August 11, 2006
BLOOMINGTON -- All the controversy surrounding the role of performance-enhancing drugs in sports could be hitting close to home in the future.
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced earlier this week plans to ramp up its educational programs against steroid use, and the organization that governs interscholastic competition for over 700 high school across the state is studying the possibility of mandatory steroid testing for high school student-athletes in more than 30 sports.
Scott Johnson, assistant executive director for the IHSA, told the Associated Press that testing in Illinois is "in the talking stages" and there is no timetable for a decision.
In the meantime, the IHSA board on Monday backed stepping up educational programs aimed at steering young athletes away from steroids.
"It's our hope that by developing our new educational units on steroids, schools will have another mechanism at their disposal to help student-athletes make better choices," said a statement issued by IHSA assistant executive director Kurt Gibson.
Gibson went on to say that steroid use is a growing problem among high school athletes.
Marty Hickman, IHSA executive director, was out of his office this week and could not be reached for comment, but has said testing is "a sign of the times" and that "it's a natural progression to move to some kind of testing."
Without a statewide mandatory testing program (New Jersey recently became the first state to pass such a requirement), Illinois schools are on their own as to whether or not to test, what to test for, and how to select those tested.
Locally, both Streator and Ottawa township high schools already have drug-testing policies in place, while Fieldcrest High School voted this summer to adopt a similar policy.
At Streator, all students participating in interscholastic competition (including sports, academic team, cheerleading, etc.) are required to comply to SHS's random drug-testing policy by urinalysis. The tests look for "the presence of illicit drugs or banned substances in accordance with policy ... approved by the Streator Township High School Board."
A first violation of the policy leads to at least a two-week suspension. A second violation excludes the student from all athletic programs for the remainder of the school year. A third positive test results in exclusion from all extracurriculars for the student's high school career.
At Ottawa, all students participating in "school sponsored extracurricular activities for which no academic credit is awarded" are subject to random drug testing.
Up to 10 percent of all OTHS athletes are subject to testing each week, with a first positive test resulting in suspension for either two events or 20 percent of the remainder of the season, whichever is greater. A second violation leads to a month-long suspension, while a third positive test equates to suspension from extracurriculars for one calendar year.
Both schools also encourage/require student-athletes who test positive to work with a substance abuse or intervention counselor.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
