Introduction

In 1985, the year A.C. Green was drafted into the NBA, Project Reality began promoting abstinence until marriage as the safest, healthiest lifestyle for teens. As Project Reality has continued to expand its abstinence programs nationally, A.C. Green has also been an outspoken proponent of the benefits of abstinence among America’s youth.

In the spring of 2000, A.C. Green and Project Reality began to develop Game Plan as a means of furthering the message of the benefits of abstinence to students in schools across America. In January of 2009, Project Reality merged with the Abstinence & Marriage Education Partnership in Chicago. The purpose of A&M is to ensure that every teenager in the country has the opportunity to hear a clearly reasoned, positive presentation of the benefits of abstinence until marriage and instruction on preparing for a healthy future marriage. It is our hope that resources such as Game Plan will further that end.

Game Plan is a highly effective tool for helping teens make wise, responsible decisions for their future by choosing abstinence until marriage. Students are taught that their choices today can have significant implications for their future, particularly on whether and to what extent they will accomplish their goals and dreams in life.

After decades of promoting birth control among teens, America now has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the industrialized world. Clearly, a better message for teens is needed. While abstinence is the safest, healthiest choice for teens and the only sure way to prevent physical risks such as pregnancy and STDs, Game Plan is additionally concerned for the emotional, mental, and social health of the student. As premarital sex among teens is often associated with other related risk factors such as alcohol, drug and tobacco use, violence, and truancy, helping teens choose abstinence has numerous benefits for teens and society.

Although it is often claimed that approximately half of all high school students are sexually active, the fact is that many of these teens do not want to be. Most teens surveyed regret becoming sexually active, and among sexually active teen girls ages 15-19, 1 in 3 said they were either forced or pressured into sex. Among girls under the age of thirteen who are labeled as “sexually active,” 3 out of 4 were either forced or pressured. In light of these statistics, the best message that we can give to teens is that “regardless of what has already happened in your life, you are still valuable and special, and you can start over again.”

Through our work at A&M Partnership, we know firsthand that students respond well to a clearly reasoned, positive presentation of the benefits of abstinence. Having presented the principles and concepts of Game Plan to thousands of students in middle schools and high schools in cities, suburbs, and rural communities, we know that it works. We have read letters from hundreds of students and have listened to their enthusiastic responses. Supporting our conclusions is a national study showing that nearly all students surveyed (93%) believe that teens should be given a “strong message” that they should abstain from sex. At the same time, teachers and nurses surveyed nationally say that abstinence is the “most important message” they can give to their students. Today, more and more teens who have been sexually active are choosing abstinence.

Game Plan is written in a simple question-and-answer format to help students discover for themselves that abstinence until marriage is the safest, healthiest lifestyle. Our goal is to assist you in helping teens make good decisions, which will help them achieve academic and athletic excellence, accomplish their goals and dreams, and become beneficial and productive members of society.

It is our privilege to have had the opportunity to work with A.C. Green and Project Reality to produce this unique, sports-themed, positive approach to abstinence education. We trust that, along with a growing number of educators across the country, you will find the message of abstinence to be of immense benefit to your students.