Steroid testing time nears, By: Jeremy Fowler
Florida will spend $100K on random tests for athletes at FHSAA schools.
August 26, 2007
With Florida's first high school steroid testing likely to hit campuses in late September, the state enters a realm without any real blueprint for success.
It also enters with a funding package for the testing that pales in comparison to Texas' ambitious $6 million package over two years.
Those defending Florida's $100,000 pledge for the 2007-08 year, however, say that's not the point.
"The point of testing is not to catch people, but to serve as a deterrent," said Frank Uriasz, commissioner of the National Center for Drug-Free Sport (NCDFS). "It's also not the number of tests, but the sanctions involved."
On June 19, Gov. Charlie Crist signed a law that gives the Florida High School Athletic Association clearance to test high school athletes for anabolic steroids. It's a random test the FHSAA predicts will start some time in late September or early October, targeting football, weightlifting and baseball in the first year.
Starting the testing is indeed trendy, but it's a trend that can fizzle quickly.
New Jersey became the first to try the testing last year, but it reportedly failed to produce a positive result from 150 random samples. The NCDFS, which oversaw New Jersey's testing, will spearhead Florida's efforts this year.
In January 2005, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson pledged $330,000 dedicated to steroid testing. But the state gave up on its efforts after potential legal ramifications and the availability for cheaper testing of other drugs such as marijuana.
Some say success hinges on having enough financial backing to pose a threat, which is why Texas has designated $3 million for each of the next two school years with a plan to test 3 percent of the state's high school athletes.
Florida, meanwhile, lacks the same resources. The state's $100,000 is enough to test an estimated 571 students in a state with about 750 high schools affiliated with the FHSAA, less than one student per school. That's based on an estimated $175 per test, which accounts for overseeing the test and analyzing the results, according to the NCDFS. The 571 tests wouldn't cover each of the 581 football teams in the state.
"It's like owning a Hummer and putting five gallons of free gas in it," said Dennis Latta, executive director of the New Mexico Sports Authority, the representative for New Mexico's initial push for steroid testing. "It doesn't do you much good."
A recent NCDFS study shows 1.8 percent of high school seniors admitted to using steroids, and some Orlando-area football coaches and players agree that teenage users are probably out there.
Other drugs, however, especially recreational drugs, might be more prevalent, coaches say.
Apopka football Coach Rick Darlington said his group of "5-foot-8, 160-pound" players easily will pass the steroid testing. But Darlington has heard about statistics like this 31.5 percent of high school seniors admitted to marijuana use, a recent NCDFS study shows.
Testing for marijuana is typically less than $20, more than eight times cheaper than Florida's steroid testing.
"Marijuana and other drugs are a far more reaching problem than steroids," Darlington said. "Steroids just get notoriety because a couple of kids have died from it, but how many have died from drugs and alcohol? You could use the money to curb those things."
Like it or not, the process already has begun. Athletes and parents must sign and turn in a consent form for the random testing before participating in regular-season games. For football, that's next week.
As directed by the Florida legislature, the FHSAA randomly will test approximately 1 percent of the student-athletes in grades 9-12. Denarvise Thornton, senior director of athletic operations for the FHSAA, said the board of directors will decide whether the state tests for softball and flag football for a gender-balanced test.
Despite the low percentage of projected steroid users in high schools, Uriasz said testing for the drug is crucial.
"Studies show athletes are less likely to use street drugs than non-athletes," Uriasz said. "They are more likely to use performance-enhancing drugs. We recommend some sort of steroid testing. And if there's a small budget, you can do it based on suspicion."
Those in favor of the testing can thank Florida for setting some sort of standard.
"Whatever they can do is good," Edgewater Coach Bill Gierke said. "It's a proactive step. I'd be surprised if there were any users in football. I've only noticed one of my players, and I picked up on it right away. I called the parents and told them that your son has a problem."
Instead of getting a call at home from the coach, potential users now must worry about losing their spots on the team.
The punishment for any Florida athlete who tests positive for anabolic steroids is a 90-day suspension from all interscholastic practice and competition. Schools must schedule a meting with the players and parents and provide a mandatory drug education program.
The effectiveness of this trial run, at least in the public eye, might depend on whether there's that first athlete who serves as Example A -- Joe Linebacker, who gained 38 pounds over the summer
No positive tests after a year, however, might call for a one-and-done outcome, some area coaches and players say.
"We just have to count on the fact that it is random and see what happens," Thornton said.
