Morgan Clelland
Erin Cartwright
GWRTC 103
3-26-10
Performance Enhancers in High School Sports
High school athletes today are increasingly focusing on ways to enhance their
abilities. Most athletes attempt to accomplish this by continuous practice and physical
training. However, a growing number are turning to banned performance enhancers. They
choose to use them rather than practice like the majority of athletes. A number of issues
are then raised when considering high school athletes who use performance enhancers.
Those who do use performance enhancers gain an unfair advantage over the majority that
have abided by the rules. Further, there are serious physical and mental consequences that
occur when using performance enhancers. However, the greatest issue is many high
school athletes who use performance enhancers do not care about the possible side
effects. This is why all states need to employ measures such as drug testing and
education. It will ensure fair play for all athletes. Furthermore, athletes will be protected
from the consequences of performance enhancer use.
An increasing number of high school athletes today are turning to performance
enhancers to improve their abilities. At first, this issue may not appear to be a problem
given that only a small percentage of high school athletes overall use performance
enhancers. However, the percentage has steadily increased over the past decade and
reflects the increasing trend of performance enhancer usage. The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention conducted three surveys in 1995, 2005, and 2007. They revealed
, that 3% of high school athletes used performance enhancers in 1995, 4.8% in 2005, and
5% in 2007 (Nevius 82). 5% may appear to be insignificant, but represents 500,000 high
school athletes who use performance enhancers (82). This number will only continue to
rise if nothing is done to stop it. In addition, with an increasing number of high school
athletes taking performance enhancers, there will be increased instances where the
consequences of their use take effect.
One result of high school athletes using performance enhancers is they gain an
undeserved advantage over the majority of athletes that have followed the rules. A loss of
integrity then results as they achieve a win that they have not earned. Some of the most
common advantages observed are increased strength and speed from steroids and
increased oxygen intake from blood doping (Schneider 136). However, no matter what
the advantage is, it is an unfair advantage that contributes to a loss of integrity. An
example is several players from the number one nationally ranked high school football
team in 2004 admitted to using steroids (137). This is important because this team was
able to achieve the number one rank for the entire nation. The fact that several of the
players from the football team used steroids raises the question of was it skill that brought
them to that point or was it steroids? Did they defeat their opponents or did steroids?
Performance enhancers also have shown themselves to continue on past the high school
to college level. An example is doctors for the University of Washington softball team
provided narcotics to players from 1999-2004 to allow the athletes to play longer without
injury (137). The University of Washington softball team won a Pac-10 championship in
2000. Did the softball team achieve victory by talent or endurance gained by narcotics?
Did they win by outplaying or by simply outlasting their opponents through narcotics?
Erin Cartwright
GWRTC 103
3-26-10
Performance Enhancers in High School Sports
High school athletes today are increasingly focusing on ways to enhance their
abilities. Most athletes attempt to accomplish this by continuous practice and physical
training. However, a growing number are turning to banned performance enhancers. They
choose to use them rather than practice like the majority of athletes. A number of issues
are then raised when considering high school athletes who use performance enhancers.
Those who do use performance enhancers gain an unfair advantage over the majority that
have abided by the rules. Further, there are serious physical and mental consequences that
occur when using performance enhancers. However, the greatest issue is many high
school athletes who use performance enhancers do not care about the possible side
effects. This is why all states need to employ measures such as drug testing and
education. It will ensure fair play for all athletes. Furthermore, athletes will be protected
from the consequences of performance enhancer use.
An increasing number of high school athletes today are turning to performance
enhancers to improve their abilities. At first, this issue may not appear to be a problem
given that only a small percentage of high school athletes overall use performance
enhancers. However, the percentage has steadily increased over the past decade and
reflects the increasing trend of performance enhancer usage. The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention conducted three surveys in 1995, 2005, and 2007. They revealed
, that 3% of high school athletes used performance enhancers in 1995, 4.8% in 2005, and
5% in 2007 (Nevius 82). 5% may appear to be insignificant, but represents 500,000 high
school athletes who use performance enhancers (82). This number will only continue to
rise if nothing is done to stop it. In addition, with an increasing number of high school
athletes taking performance enhancers, there will be increased instances where the
consequences of their use take effect.
One result of high school athletes using performance enhancers is they gain an
undeserved advantage over the majority of athletes that have followed the rules. A loss of
integrity then results as they achieve a win that they have not earned. Some of the most
common advantages observed are increased strength and speed from steroids and
increased oxygen intake from blood doping (Schneider 136). However, no matter what
the advantage is, it is an unfair advantage that contributes to a loss of integrity. An
example is several players from the number one nationally ranked high school football
team in 2004 admitted to using steroids (137). This is important because this team was
able to achieve the number one rank for the entire nation. The fact that several of the
players from the football team used steroids raises the question of was it skill that brought
them to that point or was it steroids? Did they defeat their opponents or did steroids?
Performance enhancers also have shown themselves to continue on past the high school
to college level. An example is doctors for the University of Washington softball team
provided narcotics to players from 1999-2004 to allow the athletes to play longer without
injury (137). The University of Washington softball team won a Pac-10 championship in
2000. Did the softball team achieve victory by talent or endurance gained by narcotics?
Did they win by outplaying or by simply outlasting their opponents through narcotics?
