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Steroid Testing /
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Louisiana considers prep steroid testing
Louisiana considers prep steroid testing, By: Tabby Soignier
LHSAA may use survey to determine need for testing
7/2/07
Louisiana could possibly become the fourth state in the country to legalize testing of high school athletes for steroids.
New Jersey became the first state followed by Florida and Texas and now Democratic representative from Lafayette Don Trahan is suggesting Louisiana follow suit.
"I think right now from what I understand is that all the legislature is asking us to do is do a survey — to do a survey to see if it's a problem with our schools and administrators," LHSAA commissioner Kenny Henderson said, "but we have not been officially contacted."
Henderson spoke to The News-Star from California where he is taking part in the National Federal Convention with other Athletic Administrators.
"The topic has been discussed," Henderson said. "It has been piggy backing off some of the states who have incorporated this into their program."
The survey would only be the first step for the testing process. If the surveys show there is a problem in Louisiana schools, it could progress into testing high school athletes for sports enhancing drugs.
"I have no reason to not conduct a survey," Henderson said. "I think we need to do that to say yes it is a problem or to say no its not a problem. I'm never against having more information and definitely not against benefitting our students. We pride ourselves on being safety conscious and this definitely falls into that category."
Henderson recommends the only way to get an accurate survey, however, is to keep the surveys anonymous.
"We definitely have not discussed what would be in the survey or how it would be done, but to me to get the best answers possible is to make the survey as anonymous as possible," Henderson said. "If not anonymous, you're not going to get the true answers your looking for."
Local high school coaches around the Monroe area have provided a resounding yes as to whether they would be for the testing of their players.
"I would say definitely," West Monroe coach Don Shows said. "It's something you don't do. Steroids can kill you. It is detrimental to your health if it doesn't kill you. It is like drinking and driving. It has its consequences. I definitely don't condone it. I'm all in favor (of the testing)."
Several powerhouse teams are produced in the state of Louisiana. With the competition stiff, coaches can see where the curiosity of taking steroids may creep into a young man's mind.
"I think with the competition being so fierce on the high level, it is so intense," Wossman coach Vince Landrum said. "Everyone is trying to get an edge. With that fact being known a lot of those habits — good or bad — can be formed on the high school level. I would be for (testing). It would help the integrity of the game on a high school level."
The questions becomes how much steroid users worry about the integrity of the game. Does it matter to them or is playing time more important?
"Competition that's all," Richwood coach Warren Trimble said. "Everyone wants to be on the field and participate and be number one. A lot of kids think that's the way to develop faster and get there. I don't believe in that."
Area coaches are trying to teach their players not to believe in that either. At the beginning of each season, coaches inform their players about the use of harmful substances and how to become the best player through hard work.
"We try to tell the kids from the start of the season," Trimble said. "We tell them we're going to do everything we can do to make them the best and that they can't trust in those things. It's just a drug. It's not natural. We have a way to make them bigger, stronger, faster."
Some schools with the financial abilities hire others to come in to assure players they are going to transform their bodies into the best players they can be but also teach them about the wrong ways of reaching that goal.
Through strength coaches, trainers and others who are on top of players' nutrition needs, schools are trying to educate players how to become top-notch players without harmful side effects.
"I have been an assistant at West Monroe, Neville, West Ouachita High School, Ouachita and now head coach here," Ouachita coach John Carr said. "Every one of those guys I've worked with I think does a fantastic job spreading education around about the dangers of taking those substances. All those schools have a full-time athletic trainer, full time strength coach, and strength coaches who are educated in that field. I feel like we make sure we try to get across to kids the dangers and the risks they're taking with their bodies."
Costs of testing a single athlete ranges from $105 to $225. While this could take a huge hit in a school's budget, coaches have thought of alternate ways to pay for tests.
"Financially it would be a burden on all high school athletic programs. I don't see why the LHSAA can't test all the players who play in the state championship game," Shows said. "My understanding is if you take steroids it's in your system for a long time. If they're taking them and playing in the state championship game, they should be tested. The LHSAA picks up that tab."
The LHSAA already requires drug testing of student athletes but not for performance enhancing drugs.
"All we say is you have to have some kind of program — we don't tell you what kind of program," Henderson said. "If we get to that point (of testing for steroids) the biggest issue there is the expense. It's very expensive."
While Shows and the other coaches were in favor of the testing, they all believe their schools have not had any problems with steroids now or in the past.
"Truthfully, I don't know of any kids who played at West Monroe (that took steroids)," Shows said. "If they did, they didn't take the right ones. It didn't work. I haven't seen any of that growth physically and muscularly. I am not aware of anybody. I don't see it. If it is, it's a few isolated cases. I don't see it happening."
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