High School Steroid Pressure

High+School+Steroid+Pressure

High school sports are often viewed as a release from academic pressure; an efficient way for students to learn team building while obtaining a sufficient amount of daily exercise. In several high school sports, it takes a certain amount of agility and strength to maintain a position on a team. Though seen as a release from academic pressure, high school sports pose their own unique pressure for students. There are team rankings that pit students against each other; a certain degree of expectation to win competitions and tournaments; a consistent need to be better, to do better, to act better. Teenagers are undoubtedly young and impressionable, their minds are not fully developed and their thought processes are irrational- so, naturally, being under such pressure will lead them to drastic measures. The most drastic measure of all is the performance-enhancing drug Steroid.

Steroids are natural hormones that help progress estrogen and testosterone within the human body. When produced naturally, steroids are an extremely healthy hormone to have; but when anabolic steroids are injected through a needle in your arm in a corner of the locker room before practice, this can become a problem for your mind and body. According to a study done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6% of American student athletes have abused anabolic steroids, however this number only accounts for the ones who fessed up to it, meaning the number could be much higher. This is an issue because abusing steroids at such a young age can lead to a range of health problems both immediately and in the future. A person’s personality can alter into that of purely anger, acne and cysts could occur on the face, stunted growth, infertility, cancer, and the list goes on.

“I find those who use steroids to be ridiculous. Getting better and stronger at your sport is not worth the defects the drug causes. Using steroids shows a lack of ability to be honest and it shows that you only want to take the easy way out instead of having to work for natural agility.” Said Tiffany Marx, senior.

Abusing anabolic steroids not only poses health defects, but truly does depict that the player is attempting to “take the easy way out instead of having to work for agility”.  A person who abuses steroids generally abuses them to increase their performance and the way their muscle mass appears. Most students do it out of vain, mindlessly injecting themselves with a substance they know will give them issues because they believe it will make them a better athlete.

“People who used steroids for vanity need to stop. It doesn’t appear healthy to other people and it will definitely stunt your potential to move on to bigger sports leagues. The risk isn’t worth it.” Said Detola Ahmed, senior.

In essence, steroids are not worth it. They are frowned upon within society and, even if you think they are fine to do, college recruiters, your coach, and teammates will undoubtedly find you absolutely unworthy as a player. The most extreme misdeed within sports is cheating; you wouldn’t cheat on the field, so why would you cheat with a needle?