The Mitchell Report, which examines the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in major league baseball, is different things for different people. For columnists and talk radio hosts, it has provided fodder for debates and questions about who did what and when. For young athletes hopefully it has been a warning of the dangers of such drugs. But for parents, it has presented an inspiration.
Forget the names. Forget questioning the thoroughness. Forget the ugliness involved. The Mitchell report has done one very significant thing. It has taken something that most fans suspected - that drugs are a problem in baseball - and it has turned that suspicion into a conversation. No matter how uncomfortable it is, the communication is necessary to move in the right direction.
Likewise, there are many families in which despite the veneer of normalcy, there is the underlining suspicion of a problem - whether that problem is drugs or alcohol or something else. And like baseball, that problem needs to be discussed. The good thing is that you don’t need hire a senator and a team of investigators. You just need to face the problem and commit to making it better.
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I completely agree that the report has opened a long overdue conversation about illegal steroid use in baseball, but unfortunately that conversation is mostly about the allegations, names, denials, and confessions (“I only did it once”).
But why did this take so long to happen? Make no mistake about it. Baseball had no problem with their drug problem until the Senate made it a problem. The Commissioner and baseball owners were not complaining as they profited handsomely during the so-called Steroid Era. And the players union, well they keep refusing mandatory testing. Record breaking home runs make for record breaking revenue. Let’s face it, no one wanted to stop the party. But eventually a few Senators read a few books (Game of Shadows, Juiced) and started asking a few questions, forcing baseball to do their own inquiry and clean up their act (before the Senate decided to take further action). Yes, it took outside pressure to force baseball to address its family problem. Sound familiar?
As parents, how much do we let slide? What do we overlook? What is “just a part of growing up” or a private family matter? Is it only a problem when a teacher, parent, police officer, or Senator brings it to our attention?
The baseball conversation needs to start with why didn’t they do this sooner? The problem is much bigger than usage. It’s about the conditions that denied the problem, ignored it, and thus largely encouraged it all to happen.
Yes, I agree that we all need to talk over everything that goes on. It is so true that so many parents will condemn their children if they get word that there are drugs in the house. Or drugs and alcohol are being used. Many situations and many house holds will not talk about anything like this; “Oh Not My Kids”. Well folks it’s happening everywhere. I have a new idea that could help our school or just the public in general but have no idea how to get it kicked off. If there is anyone that could help me start a new program called “Signs of Addiction”, I really need help, please I have a huge part of it laidd out already in newsletter form and a lot of it is from my own life. Looking for help. Thanks.
(208-0835) ddes4@roadrunner.com