By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — The emotions felt by high school athletes following a state tournament win are supposed to be a cherished time of celebration with teammates, coaches and supporters.
But some New Jersey high school athletes last year found themselves pulled aside — following a magical victory or a heart-breaking loss — and asked to provide a urine sample for steroid testing.
Now, under a pilot steroid-testing program the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district has agreed to participate in, athletes will be able to take tests a few days prior to playoff sporting events, at the friendly confines of the district’s two high schools.
The new test program was proposed by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, after the old testing methods were evaluated by the organization following the first year of statewide steroid testing of high school athletes.
”We realized the way we were testing last year was problematic, in reaching out and getting kids to provide a sample after they had won or lost an event,” said Bob Baly, assistant director at the NJSIAA. “After being the first state in the union to implement steroid testing, we thought about the feasibility of testing prior to the event.”
Testing prior to the events works because student-athletes using steroids would have to take the drugs a significant time prior to a sporting event to get any performance-enhancing effect, Mr. Baly said.
District officials said they were pleased with the new program, which eliminated some of the problems they saw with testing athletes at the site of playoff games, following potentially emotional wins or losses.
”They were doing it following big championship games, at times when the athletes are celebrating,” said Athletic Director Marty Flynn. “I think it is an improvement over the way they were doing the testing in the past.”
It will be up to the NJSIAA when to implement the testing program, according to Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services/Planning Tom Smith, who said the district ran into problems last year with students being tested immediately following tournament games.
”You go to a state championship game and they would pull you aside to take a urine test,” said Mr. Smith. “You want to go celebrate with your teammates and they’re pulling you away.”
The district’s athletes actually have not been tested yet, Mr. Smith said. The program randomly selects athletes to be tested.
The new program will greatly improve a program the district’s athletes already support, according to district officials, who agreed to participate in the program in November.
”The reaction I have gotten is they want a level playing field,” said Mr. Flynn. “No. 1, they understand it is unhealthy and illegal.”
Penalties for violations of state steroid policy, which went into effect in time for the 2006-2007 school year, include a year-long suspension and counseling for offenders.
The NJSIAA farms out the actual testing to the company that performs National Collegiate Athletic Associations testing, Drug-Free Sport, according to Mr. Baly.
Steroids work by allowing muscle fibers broken down during exercise or weight training to regenerate quicker, allowing the user to gain muscle mass and heal more quickly than normal.

