Colleges practice random drug testing for athletes
Steroid usage in question.
Suzanne Chebret
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: Sports
The release of the Mitchell Report this past year has led to many questions about the use of steroids not only in professional sports, but in college sports as well.
The National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) has certain criteria that must be followed for all participating athletes. Some of the criteria include understanding the dangers of drugs including alcohol, steroids as well as tobacco.
According to the NJCAA website, the NJCAA accepts its responsibility by seeking to provide a competitive environment that is free from drug and substance use and abuse in any form for the purpose of facilitating or enhancing athletic performance by any athlete engaged in competition that is either sponsored or sanctioned by the NJCAA.
San Jacinto College's policies include drug education as well as the ability to randomly drug test their athletes.
"We do randomly drug test our players for their safety," Assistant Coach Jimmy Durham of the Gators baseball team said.
"We keep the testing random, so the players will not know they are being tested. It is not because we suspect anything. They test everything from steroids to caffeine," Durham said.
"They make it comfortable for us," Gator player Doug Oney, said. "The coaches dropped us off at a family clinic off the Beltway where we filled out basic paper work and then they tested us."
"I understood going into this that the testings would be a possibility, so it doesn't bother me," Oney said.
There have been a total of five players tested randomly this season.
"Just because you were tested already this season does not put you in the clear. There is a possibility that they could be tested again, Durham said.
"I'm not worried about getting tested, it is bound to happen sooner or later," player Michael Johnson said.
Former San Jacinto baseball players Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte are both under speculation of steroid use during their professional careers. Pettitte who went under deposition this week has admitted to using the human growth hormone or HGH while Clemens has denied any use of steroids.
Unfortunately many junior colleges are unable to afford testing materials for these types of drugs. Tests kits range from $100 to $200.
The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) is in charge of all four-year university athletes, tests on a more frequent basis.
The NCAA conducts nearly 12,000 drug tests throughout the year and an additional 2,000 tests during the championship season. Between the years 2003-2005 the NCAA championship-testing program collected only two positive tests.
Texas passed a bill last April mandating the testing student athletes in grades 9-12 for steroids.
The bill will allow about 3percent of students to be tested or 22,000 students in all.
"All of this testing is not to catch our players, but to help with prevention," Durham said.
The National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) has certain criteria that must be followed for all participating athletes. Some of the criteria include understanding the dangers of drugs including alcohol, steroids as well as tobacco.
According to the NJCAA website, the NJCAA accepts its responsibility by seeking to provide a competitive environment that is free from drug and substance use and abuse in any form for the purpose of facilitating or enhancing athletic performance by any athlete engaged in competition that is either sponsored or sanctioned by the NJCAA.
San Jacinto College's policies include drug education as well as the ability to randomly drug test their athletes.
"We do randomly drug test our players for their safety," Assistant Coach Jimmy Durham of the Gators baseball team said.
"We keep the testing random, so the players will not know they are being tested. It is not because we suspect anything. They test everything from steroids to caffeine," Durham said.
"They make it comfortable for us," Gator player Doug Oney, said. "The coaches dropped us off at a family clinic off the Beltway where we filled out basic paper work and then they tested us."
"I understood going into this that the testings would be a possibility, so it doesn't bother me," Oney said.
There have been a total of five players tested randomly this season.
"Just because you were tested already this season does not put you in the clear. There is a possibility that they could be tested again, Durham said.
"I'm not worried about getting tested, it is bound to happen sooner or later," player Michael Johnson said.
Former San Jacinto baseball players Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte are both under speculation of steroid use during their professional careers. Pettitte who went under deposition this week has admitted to using the human growth hormone or HGH while Clemens has denied any use of steroids.
Unfortunately many junior colleges are unable to afford testing materials for these types of drugs. Tests kits range from $100 to $200.
The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) is in charge of all four-year university athletes, tests on a more frequent basis.
The NCAA conducts nearly 12,000 drug tests throughout the year and an additional 2,000 tests during the championship season. Between the years 2003-2005 the NCAA championship-testing program collected only two positive tests.
Texas passed a bill last April mandating the testing student athletes in grades 9-12 for steroids.
The bill will allow about 3percent of students to be tested or 22,000 students in all.
"All of this testing is not to catch our players, but to help with prevention," Durham said.
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