In an era when professional sports and their athletes are plagued with accusations of steroid abuse, the Pittsburgh Steelers have started a new program aimed at telling today's young athletes that the answer to success does not reside in syringes and tablets.
On Tuesday, the Steelers, along with five local high schools, launched the NFL ATLAS & ATHENA Schools Program, an initiative aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles among high school athletes.
The multimillion-dollar program was made possible by a grant from the NFL Youth Football Fund to Oregon Health & Science University.
With an increasing number of professional athletes admitting to steroid use to gain a competitive edge, many student-athletes are also feeling more demands to succeed.
“I'd say it's just the pressure to succeed in the sport they've chosen,” said Matt Media, a student-athlete at Hampton High School. “When they see other people who are trying to get an advantage, they think they have to get that advantage too.”
However, the dangers presented by steroid abuse are prevalent regardless of the user’s age.
“In health problems, it affects their liver, especially if they take the oral tablets, so these are health-harming behaviors,” said Dr. Linn Goldberg of Oregon Health & Science University. “They learn how to avoid drugs, how to refuse an offer and why to refuse an offer.”
Local high schools participating in the program include Hampton, Penns Manor, North Hills, Baldwin and West Allegheny.
“They learn how to avoid drugs, how to refuse an offer and why to refuse an offer,” Goldberg said.
For student-athletes like Alexa Seybold, participating in Tuesday’s events proved an educational experience.
“I thought I was just going to come in and just listen to lectures on how to be a leader for your team, but I'm actually learning how to make myself a better athlete and pass it on to my teammates,” said Seybold of West Allegheny High School.
Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth also preached the importance of a healthy diet to the young athletes.
“You have to put good stuff into your body, so I try to do all my meals hand made -- vegetables, fruit and lean proteins,” said Spaeth.
The program will be used to disseminate ATLAS & ATHENA 36,000 athletes in 80 high schools during the 2008-09 school year.
