Junior Support Thesis 1

Support Thesis: Social pressures influence athletes into taking performance-enhancing drugs. The constant examination of athlete’s lives puts an excess amount of pressure on the daily decisions that are carelessly made by others.

Lead In: Laura Egendorf, a young adult book writer, writes about adolescent issues that state how athletes are the apex of the social pyramid.

 “Few people are more admired in today’s society than successful athletes. Adolescent’s view them as role models, adults clamor for their autographs and companies seek them out to endorse products (Egendorf 8).

Commentary: Egendorf states that athletes are the pinnacle of social status in America. Adolescent and adults wish to acquire the qualities of athletes, and companies want them to endorse their products. With all the commotion over this elite group of people, athletes must sustain an extraordinary status all the time. In order for some athletes to maintain this status day in and day out they turn to PED’s to maintain elite athletic ability. 

Lead In: Laura Egendorf a writer to young adults and children reports how society has create an image that athletes are perfect. However, this is untrue and athletes are just like the average person. 

Concrete Detail: “Athletes have enough trouble taking care of themselves. It would be great if they led perfect lives that we could hold up as shining examples for our kid, but that’s not the way it works for anyone in the real world” (Egendorf 41).

Commentary: Egendorf’s statement informs readers that athletes are only human. They make mistakes even though the public thinks they do not and are shocked when they do. Kids hope to be like their favorite athletes and parents influence their kid to be like athletes. This adds pressure to athletes to not only perform well in their sport but also be exemplary citizens. Athletes are expected to be above the general population in every aspect of excellence. This pressure on athletes influences their decision to take performance enhancing drugs.

Lead in: Judy Monroe a young adult’s writer articulates how parents pressure their kids to take steroids to be better athletes.

Concrete Detail: “Sometimes parents push their teens into taking steroids. Phillip Halpern, a San Diego lawyer said, I’ve uncovered numerous examples of fathers getting steroids for their kids because they wanted their kids to be better athletes” (Monroe 26).

Commentary; Monroe exhibits how parents pressure their kids to take steroids to become good athletes. Parents always hope for the best for their kids and will do anything to help them achieve their goals. However, some parents push too far and pressure their kids into doing things they might have not done if not influenced by their parents. In this case it is using steroids to become a good athlete. Parents hope to see their kid become the next great athlete and when they watch how hard they work and when they fail parents will do anything to help them achieve their goals. Parents have become the greatest influencers of young athletes to use PED’s.  

Lead in: The media has slandered the reputations of athletes. However, the general public may think differently. Bisner of Newsweek, the international magazine which publishes the news and opinions of the events worldwide state.

“Until I spoke to my son, I was all set to declare Armstrong yet another fallen sports idol, so many at this point they could fill the national cemetery.

 “To hell with that. I still believe in Lance Armstrong. I believe his decision had nothing to do with fear of being found guilty in a public setting before an arbitration panel, but the emotional and mental toll of years and years of fighting charges that have never been officially substantiated -- despite stemming all the way back to 1999.” (Bisner)

Commentary: Bisner gives a justification of Lance Armstrong’s drug use scandal. Bisner commends Lance for showing no fear to the public and admitting his wrongs. This admittance was due to the fatigue of fighting the charges. The excerpt is a representation that the athletes aren’t fundamentally born cheaters and regret cheating for greatness. The athletes are just pushed passed the edge which makes athletes feel the need of PED’s to pull them up from. 

Transition: Social pressures put on athletes encourage them to use performance enhancing drugs which is the current method of cheating. Cheating however, has been around since the beginning of sports themselves.