The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

August 30, 1999

While parents often are warned of the dangers of second-hand smoke, a recent report in the medical journal Pediatrics is causing physicians to warn of the dangers of unintentional exposure to anabolic steroids.

A young North Carolina father learned this lesson the hard way when he and his two-year-old son rough-housed on a mat the man used for exercising. Through contact with the mat, the boy was accidentally exposed to a testosterone cream the man had been rubbing on his own back.

The two-year-old began showing all the signs of puberty commonly seen in a 12- or 13-year old boy.

"Testing showed that the child had about twice as much testosterone in his bloodstream as the maximum level considered normal for his age," said Joseph D'Ercole, professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Four months after his exposure to the cream ended, the boy's testosterone level returned to normal for his age, but many of the signs of puberty remained.

"Parents should be aware that androgens in both cream and pill forms are now widespread and that they present a potentially serious health threat to young children," D'Ercole said. "If these substances are left lying around where kids might think they are candy or something else harmless, they could do permanent damage."

While this exposure was an accident, it also serves as a warning to those who might intentionally treat young children in hopes of gaining early muscle development and a head start in sports. In addition to the social problems the child will face from this apparently lasting early puberty, he also could end up much smaller. The growth plates -- the parts of bones that lengthen -- may prematurely evolve from cartilage to bone, ceasing growth.

"Contact with these hormones could advance (children's) bone maturity very rapidly, which would lead to a short-term increase in their growth rate but eventually they could wind up very short," D'Ercole said.

Knight reports now online

The combined reports of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a blue-ribbon panel whose recommendations a few years ago played a role in the restructuring of the governance of the NCAA, are now available online at www. knightfdn.org. The three Knight Commission reports, first published in 1991, 1992 and 1993, called for putting responsibility for intercollegiate athletics into the hands of university and college presidents.

The Knight Commission suggestions were adopted as part of the Association's restructuring in 1996 at the NCAA Convention.

"Amid new debates about student-athletes, these reports serve as a reminder that these young men and women are students first," said Hodding Carter, president and chief executive officer of the foundation.

Lightning kills pitcher

Ben Jackson, a senior pitcher at Valdosta State University, was killed by lighting while pitching in a pickup game in his hometown of Thomasville, Georgia, earlier this month. A three-year letter-winner for the Blazers, Jackson was on the pitcher's mound when he was struck down.

"We are extremely saddened by this tragedy," said Valdosta State baseball coach Tommy Thomas.

"Ben was a shining star in every way. He was a solid student majoring in business, an integral part of our baseball team and an outstanding Christian example to his peers. Our baseball team will miss his leadership, and we will all miss his friendship."

Jackson, 22, had recently returned from a goodwill mission to Latin and South America as a member of Athletes in Action.

All-Americans in life

Five former student-athletes were honored recently for more than just their athletics achievements when GTE and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selected them for induction into the GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

Those inducted were: Val Ackerman, (University of Virginia, class of 1981), a three-year starter and team captain in basketball; John Fowler Jr. (University of California, Los Angeles, class of 1978), a star linebacker and postgraduate scholarship winner; Chad Hennings (U.S. Air Force Academy, class of 1988), the 1987 Outland Trophy winner as college football's outstanding interior lineman; Jeannie Henningsen (Buena Vista University, class of 1987), the NCAA's all-time leading scorer in women's basketball; and Jolanda Jones (University of Houston, class of 1989), a three-time NCAA heptathlon champion.

GTE and CoSIDA established the hall of fame in 1988 to honor former college scholar-athletes who have excelled in their professions and have made substantial contributions to their communities.

--Compiled by Kay Hawes