FATE (Fight Addiction Through Education) announced today it will team up with the Brandon Whitten Institute for Addiction & Recovery on Sept. 28 [WEDNESDAY] at East Central University to sponsor Life of an Athlete, a program designed to educate student athletes, coaches and the public about the impact of substance abuse on athletic performance.               The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Ataloa Theatre in ECU’s Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center.               “Life of an Athlete has the potential to make a huge impact on Oklahoma’s athletic community and our entire state,” said Jim Priest, executive director of FATE. “Alcohol and other drug abuse is the number one problem we face here in Oklahoma. It costs lives, hurts our economy and fills our prison system. This program will both educate and motivate people to take action.”             Oklahoma Life of an Athlete is a free program offered to Oklahoma schools through the Whitten-Newman Foundation and FATE. It will include dynamic, interactive online training about the impact of alcohol and other drugs on athletic performance as well as live presentations and assistance on re-writing athletic codes, developing student leadership and promoting coaching effectiveness and community support.               John Underwood, president of the American Athletic Institute and creator of Life of an Athlete, emphasized the importance of the program’s message.                 “Sports bring us together as a community, as fans and as families. But we are being torn apart by alcohol and drug abuse. We have to address the dangers posed to our athletes by alcohol and other drugs,” Underwood believes. “Oklahoma Life of an Athlete will be a real game-changer.”               For more information about the free program, contact the Brandon Whitten Institute at 580-559-5815.           Oklahoma Life of an Athlete has been endorsed by the Oklahoma Athletic Trainers Association, Oklahoma Secondary Schools Association, Oklahoma Coaches Association, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Jim Thorpe Association and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. For more information, see www.changeyourfate.org or www.okloa.org.               Fighting Addiction Through Education is a non-profit organization with a mission to change the culture of Oklahoma by educating and motivating Oklahomans to action regarding the dangers and problems caused by alcohol and drug abuse.               The Brandon Whitten Institute for Addiction & Recovery at ECU works to strengthen the community’s and state’s capacity to assist individuals, families and communities in their recovery from addiction by collaborating and integrating academic and community resources.