By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The long awaited Mitchell Report on steroid use in Major League Baseball was released Thursday afternoon.
The report provided all the punch it was expected to and a few of the names released raised a few eyebrows.
But in the end, the point was made by former Senator George Mitchell that baseball needs to move forward from here.
He stressed several times that baseball should not dwell on the past and try to identify every player who has ever used a performance-enhancing drug.
Instead, he wants the commissioner, the Players' Union, team owners and the players themselves to use this as a wake up call.
One of the alarming points of the Mitchell Report was that hundreds of thousands of high school age children are using performance-enhancing drugs.
While that may be just a drop in the bucket when you consider the millions of young athletes who participate in high school athletics each year, that too should serve as a wake up call.
The athletic directors at Niles, Dowagiac and Buchanan high schools agreed that this is a concern.
The also agreed that education at the high school level is their best weapon.
"Steroid use among high school athletes does concern me and we try to address it through education," said Fred Smith, athletic director at Buchanan. "The MHSAA has produced a great DVD discussing the hazards of steroid use.
"However, maybe my head is in the sand, but I do not feel that steroid use is that prevalent among high school athletics. I am more concerned with alcohol and other illegal drug use. With society's widespread acceptance of the use of these substances, it is hard to convince our student/athletes not to use them. Education and school codes only go so far, it also takes parent support in educating and holding our students accountable," he added.
Niles Athletic Director John Danaher noted that "we include steroids and performance enhancement drugs in our athletic handbook as an illegal drug. The MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) has taken the same stance and has provided us with information to pass along to coaches, parents and athletes."
Dowagiac Athletic Director Greg Younger, who played and coached at the college level, would be interested in how the Mitchell report came to get those numbers. At the same time, they didn't shock him either.
"I would like to think that we don't have a rampant problem even using the supplements and stuff like that," he said. "We try to educate our kids that the only way you are going to do it is through hard work in the weight room, putting in the sweat and the time. There is no quick short cut to success."
Dowagiac football coach Mike Stanger noted that the percentage isn't that high compared to the participation, but the figure still alarms him.
"You hate to hear that number at all," he said. "Trying to find out who is doing it and who is not is tough. It's tough to make that kind of accusation. The best thing you can do is monitor them and watch them and educate them."
Chieftain basketball coach Greg Blomgren said that he has never seen it or been around it at the high school level.
"I've heard the kids talk about the supplements before and that became a big thing with (Mark) McGuire and (Sammy) Sosa were using them and that became a big story. The kids starting using them because it wasn't illegal and it was something they could buy at the health store, but even that I frowned upon and didn't think that kids, particularly at this age, needed to be taking part in.
"I think it's more about getting into the weight room and trying to build yourself up that way instead of trying to find a supplement that will make you a stronger or better player. At our level, I can't say I have been exposed to it or seen it, especially in our sport – basketball. I guess it would be something I would not be concerned with in our area or with our kids. But it could be something that is going on."