Good call

The decision to shutdown a sports program at an Ontario university because of substance abuse was the right call, says Lakehead University’s athletics director.

The University of Waterloo cancelled its football program on Tuesday after police say they discovered a cache of several thousand pills, vials and capsules of banned substances. Police then charged three football players connected to the university.

Tom Warden, athletic director for Lakehead University, said when it comes to drug abuse a tough solution is the right one.

"I think Waterloo’s position is a good one," Warden said. "The time to act against drugs in sports is now. I think this decision by Waterloo is a strong position and a tough one."

Students are required to sign a contract with Lakehead University before competing in sporting events. The students then take random drug tests throughout the year.

Warden said the drug tests are necessary because it isn’t just the reputation of the student that’s at stake, but also that of the school and its athletics program.

He added that punishments are on a case-by-case basis but could be anywhere from complete ineligibility in all university sporting programs to possible police involvement.

Joel Scherban, head coach for the Lakehead Thunderwolves men’s hockey team, said he was fortunate that he never had to deal with players using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

"I’m very confident that we don’t have substance abuse on our team," Scherban said. "I’m not naïve enough to believe no one in hockey has used drugs before but I don’t think it’s a problem."

Throughout his career in competitive hockey, Scherban said he didn’t know anyone that used steroids. While the temptation to use performance enhancing drugs could be difficult, he said it shouldn’t be an option for developing hockey players to consider.

Scherban added that if a majority of his players used drugs, he would cancel the season, but would avoid such a heavy-handed response for isolated incidents.