FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2006


Sports Illustrated selects Florida to participate in program on young athletes and drug prevention

GAINESVILLE – The Florida High School Athletic Association and the Hanley Center, in partnership with Sports Illustrated and the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), is pleased to announce that Florida has been selected as one of only four states to host the first Sports Illustrated ATLAS & ATHENA Conference on drug prevention and health promotion in sports.

The conference will be held on May 8, 2006, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach. Additionally, four FHSAA member high schools will be selected to become SI Schools. SI Schools will receive ATLAS and ATHENA training at no charge and will be recognized by Sports Illustrated for their commitment to improving the health of young athletes. The four Florida winners of the SI School Award will be announced at the conference.

"We are excited to be only one of four states selected by Sports Ilustrated to participate in these programs for the 2006-07 school year," said FHSAA Commissioner John A. Stewart. "All member schools are encouraged and invited to send representatives to this conference to learn about the programs and apply to become an SI school."

The two programs, ATLAS for boys and ATHENA for girls, were developed by OHSU under the direction of Linn Goldberg, M.D., and Diane Elliott, M.D. They are the only drug prevention education programs recommended by the United States Congress in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004. Unlike traditional health class teaching, these gender-specific programs provide nutrition and strength-training alternatives to performance-enhancing and body-shaping substances, and are integrated into the usual team activities during the sport season.

A flyer containing more information about the program and an application form for the SI School Award are available on FHSAA.org. Member school administrators wanting to apply for the SI School Award should download, complete, print out and fax the form to the number provided. The deadline for entry is April 17, 2006.

About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle, junior and senior high schools.

About Hanley Center
Hanley Center is a 10-acre state-of-the-art substance abuse treatment center in West Palm Beach with unique age-specific and gender-responsive programs that help to ensure that each patient's unique and individual needs are met. Based on proven 12-Step principles, Hanley Center offers a full continuum of care for alcoholism and chemical dependency. From detoxification and medical stabilization to the individualized treatment and continuing care planning, the staff ensures that patients leave the Hanley Center equipped with the necessary tools to continue on their journey to recovery.

About Oregon Health and Science University
OHSU, based in Portland, is Oregon's only health and research university, bringing together education, research, patient care and community service. With more than 11,500 employees and an annual budget of $1.18 billion, OHSU is Oregon's fourth largest business employer and Portland's largest.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org

Jan Cairnes
Manager of Prevention Programs
Hanley Center
(561) 841-1122
jcairnes@hanleycenter.org

Melissa B. Durham
Director of Communications
Center for Health Promotion Research
Oregon Health and Science University
(503) 494-4516
durhamme@ohsu.edu

Tamara Hargens
Center for Health Promotion Research
Oregon Health and Science University
(503) 494-4516
hargenst@ohsu.edu