Drug Testing College Athletes

quote:

The tests do mean something

It means your body can be searched without cause or warrant; something that Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights is supposed to protect us against.

In college, urine testing during the year is up to the school. The players selected are given advanced notice (be here tomorrow am early). The NCAA comes to test after post season, and you haven o advance notice. The NCAA guy told my son a few years ago (while awaiting a sample) they check for 3 things, amphetimines being #1.

I just read an article where MLB teams (see article posted by Frank Martin) are given two days notice when testing will be done. This is because they need to have passes provided and it takes two days. The teams state they do not let their players knowi n advance.

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
For the unknowing modest types, be aware that your act of filling the cup is fully observed.

Yeah...I remember my college days...things were much different. If you were fully observed doing this you got busted with "Public Indecency" and being a "Nuisance".

Times have changes,

In my college days, there were two barrels outside the team doctor's door, one with salt tablets, one with muscle relaxers....

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
Times have changes,

In my college days, there were two barrels outside the team doctor's door, one with salt tablets, one with muscle relaxers....

hokieone....First glance had me thinkin' one of those barrels was a Miller product. I guess is my college club sports teams had a different doctor on-call and filling a cup was never an issue.

5 players from son's D2 school are being tested this week - not him. The trainer (and coaches) have warned them about drinking "Red Bulls" and even coffee - he is now not drinking any caffeine drinks.

Question - For the atheletes that are ADD or ADHD that are taking medication - do they just have to show their prescription for the drug testing? I'm sure it is just like in the workplace when you show your prescriptions when drug tested.

I know that in college the use of "ritalin" type drugs is rampant to help with studying - one parent I know only gives her son his dosage for the month so he will not be tempted to sell or give it away to his friends.

When a player enters college his medical history is taken by the team doctor. My son uses an inhaler and sometimes needs a dose of cortisone when a cold settles in his chest (happened twice in college). I am not sure if that would show up in a test, but that is on record with the doctor. That's why it is important to see the team trainer or doc for advice or treatment and why some MLB teams monitor doctors visits.

Son is at first year of D-1 college baseball. Got to see him recently while out of town on business. I take him and roomie out to dinner and they say " hey, do you remember so-and-so from last year on our visit, well he is no longer with the team. Oh, really, how so,? Well, he tested positive for cocaine. WHAT? Yeah, we have random drug testing within our Athletics Department- and he is gone. What an idiot!

Ok, cool, Who wants a steak?

WOW! Good for the school!

quote:

Originally posted by dbg_fan:

It means your body can be searched without cause or warrant; something that Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights is supposed to protect us against.

I disagree with that statement for a couple of reasons. First, colleges are providing these student/athletes something of value (a scholarship). In return the student/athletes must agree to certain conditions (show up for practices, follow team rules, random testing, etc.). Not much different than most employment arrangements. If the student/athlete doesn't like these conditions he doesn't have to enroll. [Now if this discussion were about law enforcement randomly pulling people off the street and doing testing that would be different.]

Secondly, when my son gets to HS and college if he ever even thinks about taking anything I want the thought of getting caught with a random test to scare the sh$% out of him.

United States Supreme Court says any student involved in extracurricular activities can properly be drug-tested as a condition of participation. To my knowledge, all college athletes sign consent forms upon arrival at school...if they want to play.

Nothing unlawful about it. If you don't want to be tested, don't play.

My Son is a Senior in High School and has had to submit to two random urine tests in the past year. It has "trickled" down to the H.S. level too!

Playing inter-collegiate athletics is a privilege. If a student-athlete wishes to take advantage of this privilege, he or she will submit to drug tests.

There is nothing about invading their privacy to do with this. They don't have to submit to testing, but they don't get the privilege or being on a team if they make that choice. Seems fine to me!

