What do your kids think? Post responses here.

I do not believe in cheating. I do not want anything that I do not earn myself. I believe that if you work really hard and do things the right way it will work out the way it is supposed to work out. I am not concerned with all this stuff going on. Im too busy working out and hitting and getting ready for my senior year in HS. I will leave that stuff to the people that should be worrying about it. Drugs are wrong. Cheaters are wrong. I do not respect anyone that cheats. Personally I work really hard and I love the game. I will just beat out anyone that I have to beat out. But I will do it the right way.

Jeff May , South Granville HS. 08 Catcher

I let Jeff post this after reading the thread. It is the first time he has ever posted on this site. I hope to see more players post on this subject. Coach May

Texan Son was fairly disgusted.

" I want to play hard and I want to win. All the time. But I do not want to cheat to do it. I want to be proud of whatever I can do - and know that I didnt lie and cheat to do it. I dont want anyone to look at me - and say I was a liar and a cheater."

Same here Coach May. That is Kyle's thoughts and his first post here ever.

When D gets home - I will ask him to express his thoughts as well.

P.S. - He wanted me to add this: "Its about people that cant handle the pressure of failing. Its a disgrace."

TPM,

RJM asked for "mini-interviews" with our sons about the issue. He specifically asked for THEIR opinions - NOT ours.

I think it is a fabulous idea.

Lets do just that.

Lets ask them - NOW - what they think about the issue - and not individual players that have been implicated.

Just like Coach May and I have done.

Lets ask them - and let them write it. Not us.

Just got off the cell phone with my eldest.

Told him what RJM suggested - and he obliged.

He said:

"I have worked too hard and too long to resort to cheating. I want to know - when I am older and this is all done - that I did it. Whatever it is and however far I go - I want to know that I did it - without cheating. If it ends tomorrow - it will end because it was the time for it to end - and not because some ****** drug dealer didnt do a good enough job - or I didnt cheat enough".

I asked him about how he feels about others doing it.

He said "That is their problem - not mine - I couldnt care less". LOL

Typical D.

Thats about it.

The following is son's first post here, and possibly his first non- myface/spacebook post ever....

I hate thinking about the possibility of being beat by a guy who is using an unnatural advantage. It knocks the wind out of a hard, smart, and honest work ethic. Players that are serious about reaching their ceiling have an easy option to do anything to reach their peak. It is in the best interest of baseball to take this option out of the players hands, because it can't be trusted with us. This report is great, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. This is what happened five to ten years ago. The current drug of choice in NCAA and probably MLB is HGH. From what I have learned and seen, it is readily available and is not tested for. There is no way that an investigation is going to catch everyone. I think blood testing is the only way to stop cheating in baseball, but that is also a touchy subject.

Sam Spangler, So. P, U. of Hawaii

My son is a high school freshman. When I asked, he said I always told him to be concerned with what he can do within legitimate boundaries to be the best player and not worry about anyone else. When I asked him about losing out on a position, he said he's not going to lose out on playing in high school because someone takes steroids. I guess that's belief in your ability.

My son is a college soph...and his response was basically...
"I'd do it if I didn't think I'd get caught...I would be making myself better and making my team better."

That...my friends...is SCARY.

JT that is scary. But it is real.

My son believes that anyone who uses this stuff illegally is cheating, no ifs and or buts. He knows of several players at the juco level who use this stuff, and he despises them and won't have anything to do with them.

Now, if you want an ultimate irony; we're at an appointment with a sports orthopedist yesterday, as my son injured his throwing shoulder. First doc thought he'd seperated it and referred him to this doctor. The ortho doc didn't think it was seperated, or was a mild seperation and prescribed a month of physical therapy, using ultrasound and a STEROID cream to be applied to the site of the injury by the Physical Therapist. Talk about ironic! We both about fell over when the doc indicated he was prescribing this, but he explained that in this circumstance it is a legitimate part of the treatment and will give him faster and better healing than not using it. I guess we all have to realize that this stuff, which everyone considers vile now, has legitimate medical purposes and like any other drug, can be mis-used and abused.

JT, thanks for your honesty, and that of your son. 2B (HS freshman) is in that mumble-mumble phase of teenagery, so I don't really have a decipherable answer from him. I finally asked him how he would feel if Manny (his favorite player) was on the list. He said, "I would feel let down."

