INTERVENTIONS FOR COACHES
By Mike Niederpruem, MS, CSCS. Mike, is the National Director of Certification and Registry Programs at the American College of Sports Medicine. Also an Elite Coach with USA Cycling, Mike received the 1997 USOC "Development Coach of the Year" in Cycling.

For better or worse, participation in sports by many young athletes has evolved beyond healthy activity. Indeed, in 2002, Blue Cross/Blue Shield conducted a survey which indicated that one million adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years of age, had used ergogenic aids and/or supplements (ES).



More recently, even the President of the United States felt the topic worthy of mention in his 2004 State of the Union Address, saying:

"To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message--that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now."

Fortunately, none of the other professionals President Bush calls upon to "send a signal" is in a greater position of influence for young athletes than coaches. In this time of heightened awareness, athletes will look to their coaches for leadership. The opportunity and responsibility is yours to make a difference now with respect to ES use among young athletes. Here is how you can creating and implement your plan:

1. Reconnaissance

You can’t expect to be effective at educating others until you educate yourself first. Learn all that you can about the different types of ES, especially for the ones that may be common for your sport(s). Ask other coaches about what they are seeing on the field or in the gym.

Next, familiarize yourself with the signs and patterns of use, especially for the two most pervasive types of ES: anabolic steroids and diuretics. NOTE: The presence of one or more of the following signs is an indication of, but not a guarantee that a young athlete is using ES:

Anabolic Steroids (Such as Nandrolone and Dianabol - used to improve muscular strength; common in football and other strength/power sports)

According to the American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand on steroids, "the use of anabolic-androgenic by athletes is contrary to the rules and ethical principles of athletic competition as set forth by many of the sports governing bodies. ACSM supports these ethical principles and deplores the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids by athletes."

Diuretics (Such as Lasix - used for rapid weight loss; prevalent in wrestling or other sports where weight is a handicap)

2. Create or Establish a Code of Conduct

Defer to league rules and position stands from professional associations, like ACSM, to help establish the foundation for your code of conduct. When beginning a new season with new athletes, ask both the athlete and the parent to complete a training, lifestyle and medical history questionnaire, preferably with your help.

Some leagues also require that athletes and coaches adhere to additional rules, which may specifically address the use of supplements. For example, in college sports, NCAA bylaw 16.5.2.2 regulates the nutritional supplementation of collegiate athletes. Specifically, "an institution may provide only non-muscle building nutritional supplements to a student athlete at any time for the purpose of providing additional calories and electrolytes, provided the supplements do not contain any NCAA banned substances."

Furthermore, it is the position of ACSM that "nutritional ergogenic aids should be used with caution, and only after careful evaluation of the product for safety, efficacy, potency and whether or not it is a banned or illegal substance."

State high school athletic associations and national governing bodies of sport may or may not have similar rules or codes, so be sure to check if you don’t already know.

3. Educate Proactively

Once your conduct code is created, take this opportunity to begin educating both the parents and the athlete at the same time. It’s also a great way to make your standards known about what is or is not acceptable with respect to supplement use, as well as the ramifications for not adhering to the team or league’s code of conduct.

Establish regular sessions to educate your athletes and parents about ES use, based on the results of your reconnaissance and the athlete/parent questionnaires. Ask your athletes and their parents to prepare questions in advance. Use handouts and guest speakers to improve retention, and use incentives to maximize attendance.

4. Inform Responsibly

You may already have one or more athletes who have experimented with or are currently using supplements. The objective is to establish an environment where the athletes are willing to share what they are doing with you (ideally, their parents as well). If you are approached, either by an athlete taking something or considering taking something they have recently found out about, be prepared with additional resources (summaries, articles, reputable Web sites, etc.).

If necessary, be able to refer the athlete and his or her parents to a registered dietician with a strong background in sports nutrition and/or a physician familiar with health issues related to young people and young athletes.

If the athlete hasn’t yet talked to their parents, encourage them to do so directly, or obtain permission from the athlete before approaching the parent. Finally, to the best of your ability, refrain from being negative or overly critical.

5. Redirect

As a coach, one of your responsibilities is to improve the performance of your athletes. There are many ways to facilitate physical development, improve recovery, and enhance skills that don’t involve supplementation, but involve optimizing training methods and their progression. If you are not a master of all trades, talk to other coaches about helping in one or more of these areas. Numerous health and fitness professionals are available to help with resistance training programs, aerobic development, and skills and techniques of the game.

Remember, the same references you make available to your athletes are also available to you. Use positive and thoughtful discouragement when re-directing young athletes away from experimenting with supplements. This works well when you are introducing new training methods at the same time.

6. Follow-up

An effective plan includes consistent follow-up with your athletes until an acceptable resolution is found. Plus, it shows that you are genuinely interested in their ongoing development as an athlete, and that you care about their well-being as a human being.

To a young athlete, you are more than just a coach. You are also a friend, mentor, role model, authority figure, and perhaps even a surrogate parent at times. Because of this, you have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on a young athlete’s development, both physically and psychologically. Commit to using your skills and your heart to mold the young athletes of today into the professional athletes of tomorrow.

The use of supplements may be one way to improve performance, but they are certainly not the only way, or the best way. Perhaps one day, the signal will not only be sent, but also received.