They really need to do this at the Jr. College level.

quote:

Originally posted by curveball07:
Question - For the atheletes that are ADD or ADHD that are taking medication - do they just have to show their prescription for the drug testing? I'm sure it is just like in the workplace when you show your prescriptions when drug tested.

I know that in college the use of "ritalin" type drugs is rampant to help with studying - one parent I know only gives her son his dosage for the month so he will not be tempted to sell or give it away to his friends.

Yes...for those with the ADHD diagnosis, a letter in their file signed by their doctor is all they need.

At my son's HS, he had to have the same, as all his tests for stimulants "were off the charts" according to the AD.

Of course, if you go to the University of Tennessee, it takes FOUR POSITIVES before you get booted. I've never heard of a policy so lenient.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3092070

A very sad case...and I pray the young man can get his life straightened out...but four positives before dismissal? Give me a break.

Most D1 schools (in fact most that I have heard) have a 3,4 strike rule.

iheartbb, chances are that it wasn't the first time. And depends if he got tested by teh school and the NCAA.

What kind of surprises me, is that the results of the test are protected by privacy laws, usually words used, performance hancing, recreational, etc. How did they know it was cocaine?

My sons friend from HS tested positive after he returned in the summer one year. ACC school (not son's school). It was for testing positive for a recreational drug, his punishment, sit out fall semester. Coach didn't set the rules, the school did.

If a player is on any sort of prescription drugs he should make sure it is duly noted in his file and a waiver obtained so no "mistakes" are made,


And be careful if you drink the "power" drinks and are prone to taking advil type over the counter drugs---the combo can get you a bad test result

We started testing in High School so it's no big deal. I think it's the best thing to come down the pike. It's awhole lot more influential on teenagers than parental preaching.

TPM-
First of all got info from a group of baseball players who had heard first hand from the actual player what he tested for.

Secondly each student-athlete at son's D-1 college is asked to sign a consent form agreeing to submit to drug testing and comply with the drug education and screening program. Any student-athlete that does not sign the consent form or comply with the program will forego the privilege of further participation in intercollegiate athletics at said university.

Each drug screening may include, but is not limited to the following substances:

Amphetamines
Barbiturates
Benzodiazepines
Cocaine (Benzoylecgonine)
Marijuana (Cannabinoids)
Methadone
Propoxyphene (Darvon)
Phencyclidine (PCP)
Opiate (Codeine, Morphine)
Performing Enchancing Drugs (As stipulated by the USOC)

Testing will be conducted on a random basis during the academic school year. The Athletic Director will determine when testing will take place, decide how may test will be conducted each year, and randomly select he athletes to be tested. Athletes will be notified by the AD and will have until 5:00pm that day to report with picture ID to submit a specimin. If a student-athlete refuses to take a drug test or fails to report for a drug test during the given time, that failure will be recorded as a positive test.


There's more if you need it, but I'm tired.

quote:

by Ihbb: " hey, do you remember so-and-so from last year on our visit, well he is no longer with the team. Oh, really, how so,? Well, he tested positive for cocaine. WHAT? Yeah, we have random drug testing within our Athletics Department- and he is gone.

athlete tests positive,
athlete publicly announces his drug of choice AND his results,
athlete is kicked off the team

tho a great anecdotal account to scare others ...
with all due respect that recount as written is more likely an urban legend.



privacy laws are followed by university & staff
ncaa randomly tests football & track/field yr around ... others only if advanced to post season play

"university" athelete testing programs have remedial action proceedures (education, treatment, probation, etc) with the last straw (strike 3 or 4) being removed from the team ... they are handled by outside contractors and insulated from the athletic department & university staff

Bee,

Without intending to argue, the guys booted off the football team last week at my sons' school might disagree with removal being the "last straw". I guess it varies from place to place.

while i'm not a fan of big brother snooping in our lives. i do think that random testing should be used in high school athletics. as some one said, it is more of a deterant than parental pressure. and if it keeps kids drug free,even for another season than i'm all for it.

