Steroid use prompts call for testing at Yuma high schools

10.19.2006

Yuma educators are considering putting a drug testing program in place after four varsity football players at Kofa High School were suspended from the team for using steroids.

The Yuma Union High School District currently has no drug testing program, but the superintendent said he hopes the governing board puts a program in place.

"I hope it leads to the superintendent and the board having support to put some kind of random drug testing at our schools," said district Superintendent Tim Foist.

Foist said plans for a drug testing program are incomplete, but would preferably be voluntary for parents and students and done randomly throughout the school year. He said comparable districts with drug testing programs spend about $30,000 a year.

The indefinite suspension of the four unidentified players prompted the testing discussion. Coach Kevin Moore said the incident appears confined just to those players. But administrators, teachers and parents are concerned that the steroid problem may go beyond the Kofa football team.

Moore said the issue of steroid use will be discussed more often with student athletes.

"It's hard, but no one ever said it was going to be easy," Moore said. "It's something that we're always going to be talking about now."

A public meeting at Kofa High Wednesday night drew about 300 parents and students.

"It's no secret what's going on at Kofa High School," Principal Gina Thompson told those at the meeting. "We know that we have an issue. We know the issue is rampant across the nation, and the issue is steroids."

Thompson said a Yuma Police Department investigation found the players had purchased the steroids in Mexico, crossing the border to Los Algodones.

"Our kids have ready access to this, more than other places, because of our proximity to the border," said Will Slater, a parent who attended the meeting. "The problem isn't just here in Kofa ... kids feel they need to use steroids to compete with the kids in Phoenix."