06catcherdad, is the steroid cream cortisone? If so, it's different - an anti-infammatory rather than anabolic. I hope the injury is not too serious and that your son gets back in action soon. Injuries suck!

Youngest son says it's pretty much cheating! When oldest son gets back I'll ask him.

quote:

Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
My son believes that anyone who uses this stuff illegally is cheating, no ifs and or buts. He knows of several players at the juco level who use this stuff, and he despises them and won't have anything to do with them.

Now, if you want an ultimate irony; we're at an appointment with a sports orthopedist yesterday, as my son injured his throwing shoulder. First doc thought he'd seperated it and referred him to this doctor. The ortho doc didn't think it was seperated, or was a mild seperation and prescribed a month of physical therapy, using ultrasound and a STEROID cream to be applied to the site of the injury by the Physical Therapist. Talk about ironic! We both about fell over when the doc indicated he was prescribing this, but he explained that in this circumstance it is a legitimate part of the treatment and will give him faster and better healing than not using it. I guess we all have to realize that this stuff, which everyone considers vile now, has legitimate medical purposes and like any other drug, can be mis-used and abused.

My son has been prescribed a cream for severly dry skin that contains steroids. I freaked and won't let him fill it yet until he proves it's ok.

My understanding is that steroids used as topical cremes for conditions given for legit reasons is allowed, so are those inhaled through the mouth, and for nasal and eye conditions which require a doctors prescription.
It's a bit different than getting it through your trainer. The trainers job is to advise you to seek advice before taking anything in question.
Those associated with MLB should seek approval through the site provided by MLB to make sure that it is not in the disallowed anabolic classification and can be used for the purpose intended.

You guys are correct, these are cortico-steroids, NOT anabolic. However, with all the attention on the 'roids issue right now, we both kinda flipped when the doc mentioned them. I believe it is a cortisone cream, but not completely sure of the exact type.

JT -
You and your son's candor is, unfortuately, the real world. These kids are in a very competitive sport. You are continually measured for size, speed, and strength. How many times do you have to hear "you need to be bigger, faster, stronger" as a 6'1" 170 (soaking wet)to wonder if the risk "might" be worth it?

As parents and mentors, I think it is important that we instill that this is one more area where making the "right" decision is critical. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, steroids, girls, their friends....whatever - our young men need to know that decisions have consequences. They will all be faced with difficult decisions and if they are not prepared, they might not choose the correct paths.

The decision to use a performance enhancing substance will face more of our young players than we care to realize. If faced with making a team or not....earning a starting position or not.....being successful or not......who knows what they will choose?

I can only hope that his mother and I have instilled the values and strength to make the "right" decisions. After all, the temptations will be great.

quote:

I believe it is a cortisone cream

It's exactly what it is. I've had a prescription for several years to keep a condition from flaring. There is an over the counter version. The Rx version is stronger.

There are also steroids in Ibuteral (inhalers). My daughter has outgrown her asthma and my son is close. But in high school they report(ed) it to the coach and AD just to be sure.

CORTICO-steroids are different than ANABOLIC.

Cortico-steroids are catabolic and break down chemical mediators of inflammation in the body. These are perfectly legal and have no affect on performance. It is the ANABOLIC one's that build up tissue and are illegal for performance.

why do you think kids /players feel it's ok to take steroids? (i think more would take them than not).and why do you think we are so against it? because it's cheating? or because of the unknown health issues? or because everyone is against it?

i don't advocate steroid use.that said. you can't just take this stuff and sit on the couch and get better. these players work as hard or harder than everyone else. just playing devils advocate here,wondering why we think like we do?

Because the players that don't take it work just as hard. They deserve a level playing field.
Its illegal

quote:

CORTICO-steroids are different than ANABOLIC.

This is a fact.
There is a doc that posts on here that explained that these steroids are not the same and there is no reason to freak.

Why do the players take them? Simple...they live in the here and now...and are not thinking 25 years down the road.

Why do we think the way we do? Simple...we've "lived" the past 25 years and all want a long, HEALTHY, and prosperous life for our son's.

As far as not knowing the long term health risks...they are well documented and down right scary.