Drug testing for high school athletes
by padecky
Sometime in the next couple weeks I am going to do a column on drug testing for high school athletes. Good or bad? I was so sure it would be a good thing. Texas does it, although I am not sure I would like to use Texas as a standard for many things.
Still, I was fairly convinced drug testing would bring more good than harm. and then I talked to Paul Cronin, Newman’s football coach, before the Montgomery game last Friday. He said he would vote against it.
“You would be sending the wrong message to kids,” Cronin said. “You would be telling them you aren’t trusting them. Coaches and parents can do a lot, just by noticing any changes in behavior.”
I’m still more convinced than not that drug testing would work but Cronin did give me something to think about.
Bob Padecky goes beyond the headlines on the local sports scene. He will edit all blogs responses upon their arrival, reserving the right to delete those entries which are offensive, inappropriate, blatantly inaccurate or otherwise mean-spirited. Because blog entries must be edited and finally approved before being published on the blog page, there will be a delay in their public posting.
I have been informed by many Newman kids that drug use is rampart at their school and kids on the team take steroids. Of course high school coaches would be against it because it could effect their players. I do not want my son to ever think it is OK to take steroids to get ahead in sports but unfortunately many kids believe it is the only option to get ahead and stay ahead.
by concerned parent
Well from the looks of it they are shutting down all the sports teams due to budget concerns, so theres no need to drug test them. besides thats an added cost.
by Dan Flores
It would be okay with me to see drug testing in high school for athletics. It needs to start somewhere. Sports have no room for illegal drugs. I feel if illegal drugs are used in athletics it will only escalate later on in life.
by B, Kozlowski
Hello,
I think they should do testing for high school athletes. It would be pretty good for the team they want to be in, and helps out the school.
by Lorena
I want to remind you that we are dealing with minors. How many times has a minor died on a football field or a basketball court and how many times has it been drug related and could have been avoided. They have to take physicals so why not drug tests. It is our responsibility to keep all the kids on a team safe and a start would be to make sure everyone is sober.
by Rory Flood
Hmmmm, this is a good debate question. I do believe athletes should be tested but only for performance enhancers, unless you include the rest of the student body for all illegal drugs. I am also in favor of this and that it should be used as a toll to be able to counsel and educate those involved about the long term dangers of drug abuse. Drug abuse from Marijuana to other hard drugs are a major concern on campuses today and need to be dealt with by more than parents.
by John H
Test, but as John says only for performance enhancers, there are enough indicators for when a kid starts taking drugs. Common sense. It strikes me as hysterical to run around and drug test everyone. Fear based and unnecessary. Common sense folks.
by annette
RE: concerned parent
I can assure you that drug use at Cardinal Newman is in fact much less than in your average public school. But it’s a high school! What do you honestly expect? And how dare you accuse Coach Cronin or any other coach for that matter of being against drug tests because they are concerned about losing star players. Might I remind you that most high school coaches, like Cronin, work at the school as teachers, and therefore have much more noble intentions toward their kids and players that merely whether they are eligible to play on Friday night. I firmly believe that drug tests would be a waste of time because they would find precious few athletes on performance enhancers. Kids should be educated about the harmfulness of drugs in general, not policed.
by Newman Student
concerned parent, steroids are probably the least used substance in high school. I think its logical, just by common sense, that there are an even amount, if not more students at the public schools in Santa Rosa take performance enhancers than at Cardinal Newman.
Dan made a good point about the budget costs but I think it would be a good idea to test for steroids in high school athletes. Make sure the field is fair.
by student athlete