UIL tackles steroid use among teens, By: Brandon Hamner

7/2/07

The start of a new school year usually is not the most highly anticipated event on a teen's agenda.

Getting up early, doing homework and taking long tests are just a few of the tasks that high school students must endure.

But this fall, because of a new state law, the term pop quiz will take on a whole new meaning.

The University Interscholastic League, which monitors extracurricular activities in the state's public schools, will begin randomly testing high school athletes for steroids and related banned substances.

Texas joins New Jersey and Florida as the only states with such a testing policy.

UIL spokeswoman Kim Rogers said the league is in the process of hiring a company to handle the testing and the state will provide $3 million per year for the next two years.

Unlike Florida's policy, all Texas athletes will be subject to the tests, not just those in football, baseball and weightlifting. The Texas program will be the largest in the country.

State Rep. Dan Flynn, an author of the bill, said the use of steroids is a legitimate problem in high school sports.

"When you know there is a problem, and you don't do anything, you become part of the problem," Flynn said.

The issue with steroids is more than a question of integrity, it's also one of long-term health. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that steroid use can result in coronary disease, depression, mood swings and psychosis.

The danger of steroid use is widely known, but that hasn't stopped athletes from using them. From high school to professional sports, the desire to get ahead is a common thread in the fabric of athletics.

Whether it's competing for a college scholarship, the starting position or just wanting to build body mass, teens have followed the lead of those who chose an easier road to success.

For a large majority of high school athletes, the legislation will have little effect.

Eckow Essel, a Taft High School graduate who will play football for Trinity University this fall, realized success could be reached through hard work.

"When you do things the right way, it feels better when you get results," Essel said.

D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association and a former Judson High School football coach, said the number of teens using performance-enhancing drugs is small.

A Texas A&M University study in 2006 showed that the number of seventh through 12th grade students using steroids decreased from 2 percent in 2004 to 1.5 percent in 2006.

"If one student is experimenting with steroids, it's a problem," Rutledge said.

The state plans to test 22,000 to 25,000 students - about 3 percent of high school athletes from about one-third of all high schools each year, Rogers said.

The results of those tests are confidential. Only the student, his or her parents, the school's principal and vice principal are allowed access to the results.

Government officials, parents and coaches agree this testing policy is a crucial step in the fight for teen health.

"The stance of the coaches association is we support anything that helps kids say no to drugs," Rutledge said.

High school athletes said testing is only a problem if there is something to hide.

"I don't have a problem because if you aren't taking them it's not a problem," said Ross Dausin, a Warren High School football player.

The coverage of steroids in the media helped the community raise awareness of the problem.

"Many parents didn't realize how serious a problem steroids were," Flynn said.

Flynn said he hopes his bill can become a model for other states and help eradicate steroid use across the country.