MADD Sports:
Champions for Change
Join a network of athletes, teams and leagues
working to end impaired driving.
About MADD Sports
MADD Sports leverages the influence of sports figures and athletes to raise awareness, promote safe choices, and advocate for more robust measures against impaired driving. MADD Sports has a growing list of athletes signing on to elevate awareness and emphasize the importance of safe habits across the country.
Take the “Drive for Khy” Pledge
MADD Sports is proud to support the Khyree Jackson Foundation and its Drive for Khy pledge, a national driver safety initiative created to honor the life and legacy of Khyree Jackson, along with Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr. Through this partnership, MADD Sports will help amplify the pledge across student-athletes, coaches, athletic departments, and community partners, encouraging young people to use their platforms to promote safer choices behind the wheel. Together, MADD Sports and the Khyree Jackson Foundation are advancing a shared message: driver safety is a collective responsibility, and every decision behind the wheel has the power to protect lives, teammates, families, and communities.
The Silent Struggle: Addressing Mental Health, Substance Use, and Impaired Driving Among Student Athletes
Today’s student-athletes are navigating more pressure than ever, balancing athletic performance, academics, personal expectations, social media, injuries, identity, and the transition into adulthood. Mental health, substance use, and impaired driving are deeply connected issues that require more than a one-time presentation. They require trusted partnerships, peer support, early education, and a culture where asking for help is seen as strength.
Through MADD Sports and our Mental Health Partners, we are committed to helping athletic departments create healthier, safer environments for student-athletes. Our approach connects impaired driving prevention with mental wellness, personal accountability, substance use awareness, and real-life decision-making. By working alongside universities, coaches, athletic trainers, student-athlete development teams, parents, and campus leaders, we help address the pressures that can lead to risky choices before those choices become life-changing consequences.
Our Mental Health Partners bring specialized expertise in student-athlete wellness, peer support, behavioral health education, and prevention-focused programming. Together, we provide practical tools that help athletes recognize stressors, support teammates, understand the risks of alcohol and drug use, and make responsible choices on and off the field. This partnership model is designed to meet student-athletes where they are, with relevant conversations that connect mental health, substance use, impaired driving prevention, leadership, and long-term well-being.
MADD Sports believes prevention is most effective when it is proactive, relatable, and rooted in care. By combining MADD’s mission to end impaired driving with the expertise of our Mental Health Partners, we can help student-athletes thrive, protect their futures, and build a culture of responsibility, wellness, and accountability across athletics.
Student Athlete Game Changers
MADD Student Athlete Game Changers promote messages of personal wellness, safe decisions, and positive coping skills as a solution to the challenges that young people face today at the college level, like underage drinking and drug use.
- Play a cruicial role in growing awareness of MADD and diversifying our audiences, making each an integral part of our mission.
- Create unique content and amplify MADD on social media.
- Recruit other student-athletes to elevate the importance of our mission.
- Participate in and promote Immersive Learning Experience.
Key Statistics
- Alcohol Use: 71.7% of student-athletes reported alcohol use within the past year (NCAA, 2023).
Marijuana Use: 25.9% of student-athletes admitted to using marijuana (Patrick et al., 2023).
Binge Drinking: 55% of male student-athletes reported binge drinking (American College Health Association, 2023).
Mental Health Concerns
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44% of female student-athletes reported feeling constantly overwhelmed (NCAA, 2023).
- 17% of male student-athletes reported feeling constantly overwhelmed (NCAA, 2023).
- Impaired Driving Risks: Anxiety, sleep deprivation, and performance pressures increase the likelihood of substance use and impaired driving.
- Mental Health & Impaired Driving: Individuals with anxiety and depression are more likely to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, leading to impaired decision-making (NHTSA, 2023)
- Drunk Driving Fatalities: Increased by 33% from 2019 to 2022, reaching 13,524 deaths in 2022 (NHTSA, 2023).
Why Join
MADD Sports leverages the influence of sports figures and athletes to raise awareness, promote safe choices, and advocate for more robust measures against impaired driving. MADD Sports has a growing list of athletes signing on to elevate awareness and emphasize the importance of safe habits across the country.
When you join our movement, you gain access to training opportunities, participate in PSAs and media interviews, help promote safe transportation options among fans and join advocacy efforts.
MADD Sports messaging also puts focus on underage drinking prevention with a specific emphasis on person wellness and substance use prevention.
You have the power to enact real change in our communities to save lives.
Complete this quick form to get started with MADD Sports now.
Our Advisory Board Members
Together with professional athletes, sports organizations, and communities, Advisory Board members will initiate conversations about responsible behaviors surrounding alcohol use, driving meaningful change, and help MADD reach diverse new audiences.
Adia Barnes Coppa
Head Coach, Southern Methodist University Women’s Basketball
Tim Brown
Professional Football Hall of Fame Receiver
Kelly Burke
National Color Analyst
CBS Sports, ESPN
Lindsay Czarniak
Fox Sports Host
Harold Dennis
Survivor and Former University of Kentucky Football Wide Receiver
Heather Dinich
National College Football Writer, ESPN
Erin Griffin
Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications, Riddell & BRG
Vanessa Hutchinson
Sr. Director, Football Coaches & Executives at KLUTCH Sports Group
Jennifer King
Offensive Analyst
North Carolina Central University
Walter Rouse
Minnesota Viking
Offensive Tackle
Jennifer Spicher
Professional Volleyball Federation
Our Partners
National Partners
Local Partners
MADD Sports is proud to have presented at the following universities:
Boston College
James Madison University
Morgan State University
Prairie View A&M University
Shawnee State University
Syracuse University
University of Central Missouri
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Texas at Arlington
Get the Gear
Ready to show your suppport? Rep MADD Sports with t-shirts, hoodies, hats and more when you visit our online store.
