At least four members of the DePauw men's golf team have quit since the beginning of the spring semester.
Men's and women's head coach Vince Lazar explained that in a Feb. 1 team meeting, he reinforced team drug and alcohol policies and enacted a 72-hour alcohol abstention policy from team competition that had been discussed previously after a fall presentation sponsored by the university about the effects of alcohol on athletic performance.
"The bottom of line of the presentation is that a 72-hour abstention from alcohol is the ultimate amount of time to enhance athletic performance," Lazar said.
Lazar also reiterated that "no players have been forced to quit" since the meeting.
"I'm following standard research that was done by the university, by our students, by some of our student-athletes and sponsored by one of our head coaches and sponsored by the office of student life in the presentation," Lazar said. "And if they say this is optimal, I'm fine. Let's go with that."
Part of Lazar's policies include, and have always included, random drug testing of individuals if needed.
"As a coach, I am more and more aware of the likelihood of being tested at nationals and how that would reflect upon the university," Lazar said. "But more importantly I'm concerned about the health of my student athletes."
None of the males who left the team have cited the reinforcement of the team drug and alcohol policies as their reason for departure.
"(Lazar) changed some things up," said junior Lucas Crowley, who played on the team since freshman year but recently quit. "It became more of a Div. I time commitment. He put a little more hours into the practice schedule, and I just looked at my schedule and what I wanted here with my family and my friends and golf just didn't fit anymore."
Crowley elaborated, stating that Lazar may have seen student's social lives conflicting with the team.
Junior Kyle Robbins also admitted that he was not ready for the larger time commitment.
"My heart just wasn't really in it anymore with what coach asked of us," Robbins said. "And I basically felt like if I'm not going to be one hundred percent on board with what he wants to do, I'd step aside."
No athletes have quit the women's golf team this semester.
"It is my responsibility to give them the best chance to perform at the highest level and to reach their potential as student-athletes," Lazar said. "There are no new rules per se, but it's maybe giving more specific standards, but again nothing that wasn't in [the team's code of conduct] already."
At the beginning of each season, every member of the men's and women's golf team receives and signs a copy of the team's code of conduct which explains the teams policies regarding conduct, drugs, alcohol and academics.
"It's nothing that they weren't aware of," Lazar said in regards to the team meeting on Feb. 1. "My policies are no different than what the NCAA is, than what the code of conduct and what federal laws are."
In the team meeting, Lazar also noted players who are suspected of drinking during the 72-hour abstention period can be called to his office.
"I'll ask you to come to my office and if at that point I have a strong suspicion that you have been drinking, then we can go down that road, but if you haven't then we can go get a breathalyzer, and you can show me," Lazar said.
Incoming athletic director Stevie Baker-Watson expressed her support in Lazar's coaching decisions.
"The more that student's desire to do things other than athletics increase, the harder it will be for them to make a solid commitment to the athletic participation," Baker-Watson said. "Because it does take a lot of time, a lot of effort. It requires a lot of balance."
Baker-Watson sees policies such as Lazar's an important part of fostering a culture of student-athletes. She feels students who come to DePauw understand the challenges of being a Div. III student-athlete and if committed enough, will continue to compete in their sport.
"You sometimes have to pick between two things you really want to do... but I think in many ways those people are going to select themselves out of the athletic participation," Baker-Watson said. "They will have this internal struggle that they just don't want to have anymore."
Both the women's and men's team are currently practicing in preparation for the 2012 spring season.