The road to the dream of playing professionally for an athlete is a difficult one. Perhaps because of the pressures of maintaining their status, a player feels the need to cheat themselves by using a performance enhanced drug (“PED”). They decide that the risk of being caught at any given point is worth more than that which comes with failing to meet the expectations set upon them by themselves and their spectators. It goes without saying that an athlete does have to work hard to get to where they are. It takes a lot of sacrifices, time and dedication. It’s a commitment which requires much more than just talent to be successful in. 

For a professional athlete, when they are considered amongst one of the greatest of all times in a professional environment, it presents an even greater amount of pressure to maintain that status quo. It’s a superior ranking that many athletes never acquire. It’s often the dream that a professional athlete has once they make it pro. The definition of PED is a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance. As an athlete becomes older with time it becomes harder and harder to maintain the same level of performance, as well as the fact that they have to compete against younger athletes. When a drug is made available, many decide to take it as an aid in overcoming these issues. Many times the athlete isn’t ready to retire just yet and uses these enhancements to help showcase that they are still able to contribute to the team regardless of their age. I personally feel that the struggles made to obtain greatness, no matter how short in time it may have been, should not ever be compromised.