Daddy....What are steroids?

I know the question is coming. Every time I hear the word on a sports report, I know I'm closer to being asked about it. Are you prepared to answer the curious inquiry....."Daddy, what are steroids?" That might be an easy enough question to answer. "Well honey, it's a medicine that you can take to help you get stronger.""Ok, Daddy, who uses it?" "Well, the people that play sports on T.V. do." "Ok, why do they do that Daddy?" "Well sweetie, they do it to get better." "Ok, so if I take them can I play on T.V. too?

Why is the best question that your child could ask you, but can you answer it? Let's look at that simple question closer. Why? Well, why do the players take it? Easy enough question to answer, right? To improve their physical tools. Whether it is to get stronger, quicker or faster. Or if it is to recover quicker from an injury. Or if it is just to regain energy quicker, it's still improving their physical tools. Well, those are reasons players use steroids, but is it easy to understand why they actually use them?

Now we as fans need to understand why we continue to watch and support players that are using steroids. I'm guilty of it just like you are. I can justify it like, well everyone else is doing it so why should I care? I can empathize with the person, not the player, that has a family at home and may lose his job if he doesn't produce. I can dream like the player who will make the big bucks, have the fans adore him and have the girls chasing him. But what am I saying about myself as a person watching a sport that I am pretty sure has players in it that are using steroids or some PED (performance enhancing drugs)?

Its not like we are the first generation of sports fans to have to deal with players using PEDs. Amphetamines in baseball in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Steroids in football and track and field in the 80's. Cocaine and marijuana in basketball in the 80's and 90's. It's just now the time to finally look ourselves in the mirror and ask the question of why do I support sports that I know are not 100% free of PEDs? More so, are we setting the right example for our kids?

Here is what I have come up with. Yes, all sports are not 100% clean. Probably more players use some type of PED then don't. It is our job as Dads to educate our kids about PEDs and the dangers in using them. It is also our job to instill a quality work ethic and let them know that hard work should win out. Finally, we need to explain to them the sports are a form of entertainment and should be taken with a grain of salt. So the next time you are watching a sports program and the word steroids is mentioned, before you start to sweat, think about what you are going to say when the inevitble question is asked.