Locker Room Insight: Vaping

I once taught art in an outreach program, and it taught me something I’ve never forgotten. When kids’ hands are busy - they talk. And in those moments—while creating—I learned more about their world than any formal conversation could ever reveal. It's why I use creative arts in my counselling practice to this day.

The same can be said for what's said in the locker room. It is never just about sport.

It’s where you hear about:

-Who’s in trouble at school

-Who’s fighting with parents

-Who’s exhausted, anxious, or trying to fit in

-Who’s experimenting — or watching others experiment — with adult behaviors

And sometimes, unexpectedly, you hear about vaping. It contradicts the sport space but it’s usually about:

• Belonging

• Image

• Stress relief

• Identity

• Emotional regulation

Sport environments intensify all of these.

Teams are high-pressure social systems. And if kids don't understand the dangers of vaping what they do outside the arena doesn't always connect to what they need to do to be their best on the ice.

Kids are:

• Managing performance expectations

• Navigating hierarchy and selection

• Watching who is valued and who isn’t

• Trying to regulate big emotions in front of peers

For some youth, vaping becomes an external coping tool — a way to manage stress, fit in, or feel older and more in control.

Helpful approaches to the use of vapes:

• Be clear on the policy of the use of vapes in and around the arena.

• Coach leadership for success versus following peers and losing out

• Offer information when it comes up as part of the conversation- chemicals, lung transplants, and Impact on cardio and performance.

• Create a team pledge for healthy choices that include commitments to not vaping.

Parents:

• Share facts not lectures. Have a conversation about what you find.

• Listen more than you react.

• Check in about stress, not just behavior.

  
  

If your child is already vaping:

• Help them recognize situations where they feel the urge to vape.

• Create a Plan: Work together on goals for cutting down or quitting entirely. factors include:

• Strong relationships with adults

• Internal coping skills (self-soothing, boundaries, self-trust)

You don't need to control every influence. You just need to stay connected.

Youth sport doesn’t exist in a bubble.

What kids talk about in the locker room is often a snapshot of their inner world. When parents stay curious instead of reactive, kids learn they don’t need secrecy — or substances — to belong.

Connection is the strongest protection there is.