Illinois Continues to Test High School Athletes for Performance-Enhancing Drugs

by Jeff Fisher

Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Courtesy: www.ihsa.org

High school football practice begins tomorrow in Illinois, and with it comes news that the Illinois High School Association will continue to test its athletes for performance-enchancing drugs.

During the 2010-11 school year, the IHSA tested 747 student-athletes with four positive tests.  Two of the four athletes were cleared by a medical review officer.  The other athletes were the first two punishable tests since the testing program began during the 2008-09 school year.  Over the first three-years, 1,758 tests were administered.

“Some people will look at the number of positive test results and conclude that the testing is not working,” said Marty Hickman, IHSA Executive Director.  “But, it is important to maintain perspective. The scope of our testing was never going to be large enough to catch every student who may be using performance-enhancing drugs. The program was put into place to be a deterrent to help prevent students from using these harmful drugs and we believe it is successfully serving that purpose.”

Illinois became the fourth state to test its athletes for PEDs.