GRAPEVINE, TEXAS - University of the Incarnate Word student-athletes Josh Zellars, Emani Stewart, and Karina Velez traveled this past weekend to attend the 2016 NCAA Apple Conference.  They were accompanied by athletics and on-campus administrators Angie Torain, Monica Solis-Hoefl, and Amanda Pulido. The NCAA Apple Conference is geared towards promoting student-athlete wellness and substance abuse prevention.

The APPLE conferences, developed and coordinated by the Gordie Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at the University of Virginia, are the leading national training symposiums dedicated to substance abuse prevention and health promotion for student-athletes and athletics department administrators. The goal of the APPLE conference is to assist colleges in promoting student-athlete health and wellness by empowering teams of student-athletes and administrators to create an institution-specific action plan.  The model consists of 3 parts:

·         Identification of school's current programs and policies:  Teams completed a survey designed for Athletic Departments and analyzed by staff at the Gordie Center. 
·         Design of an individualized action plan:  Teams attended a working conference where they were given the opportunity to explore and examine alcohol and other drug issues facing student-athletes and administrators today.
·         Assistance with implementation of your action plan:  The Gordie Center staff will provide assistance and follow-up to teams for at least one year after the conference in order to improve department's programs and policies. 

The UIW Apple team attended presentations on hazing, coaching and student-athlete wellness, the effects of marijuana, alcohol, and prescription drugs on the mind and body, and sexual assault and violence prevention. Athletics administrators gained some valuable tools and concepts in how to enhance the institution's drug testing procedures, improving policies, and new tactics for educational programs and activities. Student-athletes and administrators spent the weekend networking and getting to know 30 different institutions across all three NCAA divisions.

The UIW Apple team is now charged with implementing their action plan on campus in order to enhance the overall experience of UIW student-athletes. For more information on the NCAA Apple Conferences, visit their website: http://apple.studenthealth.virginia.edu/