Amongst the quiet subtleness of high school sports lives, there is always that one controversy that will be brought up continuously; students and the use of performance enhancers. Detrimental substances such as powders, supplements, and needles assist athletes to edge out their competitors. Whether legal or illegal, different things can happen. Either the repercussion is a negative consequence, or an advantageous factor for the user. Every school strives to maintain a clean slate for their organization and community, but with drugs, reputations are badly blemished.

For those players who do it legally, working out is the way to go. Plain and simple, a couple scoops of protein powder in milk, and a hard two hour workout per day, lead to noticeable results. Working hard towards your goal also rewards a more satisfied feeling.

“It’s more like a hobby. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I like to see the progress I make,” John Jacob stated.

Some physical results appear too quick though. This then leads to the skepticism that illegal enhancers are being tampered with. In cases such as these, schools tend to pull students from classes to test them to make sure that they are actually clean and not disobeying the AIA’s (Arizona Interscholastic Association) rules. Those who are caught are immediately punished and sternly reprimanded.

“For me it’s just a big time stress reliever from things going on around me. Sports and school are already a lot to handle so working out helps me to keep balanced,” Sean Paul said.

For the most part, most schools and their sports programs tend to persuade their players to stray away from illegal boosters for fear of negative consequences. Doing this keeps everything fair and allows all participating schools and teams playing on equal terms.

Names used in this story were changed to protect those interviewed.