Athletes, administrators on steroid testing bill: where's the juice?, By: Rick Cantu

Proponents believe bill would curb steroid use, opponents worry about cost and small testing pool

April 20, 2007

State lawmakers may be tackling the perceived problem of steroid use by Texas high school athletes, but players, coaches and administrators in schools surrounding the Capitol say a proposed steroid-testing law might not have enough bite to make a difference.

"The fear of getting in trouble should stop somebody from taking them. You have to let the younger kids know that steroids are not acceptable," said Leander senior quarterback Josh McKinley.

"There will always be a few players who feel they need a little boost to get where they want to go, and they'll resort to anything — even steroids — to get there," former Westwood baseball player Matt Thielepape said.

If the state legislature has its way, Texas public school athletes would face mandatory random steroid tests as soon as this fall, as bills passed by the Senate and House would create the largest high school testing program in the country.

The program would test at least 22,000 student-athletes — about three percent of the 733,000 student-athletes in Texas public high schools. Of the more than 30 athletes, former athletes, coaches and administrators contacted this week, most see the bill as a positive first step to curbing steroid use by athletes.

Others, however, see the bill as a toothless crocodile, a well-intentioned piece of legislation that simply would not test enough athletes to make a difference.

The three-percent pool of athletes to be tested would be randomly selected from every University Interscholastic League-sanctioned sport, meaning a girl on the high school tennis team would have as good a chance of being tested for steroids as does a 300-pound lineman playing football.

About 166,000 of the state's total 733,000 student-athletes play football — roughly 23 percent. With athletes from all sports being selected randomly, that means less than 1 percent of the state's football players could be tested for steroids.

"Three-percent random testing won't get it done," Giddings football coach Derek Fitzhenry said.

Still, some athletes said, it's a start.

"Even if only a small group of athletes are tested, the random selection process would force many users to stop anyway out of fear of being chosen to be tested," said Brittany Burton, a senior basketball player for McNeil.

Under the Senate bill's provisions, athletes who are caught cheating could face several penalties:

•A refusal to take a steroid test would be considered a positive test.

•A first positive test would bring a suspension of at least 30 days.

•A second positive test would result in a one-year suspension.

•A third positive test would cause the athlete to be permanently banned from participating in high school athletics.

A statewide study conducted by Texas A&M researchers among 141,000 Texas students between seventh and 12th grades found that steroid use fell from 2 percent in 2004 to 1.5 percent in 2006. Among high school seniors, the number dropped from 2.4 percent to 1.8 percent.

While many support the idea of steroid tests for high school athletes, the resulting costs would make it virtually impossible for everyone to be tested.

A single steroid test can range in cost between $110 to $160. By contrast, tests for recreational drugs like marijuana and cocaine cost only $12 to $18.

For now, no one is certain who would fund steroid testing.

Under the Senate bill, taxpayers would absorb the estimated cost of $4 million a year — though some experts believe that figure is too low.

The House measure would require the UIL — the state's governing body of high school athletics — to pay for tests, possibly by increasing ticket costs or assessing additional fees.

"If we're going to mandate it, the state should pay for it," said Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, who authored the Senate bill.

Many Central Texas coaches and administrators concur.

"I agree with the spirit of the bill. My concerns are cost-effectiveness and test reliability," said Tommy Cox, the athletic director for the Austin Independent School District.

"It is money well-spent by the taxpayer that will help save young people's lives," said Leander football coach Steve Gideon. "The Senate bill will help high school coaches and parents deter the curious athlete from attempting performance-enhancing drugs.

"I also believe the Senate bill should hold the steroid market accountable. Everybody knows that doing steroids is wrong for athletes, but I don't see the public outcry against the market that makes it so easy for athletes to get these substances."

About 130 of the state's 1,300 high schools test their student-athletes for steroids. The Austin school district doesn't test for either steroids or recreational drugs, nor do the Round Rock, Pflugerville, Eanes, Dripping Springs, Giddings or Wimberley districts.

The Burnet school district passed measures on Monday for both steroid and recreational drug testing.

Two Central Texas school districts already test students involved in extracurricular activities for both recreational drugs and steroids. Georgetown and Fredericksburg began testing two years ago.

Officials from both schools said testing has received a favorable response from students.

In Georgetown, the school tests between 400-600 students a month for recreational drugs and 5-10 students for steroids. Between 2-6 percent of students test positive for recreational drugs, superintendent Joe Dan Lee said. There have been no positive tests yet for steroids.

The state is making a good move by passing steroid testing, Lee said.

"It gives a kid a little extra defense against peer pressure," Lee said. "If someone is pressured about steroids, they can always say 'no' because they could be tested for it."

As for Fredericksburg, the school has had positive tests for basic drug tests — all related to marijuana — the past four years, superintendent Marc Williamson said. No one there has ever failed a steroid test, he added.

"We feel that testing is important for every student," Williamson said. "It's not for catching kids who do steroids, but for prevention."