FHSAA Targeting PEDs In High School Sports
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – One of the biggest fears for some during the Alex Rodriguez performance enhancing drug scandal is what kind of example it set for high school athletes.
The Florida High School Athletic Association moved Tuesday to look at additional measures to prevent PEDs from being used in Florida athletics.
The FHSAA's executive director, Dr. Roger Dearing, asked the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to review existing standards to find ways to strengthen them in order to stop PEDs, which FHSAA are used in pro and college sports, from taking over high schools in the state.
Rules are already on the books that spell out the punishment for a high school athlete caught using PEDs, but Dr. Dearing said those penalties may not be enough in light of the Biogenesis scandal that took down multiple Major League Baseball players.
"As executive director of FHSAA, I believe we must draw a line in the sand against performing-enhancing drugs. School districts simply cannot tolerate coaches who encourage or look the other way when athletes use PEDs. Therefore, these coaches cannot be allowed to keep their jobs or have anything to do with young athletes. This is about more than safeguarding fair play – it's about saving lives."
In addition to the zero tolerance policy for students, coaches and adults who look the other way can be hit with penalties by the FHSAA as well. The FHSAA said it was encouraging school districts to adapt testing for PEDs.
State Senator Bill Montford joined the FHSAA in calling for stricter enforcement saying in part, "Performance-enhancing drugs pose a very real, very dangerous threat to high school student-athletes, both physically and psychologically."
A total of 220,000 students are under the umbrella of the FHSAA.
