Hardcover.

In this day and age when the sports pages of the local newspaper read like either a police report or a pharmacology text, it is impossible not to conclude that the mantra of winning has entered very dangerous ground. From scandalous college recruiting practices designed to give a team the "edge" on a blue chip athlete, to rampant use of steroids and supplements, a win-at-all-costs philosophy has taken over sports at every level. This can be further underscored by the startling fact that over one million American children between the ages of 12 and 17 have used some form of supplement—in most cases with their parents’ full consent. When Winning Costs Too Much not only details these abuses and the dangers of the drugs themselves, but also addresses the misguided coaches, failed mentors, and poor role models who have contributed to the decline of the sports-for-sports-sake mentality. Not just accusatory but also prescriptive, the authors provide solutions to many of the problems that plague sports, from reforming the NCAA’s recruiting policies to Dr. Bailes’s program for maximizing athletic performance the healthy, drug-free way. An important book for participants and parents, coaches and administrators, When Winning Costs Too Much will be as valued in the locker room as the living room.