Drug Testing Should Be Mandatory For College Athletes
Athletes all over the country fail to compete at their highest level because of the use of drugs (mainly marijuana) and the lack of the drug testing by the school. In my opinion it should be mandatory for all athletes to be drug tested at least once a month, regardless of the size or type of school that they are attending. Even though drug testing may be too expensive for community colleges, very good athletes who can make it far with their gift don’t because of the freedom they are given with the drugs that they are using and not being tested for, this is why drug testing should be mandatory for all college athletes.
Many people may think that drug testing athletes at community or smaller colleges may be too expensive or pointless because many athletes don’t make it out of that level. That being said, this is the reasoning why majority of community colleges don’t drug test their athletes. But there are always ways to raise money for the teams so there are opportunity’s to drug test at least a few times a year. It’s evident that athletes perform better when not under the influence of drugs.
It’s precise that not taking drugs makes the athlete a healthier person. The NCAA said, “The NCAA shares the responsibility of promoting a drug-free athletics environment with its member institutions to protect the health of student-athletes and preserve fair competition. ” This is stating that drug testing the athletes is making them a healthier person and also playing with a better performance. Being an athlete it is always important be the healthiest you can be, especially when you need to perform at your highest level. Why shouldn’t this occur for the junior college (NJCAA) level as well?
Drug testing should be in the NJCAA as well, because it makes the athlete a better person. Lots of money is being raised for drug testing in the Division 1, 2, and 3 levels. The NCAA said, “Approximately $4. 5 million is invested each year to collect and analyze approximately 13,500 samples through the NCAA’s national drug-testing program, and more than $1. 5 million is provided each year to assist drug-education programs at its member colleges and universities. ” So if the NCAA can raise this much money, why can’t the NJCAA? Junior colleges usually have more students attending then universities do, so there is always money sitting around somewhere, but just used for different purposes. If there were a committee just for drug testing in the junior college level, it would be evident that drug testing wills the athlete a better person because they would be more focused and have fewer distractions. In 2008 there was one junior college school that allowed drug testing, and this school has been very successful in sports since the start of the drug testing. SGC athletics said, “South Georgia College will conduct drug testing for student-athletes. The student-athlete may be drug tested randomly or by reasonable suspension/just cause. An athlete may be required to be drug tested in or out of season as long as he/she is considered a student-athlete (including summer term). If eligibility has expired but the student-athlete continues to receive aid, he/she may be tested. The Athletic Department also reserves the right to test athletes who are suspected of drug use. ” This is showing that drug testing is not only fundable but also effective for the junior college level as well. Meaning that drug tested should be mandatory for every college level for athletes, because at the end of the day its just helping them take a step closer to their dreams.
Even though drug testing may be too expensive for community colleges, very good athletes who can make it far with their gift don’t because of the freedom they are given with the drugs that they are using and not being tested for. Drug testing should be mandatory regardless of the level of the college, because at the end of the day it’s just helping not hurting the athlete. Unlike the drugs they are using in the long run.