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by H1: without intending to argue, the guys booted off the football team last week at my sons' school might disagree with removal being the "last straw". I guess it varies from place to place

a look closer may yield the answer ..

1.3.1.1.(NCAA) Year-round (nonchampionship and nonbowl)
testing will be limited to anabolic agents, diuretics, ephedrine, peptide hormones and analogues, and urine manipulators as defined in Bylaw 31.2.3.

The NCAA tests for all banned-drug classes in championship and postseason bowl games.

an "NCAA failed test" means 1 yr loss of eligibility, unless appeal upheald -

discussion situation was clearly "institutional testing", and sloppy at that, if administered by it's own the athletic department .. not to worry ALL the QBs, Running Backs, & Pitchers WILL come back clean .. the AD's next contract depends on it
throw an occasional "sub" under the bus to apease the "ncaa gods"


hope that helps

The only area that concerns me in the least is caffine. I understand all the rest, and I understand caffine also to a great extent. What I do not understand is will 2 or 3 cups of coffee be too much caffine? I understand that Red Bull or any of the caffinated cold beverages are banned. Is the rule so stringent that a student athlete needs to avoid coffee as well? What contitutes too much caffine?

go figure, only rifle team is tested for alcohol

"hey coach (hic), I'm seeing 2 targets, which one counts"

Bee> is correct, there is a difference between NCAA testing and school testing and the consequences. And the NCAA tests for different things based on season or post season and championship play. During season it was school testing in post season it was the NCAA, with most of the team (not random) being tested in Omaha.

My understanding is also that due to privacy, only the person submitting the test is allowed the answer. Not the coach, not the team doc, etc. The test comes back as "positive", unless things have changed since this one player that we know tested positive.

iheartbb,
No brainer that all student athletes have to sign a waiver, I am not doubting someone tested positive. But I just can't see a player, already embarrassed telling people what substance he tested positive for was he proud of it? If that's the case, his stupidity alone deserves a boot kick. He most likley was asked to leave on his own instead of having to sit the bench.

I certainly not in favor of anyone using anything, but all universities have policies and they have to adhere to them, but in their own way can force one off of the team.

FF,
It's not caffeine, in red bull, but something else that is banned.

TigerPawMom-

I don't know what to tell you. I have tried to explain what I know the best I can. I doubt the player was bragging etc. But when a player gets in trouble at least at sons school most likely the baseball brotherhood knows about it. They are all very close and and I know the team talked about it probably without the coaches present. It is very possible the captains were using the discussion as a learning tool.

If you don't believe it fine. He probably was asked to leave on his own, but I don't see how that has any relevance. We were discussing Drug Testing and I was just pointing out that some schools do more than just what the NCAA does for those that don't know.

Never said I didn't beleive you.

Every school does more than NCAA.

Ok, next time I experience in real life something interesting or thought provoking to share, I will discuss it with real life people who do not condescend to me.

quote:

Ok, next time I experience in real life something interesting or thought provoking to share, I will discuss it with real life people who do not condescend to me.

nice victim card

we promise to always agree from now on

Both of my boys got "the call" around 5:30am. How do I know? "The call" came to their HOME number, not their cell phones. Each, at different schools, in different years were told to come in as quickly as possible as neither lived on campus.

One player at one of the schools was suspended for 12 weeks I believe it was after a positive test, he told my son and many others what he tested positive for Maybe a bit naive, my son was amazed, not only for what it was, but where he said he got it. The same player was later dismissed after a dorm check found the pharmacy.

iheartbb,
Don't take this discussion personally.

Word travels very quickly through the players. One the team members know when someone is contacted to go for a drug test and if someone has problems, they most likely will tell one of their team mates and word will travel quickly through the ranks.

You will also see this for other problems players such as classes, etc even before the coaches can tell them to keep it under wraps.

TPM & BEE-
A friend just gave me some good advice.
Smiling and moving on.