The definition of abusing drugs in a sports context is using drugs to gain an advantage when competing. When athletes sign contracts to become part of a team, it means they joined by pure talent, not because they took drugs to gain that competitive edge.
Abusing drugs can lead to an unsafe environment for the players and their teammates or coaches. Despite this, athletes continue to abuse drugs and go without punishment in many cases. Athletes who are caught abusing recreational or performance-enhancing drugs during their seasons should be banned from their sport and from competing with their team.
My high school had an incident where a player was caught taking drugs during football season. The athlete was suspended from the remainder of the football season and was unable to play in another game.
Our school had this rule: if you were caught, you had to miss a certain number of games until you could compete again. This player tried out for basketball to miss the number of games required to be able to play baseball.
The head baseball coach made the right decision of not letting the athlete be on the team. Why is it fair that an athlete who used drugs during a game would be “suspended” and then able to continue competing?
Schools and teams are full of peer pressure, this may be a reason why athletes abuse drugs. Why would that still make it okay for players to have another opportunity to play again and then continue to make the same mistake?
I have had teammates in the past be suspended from the team for vaping or abusing other drugs. Not only does it affect the player who can’t play, but it affects the whole team because they lose a player.
Every athlete has a choice when it comes to drugs and should be prepared to face consequences in their career for abusing them. Too many are allowed to return to the team like nothing ever happened.
From experience in playing sports myself, I know athletes sign papers to get our athletic card and be able to play sports. When signing those papers to get the card, or even forms by the coaches for a particular sport, we are signing to not condone using drugs.
It’s similar to taking an oath, pledging to play a sport without using any kind of drug, even if it is for fun. Why are athletes inclined to break this oath and use drugs that can affect them and their team?
Each team counts on their players to make good decisions and the right decisions. If you choose to use drugs and are even suspended, you let your team down.
I am one who believes in second chances. I have also seen so many athletes make this same mistake over again and they don’t learn or realize how it affects other people than just them.
Overall, it is the athletic associations’ decision to determine what consequences the athletes face under these circumstances, but if I were a coach, I wouldn’t want an athlete on my team that resorts to using and abusing drugs.