Illinois eyes steroid testing, By: Paul Johnson

In the past few years, the Illinois High School Association has chosen to deal with steroid use through education.

That might change in the near future.

In June, New Jersey became the only state to require random steroid testing for high school athletes in state championships, beginning this fall.

Illinois is now one of several states that is considering going the same route, though it is still in the beginning stages.

"If they really want to eliminate the problem, they have to do it," Crystal Lake South athletic director and football coach Jim Stuglis said. "I'd love to see it, but would it be used in a positive way or just to show that they are trying to handle the situation?"

The random testing the IHSA is considering would cover steroids and human growth hormones. The testing would occur before the state finals in sports that have commonly been associated with steroids, such as football, basketball, track and field, wrestling, swimming and other select sports.

The proposal states that anyone who fails a test would be banned for one year and would have to pass another test at that time to be reinstated. Athletes who refuse to take the test would not be allowed to compete.

For the IHSA, this is quite a departure from past policy. In the spring, IHSA assistant executive director Kurt Gibson, who oversees the IHSA's sports medicine advisory committee, was steadfastly behind education as opposed to testing.

"It's one of those issues where education beats trying to put some kind of monster in place," Gibson said in April. "We are concerned. I'm not trying to minimize the problem. But there are so many things to test for. I don't know if we ever want to mandate it if we can't fund it."

By August, though, Gibson had changed his tone. He told the Associated Press that athletes gaining an advantage through illegal enhancers was "something that we need to take a stand against."

The IHSA is hoping to present the proposal to member schools by November for discussion and be up for vote by the IHSA board by the spring. Following that timetable, testing might be in place by the start of the 2008-09 school year.

"They were pretty strong on their stance that they weren't close to testing in the spring," St. Charles East athletic trainer Chuck Harrier said. "I'm kind of surprised they are going to try to implement it this quickly."

The concern by many is that the random tests would be pretty easy to sidestep. First, the athlete would have to make it to a state meet, and then only a random amount would be tested there. To some, the risk of getting caught might still be worth it given the remote chance of being tested.

"Given the competitive nature of humans, you never know if that is a deterrent," Cary-Grove AD and football coach Bruce Kay said. "We do a fine job in driver's education, but kids still speed. Some people will do anything to find that competitive edge."

"They've already been talked to about it by their coaches," Harrier said. "I'm not sure a kid that's using is even going to think that deeply about it."

According to the plan being discussed by the IHSA, the testing would be done before state final events. Test results, however, would not be released until the tournaments are over. Teams with players who test positive would not have to turn over their team state trophies, but individuals who test positive would be stripped of their medals.

Geneva AD Jim Kafer understands why the state would start out small in the beginning stages of testing.

"The reason they're going that route is that it has a narrowed scope," Kafer said. "That's the best way to do it in the beginning."

Even opponents of the plan are not disputing there is a problem. According to most studies, the national average of teenagers using performance-enhancing drugs is between 4 and 6 percent. That includes not only athletes, but teenagers looking to improve their physical appearance and an alarming increase of use among females.

That is the reason most schools include steroid education in health class curriculums.

"I would guess between 6 and 10 percent," Harrier said. "You don't necessarily know for sure, but you can tell when a kid balloons from a 170-pound junior to a 230-pound senior. It's not always natural. There's got to be something else going on."

That 6 percent number of kids using steroids might not sound overwhelming, but it is a number that has tripled in the past decade. That prompted New Jersey to take the action it did.

New Jersey's program will test 500 athletes this year for more than 80 substances, for everything from amphetamines to steroids. The state's general fund is expected to pick up the estimated $90,000 price tag.

The cost is one of the major obstacles. Steroid tests generally cost about $175 apiece, money individual schools do not have in abundance. Gibson said his hope is the IHSA can get private funding to pick up the cost and not pass the cost on to schools.

How the first round of testing goes in New Jersey will be watched closely by other states across the country, including Illinois.

"I know the IHSA will use that as research, try to fix the mistakes New Jersey had," Harrier said. "I just don't know how well it will work at the high school level."

In 2005, the Illinois legislature approved a bill requiring schools to provide education to kids about drugs. That has been enhanced this year with a new DVD and educational unit about steroids.

That has helped supplement the programs already used by area schools that have tried to educate their students for years on the subject.

"For many years at the mandatory open house before each season, it is addressed," Batavia AD and football coach Mike Gaspari said. "There is a handout we've used every year to address it. We stress that they are illegal, and the vast majority of kids do not use it."

In addition to warning his students about the physical problems associated with steroids use, Gaspari has tried to broach safer training options.

"We talk about the side effects and the alternatives for being steroid-free," Gaspari said. "We talk about proper hydration, diet and rest and goal-setting. There are so many quick fixes out there. We tell them not to use them. We take a proactive stance, but you never know for sure if a kid is using or not."

With professional and Olympic-caliber athletes, the cheating is talked about more than health issues. For teenagers, health is the chief worry.

The side effects of steroid use include increased risks for depression, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer and kidney disease.

There are signs of steroid use that are physical, as well. In addition to increased muscle gain in a short period of time, easily detectable side effects include baldness, water retention, muscle cramps, insomnia and acne. In men, growth of breasts and decreased testicular size have been noted. For women, deepening of the voice and an increase in facial and body hair are common.

"It's definitely a health issue," Kafer said. "The greatest harm of steroids comes at this age. It can cause permanent organ damage. We need to be concerned with that. We need to increase awareness."

When trying to stop using steroids, withdrawal symptoms can last for months. Among them, according to experts, are depression, fatigue, trouble sleeping and the desire to continue taking steroids.

In extreme cases, that depression can lead a teenager to become suicidal. The chances of that increase the younger the steroid user is.

As the problem continues to increase, and steroids continue to be in the public eye thanks to controversies faced by Giants outfielder Barry Bonds, Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and former 100-meter world record holder Justin Gatlin, among others, testing might be the best deterrent.

"Unfortunately, no matter how much you try to scare kids about steroids, kids look at the money the pro athletes make," Stuglis said. "A 17-year-old won't think about the harm it's causing. Too many of them think they are invincible."

Added Harrier: "It's hard to say how much of a deterrent that is. A big name needs to get thrown under the bus for that to be a factor. Kids don't fear getting caught."

If the IHSA has its way, that might change soon.

IHSA STEROID TESTING PROPOSAL

Highlights of a random steroid testing plan being discussed by the IHSA:

Procedure: Testing would be done before state finals, such as the Elite Eight in basketball and championship games in football. Test results would not be known until tournaments conclude and would include tests on a second sample for any player who tests positive for steroids or growth hormones.

Penalties: Players who fail tests would be banned for a year and would have to pass a follow-up test before returning.

Titles: Athletes who fail tests would lose medals in individual sports such as track and swimming. Schools would not be required to hand back trophies in team sports such as football and basketball if players test positive. Players who refuse tests would not be allowed to compete.

Sports: Tests likely would only be done in sports where doping scandals have surfaced at the Olympic and professional levels, such as football, basketball, wrestling, track and field and swimming.

Cost: About $175 per test, though costs vary based on the number of substances the tests seek to identify. New Jersey, the only state with a steroid testing program for high schools, will spend about $90,000 this year to randomly test 500 athletes for about 80 banned substances.

Status: Officials hope to develop a policy outline and present it to schools for feedback in November. The IHSA could then vote by spring on a program that could take effect by the 2008-09 school year.