Where to Draw the Line

Steroids have infiltrated the world of sport for decades now. While punishments are common and virtually never avoided when caught, many argue that steroids should just be a part of the game. Whether or not you agree with this argument there still should be a point where a line needs to be drawn. In late 2017 one high school football coach may have produced a great example of exactly where that line may be.

In America’s football capitol of Texas, it was reported that one high school coach was not only endorsing steroids use, but was caught injecting 6 of his own players. Shockingly enough, he was doing this within his own home. Aaron Jay Mueller, 27, pleaded guilty on March 28 of this year to charges of  knowingly manufacturing or delivering/possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver drugs. While Mueller was delivering and injecting drugs to students himself, the most shocking part of the whole story involved the prosecution. With his guilty plea and lack of prior trouble, Mueller was surprisingly able to avoid any jail time at all and was simply sentenced to three years probation. While he will never be able to work with children in any coaching or education setting again, most would find Mueller’s sentence particularly light.

While Texas is known for football and arguably takes it more serious than anywhere else, it is difficult to sympathize with someone who would so blatantly distribute and inject drugs to their athletes. The court system however, was apparently able to do just that. Although its easy to understand the competitive nature associated with coaching football, the ethical question is when does that competitive drive cross the line and how do steroids play a role in that process.

Professional athletes are no stranger to using these performance enhancing drugs but maybe we should start taking a better look at our young athletes and those who are trying to foster their success.

Source: http://kdhnews.com/news/education/former-gatesville-coach-sentenced-in-steroids-case/article_963d2a46-59dc-11e8-b0fd-07157a7559fc.html

• Jacob Groat