Berks County Student Athletes Attend Caron's 2nd Annual Peak Performance Leadership Academy Kick-off

Student athletes from all 19 High Schools in the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association (BCIAA) participated in Caron’s Peak Performance Leadership Academy and Substance Abuse Education program on May 1st featuring guest speaker and former NFL wide receiver Mike Quick

Wernersville, PA – May 1, 2019 – Caron Treatment Centers, a leading, nationally and internationally recognized not-for-profit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention and medical education, today held a kick-off event for more than 750 students at its second annual Peak Performance Leadership Academy at Conrad Weiser High School. Mike Quick, a former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver, was the featured speaker and spoke to the student athletes about the long-term impact of a positive team culture.

The kick-off celebration introduces students to the core concepts of the Peak Performance Leadership Academy. The Academy was developed and is run by Caron’s Student Assistance Program (SAP), which provides comprehensive, customizable drug, alcohol, and nicotine prevention services and healthy living programming designed to help students lead successful lives.

“Students today face extraordinary pressure,” said Tina George, Student Assistance Program Coordinator for Caron. “The Peak Performance Leadership Academy offers real-time training to student athletes. Our goal is to empower them by providing tools to cope with stress and to help them create a culture of balance and wellness.”

Student athletes who participate in the Peak Performance Leadership Academy, which will be held in August, receive training on developing a positive team culture, as well as programming focused on information about the impact of alcohol, opioids, marijuana, caffeine, steroids, nicotine, stimulants and vaping the body and techniques such as mindfulness to manage anxiety, depression, sleep. Participants then help Caron’s SAP team in Peak Performance workshops offered for teams at their individual high schools. Last year, Caron’s Peak Performance Program reached more than 2,800 student athletes, representing all 19 Berks County schools. This coming school year, the program will expand to schools in Montgomery and Lancaster Counties.

In the past decade, anxiety has risen to alarming rates among teens and young adults. Student athletes are in a unique position because of their high visibility; they are often role model for their peers. In addition, because of the pressures to perform and the physical demands of their sports and the risk of injury, they are also at a greater risk of abusing substances.

“Stress is now an inevitable part of the teenage experience driven by rigorous expectations to succeed in academics and extra-curriculars along with perfectionism imposed by social media. Add to that the accessibility of alcohol, marijuana, vaping, opioids and other substances and you’re looking at an increased risk of mental health and substance use issues,” said Billy Harrison, Athletic Director at Conrad Weiser High School. “The Academy is a critical part of our curriculum because it provides the much-needed education and prevention that can truly make a difference in the lives of students and families.”

The Peak Performance Leadership Academy is sponsored by BB&T, Precision Medical Products, Angel and Scott Helm, and Rich and Kelly Close.

About Caron Treatment Centers
With 60 years in the field, Caron Treatment Centers operates lifesaving addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment. Caron is headquartered in Wernersville, Pennsylvania with Ocean Drive and Caron Renaissance located in Palm Beach County, Florida. Caron has Recovery Centers in New England, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., which offer community and recovery support. Caron’s Recovery Centers in Atlanta and New York City also offer pre- and post-treatment services. Caron has the most extensive continuum of care including adolescents, young adults, mid-life adults, older adults, chronic pain, executives, healthcare professionals and legal professionals. Caron’s treatment is customized to meet the needs of individuals and families – with highly trained teams prepared to address co-occurring disorders. Caron offers an innovative approach to ongoing recovery care support for its former patients and their families with online peer groups and other resources during the first year of transition following discharge. For more information on Caron, please visit Caron at www.caron.org or follow us on Twitter @CaronTreatment.

Media Contacts

Kristin Campbell-Salamone

Corporate Director of PR & Communications, Caron
215-292-5526 | kcampbell-salamone@caron.org

Katie Kennedy
Senior Vice President, Gregory FCA
610-731-1045| caron@gregoryfca.com