WIAA pumps member schools about steroid use, By: Greg Bates
August 4, 2007
State governing board last year started distributing DVDs and literature about the ill effects of doping
Steroids and related performance-enhancing drugs are entering high schools all across the nation, but what are state governing boards and administrators doing to help stop the flow?
In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) provides school districts with DVDs produced by the National Federation of High School Steroids Awareness and literature on steroids.
That literature just recently made its way into the hands of Rhinelander High School activities director Justin Szews.
“This is all fairly new stuff,” said Szews. “The literature was just shipped to us this spring.”
According to WIAA director of communications Todd Clark, administrators are asked to distribute the literature to curriculum-related classes, i.e. physical education classes, as well as to athletes.
“It's important to let coaches, parents, students and administrators know the harmful effects of taking performance-enhancing drugs,” Clark said. “The best approach is still to educate on the dangers.”
When Rhinelander has its pre-participation meetings for fall sports, the literature will be available to all students. Also, when coaches have their annual preseason meeting this coming week they will be given the literature and mandated to hand it out to all members of their teams.
“It's important enough for our state governing organization to send us copies for every athlete and we are going to distribute those,” said Szews.
Student-athletes aren't required yet, however, to watch the DVD distributed by the WIAA.
Rhinelander School District's stance on steroid use is simple and concrete: “We are 100 percent against it and 100 percent vigilant. We are always on the lookout,” Szews said. “Our stance is without a doubt it's unacceptable, it can't be done, it's against all rules that govern the WIAA and we are definitely in line with that. We are doing everything we can to make sure those rules are strictly enforced.”
The student handbook for Rhinelander High School clearly states that controlled and/or banned substances are prohibited.
Luckily enough, Szews and Hodag head football coach Jim Moore haven't encountered any problems yet with steroids.
“I've been here for six, seven years and Š I wouldn't classify it as a big problem here at Rhinelander High School,” Szews said. “There may be some schools around the state where it is a bigger problem than it is here, but I don't see it and that's good.”
“I don't think we have any problems here -- maybe some schools do have problems,” said Moore. “I know there are some teams that are really strong, but the reason they are strong is because they're busting their butts. I know whenever you get somebody that's really strong it's, ‘oh, there's steroid use.'”
Adequate enforcement?
Szews believes that the WIAA is doing a solid job of enforcing the non-steroid use stance.
“Just short of going to a mandatory testing program, I think they are doing about all they can,” Szews said.
Said Clark, “I'm not sure there's more we can do.”
The WIAA must be doing a sound job since there hasn't been one drug case throughout the state that the organization has had to deal with.
With the state governing organization serving around 450 schools, the WIAA can only get the word out so much until the responsibility falls on the shoulders of each school district.
Clark thinks the WIAA is adequately informing parents and athletes are steroids, but are school districts doing enough?
He doesn't think so.
Districts are handing out the literature, but they also need to discuss it, said Clark.
“Some schools just haven't had the time do it,” Clark said.
Paying the price
According to a study done by The Associated Press, on average it costs $100 to $175 per athlete to administer a drug test. If a state randomly tests 1,000 athletes, the costs really start to add up. That expense would be difficult for any school district to cover.
Szews noted that mandatory tests are being legally challenged all the time because athletes feel their rights are being infringed upon.
“The possible legal battle and the cost of tests itself wrap themselves into a big lump of money no schools, probably across the country, could spare at this time,” Szews said.
Only three states, according to The Associated Press, mandate steroid testing by state law -- Florida, New Jersey and Texas.
New Jersey was the first state to make it a law. Thus far, no positive tests have been reported. In Texas, the law was recently passed for widespread testing. Florida just set a law for a pilot program that calls for 1 percent of athletes in football, baseball and weightlifting to be tested.
By mandating testing, high schools don't want to start feeling the ill effects of doping like in professional sports these days.
“We are kind of in a trickle down effect,” Szews said. “We're a long ways from Major League Baseball or the NFL, but yet it's a big enough deal that, by gosh, we are going to make sure it doesn't become a problem in amateur athletics and high schools athletics.”
So, is state-mandated testing necessary yet in Wisconsin?
“We are not at the testing point right now -- we are still at educating now,” Clark said.
“Ultimately, testing is the only way that you can create a level of certainty that steroids aren't being used, there's no disputing that,” said Szews. “Do I think it's necessary at this time? I guess my initial thought would be no. But then if you look at the other side of the coin, you've got a situation where I can say it's not that big of a problem here at Rhinelander High School, but once it becomes a problem and one kid's life is affected it's too late.”
