AASP News
Drug Abuse in Sport and Exercise: A Community That Must Come Clean!
Published on: August 07, 2007
WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR STRENGTH?
Drug Abuse in Sport and Exercise: A Community That Must Come Clean!
Madison, WI – July 22, 2007 – Whether you are an athlete who wants to obtain top performance or an exercise enthusiast who wants to build bulk fast; whether you want a muscular frame built to attract girls or a thin body to attract men…the preoccupation, or obsession with the body does not always lead to a healthy lifestyle.
The Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) has watched this unfolding drama not only in the locker rooms of professional sports, but also in the ordinary gyms across the nation. And, perhaps more disturbing are the trends that psychologists are seeing among our youth. Young people, beginning as early as elementary school have searched for the magic pill that will make them more like their heroes. For that reason, AASP and other concerned organizations are coming together for the first Anti-Doping Congress, to be held October 23 and 24 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY.
Athletes and sports fans alike hear the constant stories about super stars and successful players in Major League Baseball who allegedly use illegal performance-enhancement drugs or other illegal drugs. Olympic swimmers, track stars, and marathon bicyclists have also had their claim to fame overshadowed by stories of drug abuse. More recent stories show the torrid side of taking steroids and the dangers accompanying its use. Today, many are calling for the clean up of pro wrestling. And even in Louisville, the top horse racing region in the country, stories are told of just how far a jockey will go to win a ride while hiding his victory secret: the use of illegal drugs.
In Texas, the problem of children obtaining illegal performance-enhancement drugs made national news. AASP knows all too well that Texas is a microcosm of a much wider, dangerous problem. Statistically, the facts show us that the non-medical use of steroids among middle and high school athletes or youth who exercise has steadily increased over the years, now showing a 4 percent reported lifetime use.
Houston Chronicle journalist John P. Lopez wrote in a recent newspaper article, “Among all the untold stories…the saddest is the one that could be living next door….” Lopez explains, “It’s the high school athlete who mows yards around the neighborhood, usually waves and says hello when he’s jogging past your house and comes off looking like such a nice kid.”
In the state of Texas, where Lopez has a pulse for the athlete and drug issue, he has found that nearly 42,000 teenagers have or are now taking steroids. In fact, Lopez’s research has come across a troubling fact: the number of steroid users among Texas high school athletes has increased by 67 percent since 1991.
The Anti-Doping event, “Drug Abuse in Sport and Exercise Communities: Coming Clean” is an international media event. Discussions and presentations will be to the media, and feature the latest trends, research and outcomes as it pertains to children, teenagers, high school athletes, college athletes, Olympians, and professional athletes. The event is jointly hosted by Association for Applied Sport Psychology, United States Anti-Doping Agency, American College of Sports Medicine, National Collegiate Athletic Association, and National Strength and Conditioning Association.
According to Vikki Krane, president of AASP, “Use of performance enhancing substances is far too prevalent in the sport and exercise communities. To discourage young athletes and exercisers from doping, a multi-faceted, inter-organizational coalition is needed.”
The Anti-Doping Congress in October will include a powerful lineup of keynote speakers, including Don Hooton of the Taylor-Hooton Foundation. Hooton’s son Taylor was a rising star in high school baseball in Plano, TX. His dream was to reach the Majors. But that dream was cut short when he began taking steroids to “bulk-up,” becoming an even better player. Where young Hooton found his strength, later became his downfall. After suffering from severe mood swings, his mother found him one day hanging from his bedroom door, dead. On his bedside table was a bottle of anabolic steroids and a note that said he was sorry about everything.
Krane says, “This is just one of the many sad stories out there. The Anti-Doping Congress is a first step in addressing this serious health problem.”
For more information about the Anti-Doping Congress, contact Susan Rees at 608-443-2475 or srees@reesgroupinc.com and for all media inquiries, contact Lee Ann Broussard at 337-278-5801 or leeannbroussard@earthlink.net.
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Founded in 1986, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) promotes the ethical practice, science, and advocacy of sport and exercise psychology. AASP is an international, multidisciplinary, professional organization that offers certification to qualified professionals who practice sport, exercise, and health psychology. AASP actively promotes the respect for, and the value of, human diversity.