The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) believes recently approved year-round drug-testing in all sports will have a positive effect.

Committee members discussed the program at its December 12-13 meeting in Indianapolis.

 Committee Chair Matt Mitten said that few problems have arisen from the expansion of the program, even at member institutions that had not done year-round drug-testing before.

Mitten, a law professor from Marquette University, said he believes that athletics directors know student-athletes are under intense pressure to perform and that some may resort to banned substances. However, he said the expanded testing is designed to discourage student-athletes from choosing that path.

"(Year-round testing) will enhance student safety and ensure a level playing field," Mitten said (see "Division II goes year-round on drug-testing" in the September 27, 2004, issue of The NCAA News).

Also at the meeting, committee members asked staff and representatives from The National Center for Drug Free Sport to develop a publication that will help student-athletes learn the differences between substances banned by the NCAA and those prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The educational material is meant to educate student-athletes who compete at both NCAA and international levels.

The committee, in conjunction with the NCAA membership services staff, also determined that the use of "training aid" products that are worn or attached to the body, such as magnetic bracelets and patches, are classified as extra benefits. As such, member institutions may not provide such products to their student-athletes, though student-athletes may purchase the products on their own. Many member institutions reported receiving promotional materials regarding the products. Competitive-safeguards committee members determined there was no valid science that could assist them in determining the nature of the products.

Committee members also discussed their involvement with the NCAA Convention later this month, particularly with promoting legislation that would change the Association's drug-testing protocol. One proposal in Division I (Proposal No. 04-36) would prohibit student-athletes who are banned from national and/or international competition for doping violations from participating in NCAA competition as well.

"We don't want them basically saying 'OK, I will just participate in NCAA sports.' We don't want to provide a playing field for athletes who have been found guilty of a doping violation," he said. "I think that's going to be pretty important."

The committee also discussed the importance for the membership to understand another legislative proposal (No. 04-34) that provides "middle ground" in rulings on appeals from student-athletes who test positive for a banned substance. Currently, the CSMAS can either deny the appeal and impose a loss-of-season penalty or accept the appeal and offer no sanction. The proposal would allow the committee to impose the loss of 50 percent of a season on a case-by-case basis, permitting committee members to consider unique or mitigating circumstances. This option to accommodate a reduced penalty is consistent with the application of other NCAA penalties.

Committee members also will participate in several health and safety sessions at the Convention, including Association-wide forums on student-athlete insurance and mental health and a Division II session about nutritional supplements and drugs.

The CSMAS, in collaboration with the Big Ten Conference and Pennsylvania State University, also launched a pilot educational safety video regarding pole vault. The initiative is the result of an accident in competition several years ago that caused the death of a Penn State student-athlete. The video, in its third year for the Big Ten, was viewed via live satellite and a Web video conference December 8.

"The death of a student-athlete is something that raises serious concern, and we want to do all we can to learn from that accident and prevent something similar from happening in the future," Mitten said. "We would hope that the video is an important tool that would promote pole vaulting health and safety."

The committee will work with the NCAA track and field committees in collecting feedback from the pilot program and will use it for a future video production that will be distributed to the membership in 2005. To view an archived version of the video, visit www.bigten.college
sports.com/sports/m-itrack/.

Committee members also reiterated their support for the Injury Surveillance System, emphasizing its important role in health and safety issues. In conjunction with the NCAA research staff, the committee wants to develop a standard reporting tool for each sport that will use the strengths of the Web-based system, including the flexibility of specific sport- and division-based questions. Mitten said the computerization of the system will provide more and better data.

The committee also supported the development of education materials addressing the warning signs and a self-management plan for diagnosed asthma and exercise-induced asthma in student-athletes. Members discussed using the Student-Athlete Advisory Committees to distribute the materials.