Healthy choices' session conducted by coaches and athletes

In today's competitive sports world, only a few coaches would deny that more than half a million high school athletes use performance enhancing drugs or supplements are not using to get an edge on the competition.

“It’s a problem across the board…if not steroids, it’s the supplements (you can buy at health food stores) or the energy drinks,” said LHS varsity football coach Ron Lewis. “Players might want to get hyped up before the game so they take a 5-hour energy drink.”

From Lakewoodobserver.com:

A health promotion and substance abuse prevention program called ATLAS (Athletes Training & Learning to Avoid Steroids) & ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives) partnered with the NFL to help young athletes across the country get on board with healthy choices to help their bodies perform to the best of their natural ability. On Thursday, September 22, six coaches and 38 athletes from Lakewood High School attended an ATLAS & ATHENA training session hosted by the Cleveland Browns at Browns Stadium.

The Lakewood contingent was part of 200 coaches and student-athletes from seven area schools invited to Browns Stadium to listen to experts talk to them about sports nutrition, strength training and the effects of steroids, alcohol, supplements and illicit drugs on performance. It was also a chance for the athletes to talk about the pressures they face and what might be some good ways to cope with that pressure.

“I feel it prepared us well to come back to our teams and be a leader,” Abby Boland, a senior on the girls’ soccer team said.