and legal fees. . Obtaining alcohol for anyone younger than 21 can result in criminal prosecutions for providing alcohol to a minor, endangering the welfare of a minor, or other crimes. . Sharing marijuana or another drug with friends is viewed as a "sale" of drugs under New York State law. . Even consensual sexual conduct with an individual under age 17 can result in a criminal prosecution. "It's extremely rare, but a person who is also under 17 could be prosecuted," Taheri said. "An athlete who is 17 years or older, having sex with a 16- year-old, could potentially be prosecuted, even if the girl misrepresents her age." . A young student who sends nude images of a minor over the Internet could be prosecuted under tough federal child prosecution laws. . Harmful hazing activities -- such as forcing a young teammate to drink large amounts of alcohol -- could constitute a misdemeanor crime that is punishable by up to a year in prison. Gallagher said the issues raised in Taheri's book are important for all young people -- not just athletes -- to ponder with their parents. "Kids think they are invincible, and they aren't," Gallagher said. "The earlier you get young people thinking about the possible results of their actions, the better it is." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake