Over the past few years, the Illinois High School Association, through a partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations and the work of the IHSA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, has attempted to provide schools and parents with information on the dangers of steroid use, one of the most rapidly growing problems confronting student-athletes today. The work of the IHSA has also been in response to recent legislation passed by the Illinois General Assembly, who modified the Illinois School Code to now require schools to provide instruction on performance enhancing drugs to student-athletes.
This year, the IHSA has developed the following four units for teachers or coaches to use with their students at their discretion. The units have been aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards. While the IHSA believes the units can be used as stand alone instructional pieces, the IHSA also realizes many educators will use these as starting points for greater instruction with their students. The units also contain possible learning activities, which will hopefully strengthen the learning process.
The IHSA offers its sincere thanks to its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for its efforts in this area and to Dr. Cynthia LaBella, Greg Gaa, and Brian Grasso for their work on the education units which follow.
Science of Training and Conditioning
Objectives
By the end of this unit, a student will be able to:
- identify at least two reasons why high school student-athletes use supplements.
- explain what a skill set is and how it can improve athletic performance.
- distinguish between facts and myths surrounding training philosophies.
State Standards Alignment
This unit aligns to the following Physical Development and Health Illinois Learning Standards:
20.A.4a
20.A.4b
20.A.5
20.C.4a
20.C.4c
20.C.5a
22.A.4b
23.A.4
23.B.4
23.C.4
24.B.4
24.B.5
24.C.5
Learning Activities
Note: The list of possible learning activities listed below is not meant to be all-encompassing. Rather, it is intended to provide teachers and coaches with a sample of extension activities students and/or athletes could do in conjunction with the unit. Many of the research opportunities could be turned into traditional essays or multi-media presentations and shared with other students at your school.
- Create a weight and speed training program for a specific sport.
- Conduct a group discussion with members of your school’s coaching staff about the training programs for their respective teams.
- Research the important muscular and skeletal groups used in particular sports and explain the best training exercises aimed at developing those specific groups.
Science of Training & Conditioning PowerPoint Presentation (PPT 104 KB)
Science of Training & Conditioning PowerPoint Presentation (PDF 10 MB)
Success without Steroids
Objectives
By the end of this unit, a student will be able to:
- name the two main types of steroids.
- identify the characteristics of each main type of steroid.
- name the health risks associated with steroid use.
- explain some of the myths associated with steroid use.
- identify the components of a healthy, balanced diet for an athlete.
State Standards Alignment
This unit aligns to the following Physical Development and Health Illinois Learning Standards:
20.A.5
20.B.4b
20.B.5b
20.C.4c
22.A.4b
23.A.4
23.B.4
23.C.4
24.B.4
24.B.5
24.C.4
24.C.5
Learning Activities
Note: The list of possible learning activities listed below is not meant to be all-encompassing. Rather, it is intended to provide teachers and coaches with a sample of extension activities students and/or athletes could do in conjunction with the unit. Many of the research opportunities could be turned into traditional essays or multi-media presentations and shared with other students at your school.
Research collegiate or professional athletes who have admitted to taking steroids while competing and the effects steroids have had on them.
Research the list of banned substances at the collegiate and professional levels and classify them by type.
Conduct a group discussion with a local physician about proper physical and nutritional training for athletics.
Conduct a group discussion with fellow student-athletes on the importance of having a support network for each other to help avoid illegal drug use.
Success without Steroids PowerPoint Presentation (PPT 604 KB)
Success without Steroids PowerPoint Presentation (PDF 760 KB)
Supplements
Objectives
By the end of this unit, a student will be able to:
- identify dietary supplements.
- name at least three ingredients found in dietary supplements.
- identify characteristics of commonly-discussed supplements.
- understand how supplements can be used to affect athletic performance.
State Standards Alignment
This unit aligns to the following Physical Development and Health Illinois Learning Standards:
23.A.4
23.B.4
23.C.4
24.B.4
24.B.5
24.C.4
24.C.5
Learning Activities
Note: The list of possible learning activities listed below is not meant to be all-encompassing. Rather, it is intended to provide teachers and coaches with a sample of extension activities students and/or athletes could do in conjunction with the unit. Many of the research opportunities could be turned into traditional essays or multi-media presentations and shared with other students at your school.
- Research athletes who have acknowledged supplement use and the effect such use has had on them.
- Create a chart that can be displayed in your school’s locker room that lists the types of acceptable supplements athletes should use, indicating their impact on an individual and their athletic performance.
- Create a chart that can be displayed in your school’s locker room that details the importance of hydration in athletic performance and how athletes can be insure they are properly hydrated for competition.
- Conduct a group discussion with other student-athletes on the various supplements available to and used by students, whether in interscholastic programs or not.
Supplements PowerPoint Presentation (PPT 171 KB)
Supplements PowerPoint Presentation (PDF 13.5 MB)
Integrity of Competition
Objectives
By the end of this unit, a student will be able to:
- understand the increasing use of steroids by high school students in Illinois.
- describe some of the reasons for steroid use by high school students.
- explain the role interscholastic programs play in a student’s over-all development.
- explain the role parents, teacher, and coaches each play in a student’s over-all development.
- explain the role a student plays in his/her own development.
- describe the responsibilities associated with being a member of a team.
State Standards Alignment
This unit aligns to the following Physical Development and Health Illinois Learning Standards:
21.A.4a
21.A.5a
21.B.4
22.A.4b
24.A.4b
24.A.5
24.B.4
24.B.5
Learning Activities
Note: The list of possible learning activities listed below is not meant to be all-encompassing. Rather, it is intended to provide teachers and coaches with a sample of extension activities students and/or athletes could do in conjunction with the unit. Many of the research opportunities could be turned into traditional essays or multi-media presentations and shared with other students at your school.
- Research the use of steroids and supplements at your school and/or in your conference.
- Research the testing procedures used at the collegiate and professional levels for steroid/drug use.
- Conduct a discussion group with other athletes at your school on the qualities of a good teammate.
- Write a position paper explaining why or why not the IHSA should implement a drug testing program.
Ethical Considerations in Training and Competition PowerPoint Presentation (PPT 103 KB)
Ethical Considerations in Training and Competition PowerPoint Presentation (PDF 7.5 MB)