Government Roundtable Makes Steroid-Abuse Recommendations

08-31-06

Report calls for education at all ages.

The Zero Tolerance Roundtable on steroid use in sports is sending its final recommendation to Congress. It's calling for funding of education efforts at all levels of competition about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

Taylor Hooton was a strong, charismatic 17-year-old pitcher with family roots in the sport. He was a cousin to Major League great Burt Hooton and had dreams of following in his footsteps. But this father, Don Hooton, said he felt he needed something more. And that led him to steroids.

"His coach told him he needed to get bigger, and Taylor took the shortcut so many of his buds were taking," his dad said. "In July, in the summer between his junior and senior year, Taylor committed suicide."

The Zero Tolerance Roundtable is recommending, among other things, that steroid education begin at the grade-school level and that professional leagues become more involved in helping.

But Les Steckel, president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, told Family News in Focus that two more components are needed: coaches and families.

"We have found in doing a study that the coach is the most influential vocation in America, where they will influence over 10,000 lives during the course of their career," he said. "And not until the parents and families begin to recognize that winning is not the ultimate -- and winning at all costs is not necessary -- will America's view of athletics change."