|
"Kids see these tremendously huge bodies that are moving around the football field or the hockey rink or the basketball court, and they see these guys doing incredible feats of athletic skill and the kids want to emulate that, so they're going to get there however they can."
Greg Schwab is an Associate Principal at Shorewood High School in Washington state. He is a former University of Oregon offensive tackle football player who used steroids during his athletic career. Since then, he has coached many high school football, wrestling and track & field teams as well as serving as a high school athletic director. Mr. Schwab uses his personal stories to help teens stay away from steroids and other illicit substances.
Read his experiences on the topic of:
Why he started using steroids
When I had done everything my body could do naturally, it wasn't enough. I wanted to play pro football, so I went to the strength coach and I asked him about steroids. He gave me a book. He never said, 'no, you don't want to do that.’
Why many young athletes start using
Kids are under pressure from their peers, their parents and their coaches to excel, so some turn to performance enhancing drugs. That pressure to succeed is communicated to the athlete. They want to please their coach.
New pressures faced by young athletes
They're being raised with this incredibly competitive attitude. It used to be that we played sports for the camaraderie experience, for the team, for the fun of it. Now kids play competitive sports because it's a means to an end. It's a way to get a scholarship.
Knowing the consequences
The benefits do not outweigh the potential consequences. With kids, I'm very honest about my past use and explain that I know where they're coming from on this one. I remind them they are 15, 16-year-old kids; they haven't finished growing yet and explain the host of problems connected to adolescent steroid use.
Why young athletes continue to use
That's the double-edged sword with steroids. While there are all these side effects…you get bigger, stronger and faster. You're able to train harder and that's what athletes are looking for; that thing that is going to take them to the next level. When you're 20, 22-years old, you feel pretty invincible. You think, 'Those things aren't going to happen to me.'
People don't talk about it because you are branded as a cheater. However, you're not called a cheater until you get caught. Until then, people just congratulate you on your improved performance.
The responsibility of coaches
Coaches are, by nature, control freaks. It's hard to miss athletes who you believe are on steroids. They have all the symptoms: erratic behaviors, weight gain, strength gain …puffy appearance. So in my opinion, coaches usually know what's going on.
The responsibility of parents of athletes
If a parent feels like their kids are okay because they do sports, they're putting their head in the sand. Parents need to ask questions and have some pretty frank discussions with their kids about drugs. If there is any kind of concern, then [they should] ask someone for help. Schools now have resources to help parents with many of these issues.
How to effectively reach out
If you want to make an impact on high school boys, you tell them that it's going to affect their testicles and they will develop breasts. Those two things will have an impact. You hit them where they live. But I think it has to come from them. Deterrents have to come from the peer group. As adults, coaches, administrators and teachers, we can stand up on our soapboxes and point our fingers and say 'Thou shall not do this,' 'Thou shall not do that,' and kids will just blow us off. I think [messages are most effective] when kids are educating each other and kids themselves are changing the culture.
|
