As kids, we always dreamed about becoming professional sports players. We had our role models, the pros we looked up to and wanted to be like. We wrote letters to them in illegible writing, drew pictures of them, wore their jerseys and whenever the question appeared on an “All About Me” assignment: Who do you look up too? … Their name appeared in big, bold, confident letters.

Now that we’re in high school, these goals and dreams of playing collegiately or professionally have either become more realistic or less likely. The scouts are at every tournament, watching and analyzing every move. It feels a bit like being under a microscope. The pressure to preform the very best is intense; and sometimes it seems all too easy to give into the stress of immense physical activity and the mental anxiety that comes from tough decisions.

While many athletes chose to respond to this pressure by putting in more hours at the gym, honing their craft at extra practices, and eating healthy/staying fit… others choose to take the easy way out.

You all know what I’m talking about. Performance Enhancing Drugs … aka steroids.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… you’ve heard the talk before. You know the risks. You’re aware it could ruin your career. And yet a few still chose to do it. It’s not hard to imagine why, there are plenty of professionals doing it. Heck, let’s not forget the scandal with Lance Armstrong last year. However, stooping to the level where you have to take PED’s to compete is an all time low. Let’s review.

Okay, I understand, it’s your body. You should be able to do what you want with it and take whatever risks you want with it. Who actually sits on the couch while watching a game wandering which players on are steroids? I know it doesn’t cross my mind. I just want to enjoy the game and get caught up in the action. On steroids, the user has an immense increase in endurance, fat loss, muscle recovery, strength and muscular size. The athlete is more alert, more competitive, and things like fatigue and pain become virtually nonexistent. When you look at that side of things, any sort of PED is pretty appealing. Especially if you have a huge game or tournament coming up and just want to give yourself a little boost. Just a little injection before game time and you’re good to go. No harm, no foul right?

But there is harm. And not just to you and your reputation, but to your opponents, the recruiters, and the game itself.

Let’s talk about you for a second. While those PED’s may make you look good without a shirt on, lets not forget the fact that they are illegal and you can get in pretty serious trouble if you’re caught. If you think you’re some sort of rebel who doesn’t care about jail time, then consider the following: guys, you could grow boobs. Literally, you could grow boobs. Doesn’t that freak you out a little? And ladies, let’s not forget the oh so attractive facial hair you’ll be sporting. Your hair is going to fall out, so you’ll go bald before you hit twenty basically. Not to mention the nausea, aching joints, and high blood pressure. Oh, and it’s not just physical. It’s been proven people on steroids have an increase in paranoia, insomnia, aggression and depression. Sounds fun right? Who doesn’t love staying awake all night, scared of your own shadow? There are bigger risks too; like cancer, Hepatitis B and C, damage to your major veins, heart diseases, and a susceptibility to HIV and other transmitted diseases through needles. If anything goes wrong, you could end up with a lifetime of paying medical bills for treatment that is only needed because of some stupid mistake you made as a teenager

If that’s not enough, do it to honor your opponent and the game. It’s just not fair to use them. When people use steroids, it gives them an unfair advantage against others who trained and practiced without using them. The competition remains unresolved because there is no way of knowing who really won. Most levels of sports are testing for steroid use now, and the chances are growing you’ll get caught. That would be pretty embarrassing wouldn’t it? You’d face legal trouble, get banned from the sport, and anything you achieved as an athlete up to that point would be questioned. Your name and honor will be tarnished, and it will follow you for the rest of your life.

Is it really so hard to win on your own power? It’s much more satisfying and safer that way. Just think before you do, and understand that for every pro to using them, there are three times as many cons.

So the choice is up to you. Will you honor the game you’ve played since you were a kid and the athletes you’ve looked up too since you could play? Or will you become a acne ridden, bald, nauseated, aggressive, law-breaking teen with a future of serious illnesses? Your call.