Game changers battle against opioid addiction

May 27—A list of "who's who" in West Virginia collegiate athletics, past and present, filled the Chesapeake Room at The Greenbrier Wednesday evening, kicking off a 2-day education and fundraising event for West Virginia Game Changer, an organization designed to help fight the opioid epidemic.

The evening was headlined by Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry, who, along with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and Game Changer founder Joe Boczek, addressed the media before a reception and dinner.

"There are certain things in life that bring you together," Manchin said. "It's the children of West Virginia that bring us all together."

Manchin explained Game Changer was born from an idea Boczek first spoke of three years ago.

"He said, 'I've been personally affected (by addiction), like most people have been affected,'" he recalled. "We started talking about that and he said, 'We've got to get to these kids. We've got to get into the schools and get there quicker.'

"He said, 'I got an idea called Game Changer,'" he continued. "So, Joe (Boczek) got it started, planted the seed and it grew from there."

In order to reach its goal of becoming a "community enhancement organization designed to educate, support and empower teens to make healthy choices and become leaders," however, Game Changer, needed a bit of star power.

That's where Saban, a West Virginia native and lifelong Manchin family friend, came in.

"This is one of those things where it was an opportunity for us to do something great for our state, do something for our people, do something Joe (Manchin) was committed to," Saban said of his support of the organization. "I knew it would be a great cause, be done the right way and we could make a significant impact."

Terry Saban said she was excited to return to West Virginia to support Game Changer, as well.

"I had this (date) circled on my calendar, and I'm so excited to finally do an event that has a wonderful purpose and that is (bringing) awareness of a scourge that is not only on West Virginia but a scourge on our country," she said.

The program, Boczek explained, is rooted in education.

"We are developing a comprehensive plan centered around education because it's just logical that if kids never touch a drug they can't get addicted to drugs," he said, explaining the organization has partnered with the Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation to develop the plan. "So, it has to start with an education process so that they know what can happen if they do get involved with drugs."

----West Virginia University Head Football Coach Neal Brown was among the many coaches who attended the event in support of Game Changer.

Brown said he routinely sees the struggles young people face and regularly talks to his team about drug use and addiction.

"We're in a high-stress environment," he said. "It's something we deal with so we're in constant communication."

Marshall University Head Football Coach Charles Huff said he thinks coaches, on all levels, are in the perfect position to talk to players about their struggles, educating and cautioning when necessary.

"We touch so many young men and women at a young age when they're still moldable," he said. "I think, obviously, we're blessed to have a platform and we have to take advantage of that. They listen to me talk about football all the time, but if they listen to me talk about this and they hear it and someone gets it, it might help someone."

Like Huff and Brown, Marshall Men's Soccer Coach Chris Grassie, whose team recently won its first national championship, said he hoped the event was the start of bigger things to come.

"I just hope it's the start of something good," he said, looking around at the crowd. "It's fantastic. "World famous people. Titans of industry and sports coming together.

"It's a great start."

----The event continues today with a golf tournament on the Old White Course along with a luncheon featuring prevention specialists and educators who will detail Game Changer's future plans.

— Email: mjames@register-herald.com

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