LATHAM – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the New York State Governor Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), funded through a grant from the Ford Driving Skills for Life. The two sides will be promoting the Coaches Care contest to encourage safe driving habits for student-athletes.

The Coaches Care program was created to assist coaches in engaging their student-athletes in discussions about teen driver safety throughout their season. Talking points, posters, and informational materials are provided to help facilitate the discussions, and coaches fill out short surveys at the beginning and end of their season to measure the effectiveness of the program. Schools that complete the program with 70 percent of their teams are entered into a drawing to win 30 GTSC t-shirts and a $3,000 cash prize their athletic department.

“Partnering with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee is a great thing for the nearly 600,000 student athletes in New York State,” said Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “Anything we can do to help promote safe driving habits, and keep our kids safe on the roads is an easy decision for the Association.”

“Coaches Care provides students, school districts and our communities with a critical resource that stresses the importance of driving responsibly,” said Terri Egan, DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner and Acting GTSC Chair. “By providing this resource, students can engage with positive role models to understand the importance of highway safety and keep young drivers from making fatal mistakes while on New York’s roadways.”

Schools interested in entering the contest must register by November 1, 2017. More information can be found on the NYSPHSAA website or www.safeny.ny.gov

– Submitted