A MATTER OF MIND OVER MUSCLE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer If you don't think thoughts steroids steroids, class of lipids having a particular molecular ring structure called the cyclopentanoperhydro-phenanthrene ring system. Steroids differ from one another in the structure of various side chains and additional rings. swirl around the heads of high school players all across the land, you are kidding yourself. The fact is, there are many reasons why athletes would consider using steroids: Money. Fame. Job security. ``We live in a time of instant gratification GRATIFICATION. A reward given voluntarily for some service or benefit rendered, without being requested so to do, either expressly or by implication. ,'' Westlake High athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Richard Urias said. ``People want their food right now, so they go to a fast food place and put their order in and five minutes later they're eating. And that goes for a lot of other things in life, too.'' Including bigger, stronger, faster bodies. A few years ago a top football player from the region told me he would consider taking steroids if he knew it would help him compete at a higher level. The player, who now plays at a prominent university, said: ``Besides, if I know the guy coming at me on the other side of the line of scrimmage line of scrimmage n. pl. lines of scrimmage Football Either of two imaginary lines extending across the field parallel to the goal line at the ends of the ball as it rests prior to being snapped and at which each team lines up for is on it, what choice do I really have? It's about survival.'' That is a rationalization rationalization, in psychology: see defense mechanism. athletes wrestle with all the time. ``If the other guy is doing it ...'' Hopefully another voice, that of reason, is also screaming: ``Get out of my head.'' The key, of course, is deciding which voice you listen to. Matt Ware Matthew Jesse Ware (born December 2, 1982 in Santa Monica, California) is currently an American football defensive back in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals. He was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles on September 2, 2006 and picked up by the Cardinals. , a top prospect from Quartz quartz, one of the commonest of all rock-forming minerals and one of the most important constituents of the earth's crust. Chemically, it is silicon dioxide, SiO2. Hill who has a baseball scholarship waiting at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , listens to the voice of reason. ``To me, taking steroids is just taking the easy way out,'' said Ware. ``It's like getting the answers to the test before taking it. So you get an A on the test, big deal. All that shows is that you're a good cheater.'' Westlake's Jeff Rapoport can understand why some athletes choose to use steroids - ``Obviously it gives them a huge advantage,'' he said - but he is adamant he would never take that road himself. ``For me, there are moral reasons not to do it, and that's more than enough for me to say 'no way,' '' Rapoport said. ``But also it's the unknown factor of what the side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. might be later in life. But beyond that, it's just wrong.'' The sad part of the recent controversy surrounding steroids and baseball is the implication that everyone must be doing it. For players like Ware and Rapoport, that means potentially dealing with raised eyebrows if they hit a ball particularly far or if the work they put in the weight room produces the desired results. ``The skepticism skepticism (skĕp`tĭsĭzəm) [Gr.,=to reflect], philosophic position holding that the possibility of knowledge is limited either because of the limitations of the mind or because of the inaccessibility of its object. is definitely out there, just because it's been all over the news lately with the professional players,'' Rapoport said. ``And that hurts the guys who are working hard in the gym and getting results legally. But as long as you know in your heart you're doing it the right way, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.'' Nobody is really surprised that evidence is beginning to surface about baseball players using steroids. After all, home run records are falling and players are just bigger and stronger then they've ever been. The suspicion has always been prevalent, but now, apparently, there is proof. For some, that is heartbreaking heart·break·ing adj. 1. Causing overwhelming grief or distress. 2. Producing a strong emotional reaction: heartbreaking loveliness. . ``Because it's totally wrong,'' said Quartz Hill's Brian Chavez, another top prospect in the region. ``I mean, how would you like to be a former great player watching all his records fall, only to find out the guys breaking all the records might have been doing something illegal to help them along. That's just not right.'' Steps are being taken to deter the potential use of steroids through testing, at least on the professional level. Minor-league baseball players are tested annually, and testing began last year in the major leagues. At Westlake, the football team gets tested on a random basis, but that test is unable to detect steroid use. ``We don't have a sophisticated enough test at this point,'' Urias said. As a result, Westlake coaches and administrators keep a sharp eye on athletes. ``If we see a kid put on 30 pounds all of a sudden, it's definitely going to make us go, `Hmmmm,'' Urias said. ``At that point, it would be irresponsible ir·re·spon·si·ble adj. 1. Marked by a lack of responsibility: irresponsible accusations. 2. Lacking a sense of responsibility; unreliable or untrustworthy. 3. if we didn't pull the kid aside and talk to him. ``The thing is, there is tremendous pressure on these kids. Whether it's pressure applied by themselves, or by parents or friends. It's the pressure to compete and maximize ability. And when you start thinking along those lines, it's easy to start thinking about: 'What can I do to allow me to compete at a higher level?' '' Ware said he would gladly comply with testing. ``I'd be all for it, because I don't have anything to hide. Steroids is not a way I want to go,'' Ware said. ``To me, baseball is the national pastime, and it should be clean of all that stuff. You can test me all you want.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Quartz Hill's Michael Ware Michael Ware is an Australian journalist reporting for CNN as an international correspondent based in Baghdad. He joined CNN in May 2006, after five years with sister-publication Time Magazine. says, ``To me, taking steroids is just taking the easy way out. It's like getting the answers to the test before taking it. So you get an A on the test, big deal. All that shows is that you're a good cheater.'' Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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