Written by:

Loretta Fulton

April 25, 2008

Principal Gail Gregg thumbed through the thick manual that arrived in his Cooper High School office last fall and figured he had plenty of time to read it thoroughly.

The manual covered the rules and procedures of the new University Interscholastic League Anabolic Steroid Testing Program mandated by the state Legislature.

Because only about 30 percent of the high schools in the state would be chosen at random for testing, Gregg decided to gamble on not being chosen.

He set the manual aside, thinking to himself, "I like my chances. I don't think they'll pick me."

Gregg learned the dangers of gambling Monday when he got a call notifying him that 90 randomly selected male and female athletes in grades ninth through 12th would be tested for steroids on Wednesday.

The call came from a representative of The National Center for Drug Free Sport Inc., the company chosen by the UIL to perform the testing.

The message was short and to the point: "We'll be there Wednesday at 8 o'clock and begin testing at 8:30."

The same procedure was followed Thursday at Abilene High School. Because Abilene Independent School District does not have its own drug-testing policy, this week's testing was a first for its athletes.

Wylie High School athletes were not tested this week, but that doesn't mean the school won't still be selected at a later date.

The random testing of approximately 50,000 student athletes statewide is scheduled to run through the 2009 school year. Senate Bill 8, passed last spring by the state Legislature, set aside $6 million for the two-year program.

At each of Abilene's two high schools, 90 randomly selected athletes from all types of sports were plucked from class or wherever they might be to give a urine sample for steroid testing. Results are expected in seven days, said Gregg, Cooper's principal.

Penalties for testing positive range from a 30-day suspension from sports for a first offense to a permanent ban for a third violation. The procedures include an appeals process.

Jerry Gayden, director of athletics for AISD, said the impromptu process was "very confidential, very private, very professional."

Gayden said principals were notified and then contacted him. However, the process began last fall, when principals received the thick manual like the one that landed on Gregg's desk.

Schools were alerted that they might be chosen, and a process was outlined. Each school district submitted a list of athletes participating in events last fall and this spring. That includes seniors who have completed competitions, he said.

Athletes selected for testing came from a cross-section of sports, not just high profile sports like football and basketball.

Gayden said parents and student athletes were required to sign a UIL form last fall consenting to the random testing.

If they did not sign it, the student was banned from UIL competition. Gayden said he was not aware of any parent or student refusing to sign the consent form.

The testing procedure at Cooper most likely was typical at randomly selected high schools across the state. Gregg, the principal, got the list of selected students Tuesday afternoon. Passes had to be prepared before testing was to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

"I doubt that there's ever a good time for something like this," Gregg said.

But for Cooper High School, the timing couldn't have been much worse than Wednesday. Gregg said a student council assembly already had been planned for that morning.

Students would hear campaign speeches from 48 students hoping to be elected to office. Of those 48, some were athletes and could be among the students chosen for testing.

In addition to the assembly, which went on as planned, teachers and students were preparing for next week's Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

But the testing was accomplished without much fanfare. Gregg said eight or nine people from Drug Free Sport did the testing with the help of about 10 Cooper personnel and some student-workers.

A designated person located a specific student and accompanied him or her to the school office. From there, the chosen student was escorted to the testing site in the gym and gym foyer.

The entire process ended about 1:30 p.m. Gregg said he thinks the process could have run smoother on both sides. But no parents have complained, he said.

Gregg said his main concern is with the accuracy of the testing. Drug Free Sport is a nationally known company with a client list that includes the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Professional Golfers Association, several other high school athletic organizations, and more than 200 colleges and institutions, according to the UIL Web site.

But still Gregg is concerned. He said the UIL has to be 100 percent accurate or the results could be devastating to a student athlete.

But the school district's athletic director, Gayden, believes the process will work and that Cooper and Abilene High will come through in good shape.

"We don't have any apprehensions at all," Gayden said. "It's going to be a good thing."