Athletes get first-hand advice on damage drugs can do
Clint Faught knows what he is talking about when he says the dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs are not worth the risk.
He witnessed first-hand the destruction drugs such as anabolic steroids can cause and he recently brought that message to the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.
Heat student athletes were educated on the dangers of anabolic steroids as well as appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs when the Taylor Hooton Foundation presented their ‘Hoot’s Chalk Talk’ educational program to campus.
The Taylor Hooton Foundation has been giving multi-media presentations for the past six years on the dangers of such drugs, and it has been shown knowledge improves and attitudes change after students see the program.
“For me, and for the Taylor Hooton Foundation, the most important thing we can be doing is educating,” says Faught, educational program manager for the Foundation and presenter of the ‘Hoot’s Chalk Talk’ at UBC Okanagan.
“You can have testing, but you have to educate and let these kids understand what these drugs are, what are steroids and where do they come from – and really just try to open some eyes about what this stuff is so that they can make the right decisions about using them or not.”
Faught is a former University of Texas at Arlington and Missouri Western State University varsity baseball player, as a pitcher and third baseman. He hopes to impact as many kids and athletes as possible, especially in a group such as the Heat student athletes at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
Faught has experienced loss from the use of steroids. He is passionate about the subject and hopes to instill passion and knowledge in those he presents to.
“It really comes down to the whole cliche, saving a life,” says Faught. “I lost my best friend’s little brother, and if one of these guys or girls was considering steroids and now they’re not and we save that person’s life – or prevent someone from needing surgery on their kidneys, liver or heart – that to me is worth the trip up here.”
“I’m not much older and I can connect,” Faught comments. “I was a student athlete myself so I hope that this group would listen to me more than most people. Hopefully they say. ‘You know, he probably knows a little bit about what he’s talking about.’
“When you put all this information in front of them (student athletes), it just comes back to education and not everybody is going to listen, but you hope that they will.”
All UBC Heat athletes were in attendance and roars of laughter were heard throughout Faught’s presentation.
“I thought this presentation was really informative, well done and interactive,” says Melissa Irish from the Heat women’s basketball team. “It showed more about both the male and female use of steroids and their effects. It was good. Definitely more fun than I thought it would be!”
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