Steroid testing at high schools isn't likely this football season

[KFDM COOP]

Steroid testing at high schools isn't likely this football season

UIL officials still have to pick from 14 bids and set up a time for public comment

AUSTIN — A desire to give parents, coaches and students ample time to respond to steroid testing of high school athletes could delay the project's launch until after this high school football season.

With football playoffs beginning in just three weeks, officials who support the mammoth testing program said Tuesday that it's more important to get it right than to rush into it.

University Interscholastic League officials have not yet awarded a contract among 14 companies that bid on the steroid testing program. Nor have they opened a public comment period allowing people to ask questions or to highlight undetected problems.

"We're strongly behind the proposition that we want to do this right, so it's probably not going to happen by football season. But we want to do it right — not fast," said Jeff Kloster, associate commissioner for health and safety at the Texas Education Agency.

The UIL, which governs Texas high school sports, plans to open a public comment period lasting either 14 or 21 days, though officials said they don't know when. And they would not speculate on a timeline for awarding the contract.

"We don't want to start testing and find that we have overlooked a major legal issue or anything that would violate any (federal health privacy) laws," UIL spokeswoman Kim Rogers said.

Lawmakers this year voted to spend $3 million a year on a steroid testing program to be conducted randomly among up to 25,000 student athletes per year.

Senate Bill 8 requires the program to start in the 2007-08 school year but not necessarily in time for football.

"It's more important to this agency that we do our job of educating the affected parties and getting the information out there and do it right as opposed to just trying to beat an artificial deadline," said Kloster.

More than NCAA, Olympics

Neither the NCAA nor International Olympics Committee tests as many athletes for illegal steroid use as the proposed Texas high school program, Rogers said.

The public comment period will be an important opportunity for Texans, she and others said.

"There won't be any surprises, and we'll be able to (emphasize) that if you test positive, you test positive, so you are responsible for what goes into your body," Kloster said.

Steroid side effects

The UIL is proposing a 30-day suspension from athletic competition for any student-athlete who tests positive for steroid use.

Anabolic steroid use can cause severe physical and emotional consequences, including stunted growth, high blood pressure, liver tumors, and mood swings ranging from uncontrolled anger and aggressiveness to clinical depression when people stop using steroids.

High school coaches will be pleased that the state is not rushing into a major testing program "without making sure that everything is right," said Cypress-Fairbanks coach David Raffield.

"This is a potentially serious accusation. You don't want to make a mistake. You don't want to rush and pick a company and have there be some kind of error or something that we haven't talked about," Raffield said. "Heaven forbid there's a mistake and somebody is falsely accused. These are kids; they're not professional athletes."

The public comment period will give everyone time "to make sure that all your i's are dotted and t's are crossed and everything's in place and everybody has a chance to look it over," Raffield said.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a strong supporter of the steroid-testing program, wants a fair and accurate test that will put pressure on teens "not to use steroids or risk being found out," said his spokesman, Rich Parsons.

[77]

Looks like some luck out again!

[24 over par]

steroid testing is long over due

[baddog]

Teachers are severely underpaid, schools need books, etc. and we are spending $3,000,000.00 a year to test for steroids. What a joke. I don't see anywhere that it mentions any funding for counseling or rehabilitation for these kids who test positive, it merely mentions the length of suspension. And I thought it was because we are concerned with the health and welfare of our kids. Our priorities have gone awry.

[77]

Your probably right about getting help for the abusers, but it will also even the playing field for those who do not choose to use.

[stevieray]

77....I agree that this will even the playing field, but I think that helping the athletes understand the damage that steroids can do to there body is one of the main goals...We all remember being 17 years old and thinking we were 10 foot tall and bullet proof.  Kids need to understand (and I stress understand) the dangers involved with steroids...Steroids aren't anything to play around with and once you use them it can lead to a major abuse issue....

Baddog...great post my friend, I couldn't agree with you more!!!  If we are going to test the kids there needs to be a course of action regarding rehabilitation. 

[77]

True they do need to ,  but its just like any other drugs, the parents must be involved the school can only do so much without the help of parents. Steroids are just like any other drug and if the parents are parenting they will  know if  thier child is using. I also know of some situations where the parents look the other way because it makes thier son a star.(sad but true) Therefore imo testing is a good start.

[baddog]

Thanks stevieray. I wish someone would please explain to me what the heck is considered a level playing field....seriously.

[77]

No roids! Ask the runners in the 100 meters in 3a last year.  

[adminbaberuth]

Don't do it young men.

Proven side effects

.Hormonal system

.Infertility

.Breast development

.Shrinking of the testicles

.Male-pattern baldness

Musculoskeletal system

.Short stature

.Tendon rupture

Cardiovascular system

.Heart attacks

.Enlargement of the heart’s left ventricle

.Liver

.Cancer

.Peliosis hepatis

Skin

.Acne and cysts

.Oily scalp

Infection

.HIV/AIDS

.Hepatitis

Psychiatric effects

Homicidal rage

Mania

Delusions

[77]

Good post.

