Team beefs up fight on steroids, By: Kent Baker

Educating students is campaign's goal

March 23, 2007

The Blast has joined the local awareness battle against steroid use.

Always proactive among schools in the area, the team will work closely with the panel directing the Powered by ME! campaign to Educate high school and middle school students, parents, coaches and teachers about the long-term dangers of the substances, beginning tonight when it hosts the Chicago Storm at 1st Mariner Arena.

"We're inviting some of the schools down to the game," Blast president and general manager Kevin Healey said. "And we're going to emphasize not taking shortcuts in life, proper decision-making and what it takes to be successful. We believe this will be the first of many things we do with this."

Public-address announcements about the subject will be made during the game. Afterward, player-coach David Bascome, considered the squad's most motivational speaker, will address whoever chooses to stay to listen.

"My job is to let them know it is not the way to go," Bascome said. "I have to give them some knowledge about dealing with steroids, and I've had to Educate myself. We all have dreams, but sometimes we think we can take the shortest route to achieve them."

St. Joseph Medical Center is spearheading the effort to combat what is perceived as increasing use of steroids and hormonal supplements by teens to improve athletic performance and enhance one's image.

According to an article in The Sun last month, nearly a million high school students said in a 2003 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that they had tried steroids.

"There are probably new findings about this every day," Healey said. "It's a subject everybody is trying to learn. We don't have a problem with it in our league, and we think we are a good spokesman for it."

Said Bascome: "Some think steroids are going to get them ahead whatever they're playing. They're looking for an edge. But we all know they're bad. So the main thing is to get that message across."