Derek S's Essay

Steroids are synthetic substances that are related to male sex hormones called androgens. They are used to increase the growth of skeletal muscle and androgenic effects that foster the development of male sexual characteristics. These types of steroids are called anabolic steroids.
The use of steroids and banned supplements can help the individuals at first and then hurt the sports that they are used in later. It can help sports that don’t get much attention because then the players start making the big plays that attract big crowds to the games. You have to control the use of the supplements so that it doesn’t get out of hand and people start abusing them. Then if people start abusing them you have ban them or limit the supplement that they are able to use. Even then you’ll get players who think they’re above the rules and use them anyway because they see results fast, and then you have to suspend or even dismiss them from the league.
Most people abuse anabolic steroids do so because they have a desire to build muscles, reduce their body fat, and improve sports performance, they can also see the muscle growth. Anabolic steroid abuse is most common in competitive bodybuilding.
Most of the steroids you can buy you get order online at websites such as norxshop.com, elitefitness.com; you can get supplements over the counter at stores like GNC and others. Trainers in college and other semi-pro sports might not give them to their players, but some professional trainers may provide players with supplements under the table. Or the trainers might give the players the steroids, without the player’s knowledge like what happened with Barry Bonds.
What the coaches do about the use of steroids differs as you go up the ladder. In the NCAA there are random drug tests and most of the schools do random tests too on top of the NCAA. At Northeastern University their policy is that they test two random players every two weeks and they are tested by the NCAA. At Boston College their players are tested by the school and by the NCAA, the punishment of this goes up with each infraction. The first offence you will be suspended for a couple games, second offence you will be suspended for the whole season and, the third offence you will be removed from the team. If you are on a scholarship that will most likely be taken away as well. In the college ranks, the coaches try to prevent the use of these steroids supplements, in the semi-pro and professional levels most of the time the coaches don’t even know that they are being used. The punishments if you get caught are worse. In major league baseball players are randomly tested often and the punishments are harsh. The first offence is a fifty game suspension, and the second on is the entire season that is 182 games! In the minors leagues the rules are much tighter; you are not allowed to use chewing tobacco in the minor league like you can in the Pros. Also in the minor leagues steroid use is not a big deal. Two players from Northeastern University who are now in the Major League Baseball (MLB) say that they never saw any one use steroids used in the minors; they heard people say they have taken them but haven’t seen anything.
Steroid use is monitored very closely in all sports at all levels and if players are caught with them they will be delt with accordingly.