The Texas Steroid Summit, sponsored by the Baylor Medical Center at Frisco, was held at the Liberty High School on August 10, 2008. We liked some of the messages presented at the summit but were disheartened by others tending to demonize steroids.

I was impressed by Don Hooton’s efforts to educate high school coaches about their responsibility and influence in stopping the use of steroids by high school athletes. Don Hooton of the Taylor Hooton Foundation spoke directly to several coaches in attendance (”Summit urges coaches to be first line of steroid defense,” August 10).

It was the first time Hooten was speaking directly to coaches who have such a meaningful and lasting impact on high school athletes. He concluded the hour-long speech highlighted by a poignant video by specifically addressing the coaches in attendance.

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“They’re in the power position,” Hooten said. “They make the decision who makes the team and who sits on the bench. We hope they exercise that power to get this problem stopped.” (emphasis added)

I’ve previously written about my disappointment regarding the manner in which many high school coaches deal with steroid use by teenagers under their supervision. These coaches are more concerned with keeping their jobs and absolving themselves of responsibility.

Hooton gives credit to school districts whose athletic directors take the steroid problem seriously. And hopefully, many coaches will come away from the Texas Steroid Summit acknowleding their responsibility in keeping steroids away from teens.

Hooten praised FISD athletic director David Kuykendall for his desire to educate the coaches in the district and get them exposed to the message about anabolic steroids.

“It is not typical of what we usually run into with the coaching community nationally,” Hooten said. “It is extraordinarily refreshing.

“The kids sometimes don’t like to hear it because it’s hard work to do it the right way and coaches are sometimes hesitant to deal with the steroid problem because that might be their starting quarterback or whatever… (emphasis added)

But I was disheartened to see messages in the coverage and from the summit that perpetuated the current trend of steroid hysteria. The summit unfortunately included rhetoric that further demonized anabolic steroids.

“deadly consequences of performance enhancing drugs”

“deadly drug”

“life or death issue”

I feel steroid use by teenagers can be minimized without rhetoric that demonizes the drugs. 

In addition, the incredulous assertions by Dr. Bruce Douthit, MD with the Baylor Medical Center at Frisco (who sponsored the Texas Steroid Summit), were insulting to anti-doping experts who recognize the complexity of detecting steroid users in sports.

Bruce Douthit, MD of the Baylor Medical Center at Frisco revealed himself as a secret weapon in the fight against steroid use by teenagers in high schools and steroid use in sports at the Texas Steroid Summit. He guaranteed that he could simply look at an athlete and determine whether they are using banned or illegal anabolic steroids.

Parents of teenagers would love to learn Douthit’s secret skill.