[tvc184]

.....................I don't see anywhere that it mentions any funding for counseling or rehabilitation for these kids who test positive, it merely mentions the length of suspension. And I thought it was because we are concerned with the health and welfare of our kids. Our priorities have gone awry.

Some people don't want the testing because they think it is a waste of money. If they do go ahead with the tests however and tell a school and parents that a kid is doing drugs, you think the state should have to pay for his counciling and rehab?

You complain that it is going to cost $3 million a year for the tests but you are willing to spend way more than that for state funded counciling. Hmmmm........

By the way, $3 million comes out to about one penny per month per every person in Texas. That big waste of money comes to about 12 cents per year per person. If roughly a dime per person is too much for us to spend to the testing for drugs, then we are in trouble.

[Guest LSU FOOTBALL]

Consider the state will spend millions to catch maybe 1 % of the student athletes in Texas.  (Excuse me i mean 1 % of UIL participants.)  another example of wasteful government spending. 

Although i think our One Act play troop is on the juice.

[tvc184]

Consider the state will spend millions to catch maybe 1 % of the student athletes in Texas.  (Excuse me i mean 1 % of UIL participants.)  another example of wasteful government spending. 

Although i think our One Act play troop is on the juice.

The money isn't spent to "catch" students. The money is spent to "deter" students from using drugs.

[Guest LSU FOOTBALL]

[kville_extreme]

people get to hyped about this stuff.

[tvc184]

Classic liberal statement.   We need the government to protect us from ourselves.

HAHAHAHA!!!

I am so far right wing that I probably make you look like Teddy Kennedy.

Right wingers are strong on laws in general and especially drug laws. Liberals are against drugs laws in general. The liberals want to do away with any substance abuse laws.

A liberal view would be the ones on here that think if a kid tests positive, it is the government's responsibility to pay for counciling and/or rehab. Held accountable for your actions? Conservative. Pat little Johnny on the back since it isn't his fault and pay for anything he needs? Liberal.

You have your political beliefs confused.

[stevieray]

people get to hyped about this stuff.

What do you mean by that statement?

[77]

TVC your are right.

[Guest LSU FOOTBALL]

HAHAHAHA!!!

I am so far right wing that I probably make you look like Teddy Kennedy.

Right wingers are strong on laws in general and especially drug laws. Liberals are against drugs laws in general. The liberals want to do away with any substance abuse laws.

A liberal view would be the ones on here that think if a kid tests positive, it is the government's responsibility to pay for counciling and/or rehab. Held accountable for your actions? Conservative. Pat little Johnny on the back since it isn't his fault and pay for anything he needs? Liberal.

You have your political beliefs confused.

[tvc184]

I am very conservative and I don't agree at all with your former statement. I don't think testing athletes for steroids is a liberal cradle to the grave big government program.

[baddog]

HAHAHAHA!!!

I am so far right wing that I probably make you look like Teddy Kennedy.

Right wingers are strong on laws in general and especially drug laws. Liberals are against drugs laws in general. The liberals want to do away with any substance abuse laws.

A liberal view would be the ones on here that think if a kid tests positive, it is the government's responsibility to pay for counciling and/or rehab. Held accountable for your actions? Conservative. Pat little Johnny on the back since it isn't his fault and pay for anything he needs? Liberal.

You have your political beliefs confused.

Is that a political affiliation? I don't have to put a label on everything I have feelings about. I have liberal and conservative views as does everyone. I like the way you excerpt from someone's post, then attempt to slice and dice it until you can twist it the way you want it. My point was that if we are willing to spend 3 million dollars (1/2 cent per person to you) on testing our kids for steroids, why can't we finds the funds to pay our teachers an honest salary? You completely missed that one. Also, if we impose on our school districts to do the things that we, as parents, are afraid and unwilling to do ourselves, then why shouldn't we expect the same funding to cover rehab and counseling. It's because this is not about the health and welfare of the kids, as it should be, it's a witch hunt under the guise of concern, perpetuated by flag toters, such as yourself, saying that it is in the best interest of the kids.

[tvc184]

You can slice and dice all you want. Steroid testing or any other program has absolutely nothing to do with teacher's salaries.

Why not build less roads and give teachers better salaries? Why not advertise less for Texas tourism and give teachers better salaries? You could go on and on with many government programs but the testing program did not come from teacher's salaries. It was not a tradeoff. If you are against testing then just say so but it is a lame argument to not test because teachers aren't paid enough. That is about the equivalent of saying let's stop trying to get drunk drivers off of the road because the cops aren't paid enough.

By the way, I didn't start with the political stance, LSU did. Check out the posts that quoted.

[smp83]

Without naming names, do you think we have many players in this area using steroids?

[tvc184]

I doubt that there is a high percentage but you can bet that it is being done. If anything is available, there will always be someone that will do it whether it is steriods, alcohol, illegal drugs, etc.