The Consequences of Cheating

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Everyone has an opinion on steroids and the most famous users (just Google Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds or Alex Rodriguez). But, as Rob Naddelman pointed out in one of his previous posts, the focus should be on education and prevention in our college, high school and youth ranks. There are many illegal performance-enhancing substances out there, with wide-ranging long-term consequences. It’s important for players to know what steroid use can do not only to their career, but to their body and state of mind.

Since September 1986, the NCAA has had a mandatory drug testing program in place for all sports and has maintained testing throughout the academic year. Players sign a consent form at the first team meeting and are pulled from practice and competition without notice and administered tests throughout the fall, regular season and even the postseason. In fact, players on my teams were sometimes pulled right out of the dugout by an envelope-carrying compliance officer.

Over the years, punishments for positive results have increased in severity. When I was coaching, the penalty for “street drugs” (marijuana, cocaine) or any other NCAA banned substance ranged from counseling to being banned from competition. Today, a lot of college athletic departments have a “zero-tolerance” stance towards steroids, and the penalty is severe: immediate suspension for one year, with a second offense resulting in a permanent loss of eligibility. In addition, if a student-athlete transfers to another NCAA institution while disqualified due to a positive test, their ineligibility will follow them to the new school.

Far and above a player’s eligibility is his health, and unfortunately, many young athletes are putting supplements into their bodies without knowing the short and long-term effects of this use. On one end of the “performance-enhancing spectrum,” you have protein shakes, power bars or even Red Bull. On the other, you have your more common steroids, such as HGH and testosterone. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of gray area to cover between these two extremes. Some of these supplements are under the NCAA’s list of banned substances and you wouldn’t even know it! Players simply must know what they’re putting into their bodies, and what the side effects can be, even if bought over-the-counter.

When we go to the pharmacy to get a prescription drug, we are given information such as what the medication is for and what side effects it may cause. In addition, we are advised to call the doctor if we encounter any side effects while taking this prescribed medicine. Athletes who take performance-enhancing drugs usually have NO idea what they’re taking, let alone the side effects or problems that can occur. On top of that, they’re not going to be comfortable talking to anyone about the side effects or problems they’re having because of the obvious repercussions it will have on their reputations. If you haven’t already heard of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, I’d suggest taking some time to read up on the sobering story of this young man. Deciding to take anabolic steroids in order to compete at the high school level, Taylor was eventually caught and consequently removed from his drug regiment. Sadly, a side effect of his use was a withdrawal-related depression, and on July 15, 2003, Taylor took his own life.

The bottom line is that you can be successful by taking care of yourself, working hard and making good decisions. As you continue to move up the ladder in athletics and life, there are always going to be people who are bigger, stronger, faster and smarter. However, there is something to be said for doing things the right way and there is NO substitute for hard work and dedication. After all, when it’s all said and done, it’s not our trophies, accomplishments or money we earned that matter most, but our integrity and satisfaction in knowing that we played the game the right way.


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.