Drinking Should Not Be Tolerated

Every school year, more teenagers inevitably experiment with alcohol.

They watch NFL games on television, see the numerous beer commercials and decide to join the fun. They go to parties and face peer pressure to drink. They attend sporting events, see people drinking, and feel encouraged to fit in.

There are coaches who believe it’s not their business to monitor the private lives of students just as long as what they’re doing is not connected to a school function.

But playing sports in high school is a privilege, requiring a higher citizenship commitment. And that puts a burden on coaches not to close their eyes when athletes engage in underage drinking--no matter where it occurs.

Four starting Valencia High football players were involved in a one-car accident during Labor Day weekend after attending a party in Castaic. The truck they were riding in rolled over, and one of the eight passengers was seriously injured. Alcohol was involved, the California Highway Patrol said.

Thankfully, Coach Brian Stiman refused to ignore his players’ conduct. He suspended them for Valencia’s season opener tonight against La Puente Bishop Amat.

“Somebody said, ‘Is this what you want to do?’ No, but it’s what you should do, and it’s the right thing to do,” Stiman said.

Only two days earlier, the coach had addressed his team about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The players either didn’t listen or didn’t believe him.

“The problem is high school kids think they are invincible,” Stiman said.

The Santa Clarita Valley has been the scene of several tragic drunk driving accidents in recent years. It’s a place with wide-open roads connecting communities spread around canyons and valleys. Those roads are a potential death trap for anyone driving under the influence.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. has been visible at local high schools trying to warn teenagers about drinking and driving through its Every 15 Minutes program, which uses wrecks as props in an attempt to deter drunk driving.

“We take student drunk driving very seriously,” Det. Anthony Arnold said.

“We’ve had way too many incidents where kids are maimed.”

Stiman is fortunate in that his punishment had the endorsement of the players’ parents.

“We are all behind him 100%,” the mother of one suspended player said. “You preach to your kids about drugs and alcohol and they’re still getting booze. It’s reaching epidemic proportions, and it’s really a miracle the kids weren’t killed.”

Stiman said his policy is that the first time it is verified a student is using alcohol or illegal drugs at a nonschool function, he faces a two-game suspension. A second offense results in dismissal from the team.

The question is, how much freedom away from campus should a student athlete be allowed?

“There should be [some] privacy,” said Valencia quarterback Stephen Wright, who wasn’t involved in the accident. “You don’t want [the coach] talking with your girlfriend. But sometimes, they need to step in.”

No one expects perfection from teenagers. But underage drinking is one vice that coaches shouldn’t tolerate, whether it’s done on or off campus.

Too many people have died or faced life in a wheelchair because someone didn’t act to take a drunk driver off the road.

Stiman acted responsibly by suspending his players.

The Vikings could end up losing their opener because of his decision, but there are more important issues involved.

“It’s not about winning,” the coach said. “It’s about doing the right thing and holding young men accountable.”

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.