The Texas University Interscholastic League announced that one student tested positive for anabolic steroids out of 2,083 tests conducted at 135 schools. During the four-year history of the Texas steroid testing program, there have been only 30 confirmed cases of steroid use out of over 50,000 steroid tests administered. In other words, less than 0.0006% of student-athletes tested failed the anti-doping protocol.
In 2008, Texas passed legislation mandating drug-testing programs for anabolic steroids in students competing in extracurricular sports at public high schools. The Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) agreed to pay the National Center for Drug Free Sport $5.6 million to administer the UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Program.
At the time, the major newspapers were enthusiastically supportive of the expensive endeavor. Since Texas allocated significantly more funding for the program than other high school testing programs in Florida and New Jersey, newspapers were convinced that it was destined for success. State officials in Texas even believed their massive steroid testing program should be a model for other states!
It was the largest and most costly steroid testing program in the history of high school sports. Several million dollars later, with little to show the taxpayers in the way of results, the legislature is currently considering the elimination of the embarrassingly expensive and ineffective Anabolic Steroid Testing Program. The general public no longer seems supportive of the “feel-good” but ineffective program. Newspapers around the state have changed their tune with numerous editorials calling for the elimination of the program.
Details from the UIL statement (courtesy of ESPN):
Of the 135 schools where tests were conducted, 1,333 boys were tested representing 11 sports and 750 girls were tested representing 10 sports. The sports with the most student-athletes tested were football for males (469) and soccer for females (125). … Overall, there were 649 freshmen student-athletes tested, the most of any grade level.
Fall 2010 UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Report
Total Number of Tests: 2,083Breakdown of Tests Conducted by Grade and Gender:
9th grade – Females: 265, Males: 384
10th grade – Females: 200, Males: 385
11th grade – Females: 155, Males: 285
12th grade – Females: 130, Males: 279Breakdown of Tests Conducted by Sport:
Boys sports — Baseball 86; Basketball 126; Cross-Country 19; Football 469; Golf 28; Soccer 124; Swimming 26; Tennis 57; Track & Field 24; Wrestling 30; Multi-sport 344. Total: 1,333.Girls sports — Basketball 79; Cross-County 42; Golf 20; Soccer 125; Softball 65; Swimming 25; Tennis 51; Track & Field 36; Volleyball 112; Multi-sport 195. Total: 750.
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