The same question seems to always come up when an athlete gets caught up in drugs or some other illegal situation: What do we tell our kids? That's easy. Tell them the same thing you did when Chris Kelly of the rap duo Kriss Kross died earlier this year. Maybe you mentioned how rap star Lil' Wayne made multiple trips to the hospital after it was widely circulated he may have overdosed on the popular codeine syrup or sizzurp.
Surely, you talked with your kids about how pop legends Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson died. Better yet, you did have that sit-down with your kids to talk about why Glee star Cory Montieth passed away last week, didn't you? Uh oh, you didn't, huh? Let's get back to what Ryan Braun was busted for. Then, we'll address the other stuff.
The specific performance-enhancing drug Braun is accused of using doesn't matter much. Sports media types call all performance-enhancing drugs or PEDs steroids whether they are actually steroids or not. What matters are the effects these drugs have on the human body when abused. PEDs can damage the heart, liver, kidneys and other vital organs when abused.
They can cause girls to grow thick facial hair, develop deep voices, and have a whole host of reproductive and breast health related issues. Boys can fall victim to organ damage as well - not to mention the permanent damage they can do to their own reproductive systems by abusing PEDs. Yes, I said permanent damage. Parents and coaches, I'll let you fill in the blanks.
Tell your kids Ryan Braun used drugs and he cheated the game of baseball. Be sure to also tell them he needs help. As adults, we tend to not see things that way. We differentiate between the drugs that can make you rich and the ones that can make you poor. Aside from the fact that they didn't have to steal money from anyone to finance their drug usage - Ryan Braun, Barry Bonds, Lance Armstrong and others exhibit similar traits to those who abuse recreational drugs.
Each has lied to and on investigators, family, friends and the media. They gave half-hearted apologies and still play the victim while admitting to mistakes. Tell your kids that PEDs won't turn you into a superstar. There isn't a substance on Earth that will turn your Bruce Banner into The Incredible Hulk. Barry Bonds was born great. His PED usage made him an all-time great.
No amount of PEDs will enable your kid to run down Usain Bolt. He won't be 5'5 and be able to dunk on LeBron. He still won't be strong enough to run through Jason Pierre-Paul. Tell your kids to workout, practice hard and learn everything they can from their coaches.
And when you're done, talk to your kids about the greater threat - recreational drugs. Kids can't get PEDs from their friends or at the gym. The big guy in the skullcap isn't prowling around the gym looking for kids to take a "hit" of steroids. People get PEDs from athletic trainers, doctors and from labs like Biogenesis and BALCO.
On the other hand, kids can find recreational drugs without looking hard. Their existence is pervasive in schools, at parties, on street corners and in many households. Recreational drugs have derailed more careers and lives than there is room to mention in this space. Tell your kids that drugs make you lose control and you can't be a great athlete or person if you're out of control. Tell your kids there are no shortcuts. Anything worth having in life is worth working for.
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