King
03-14-2007, 11:13 AM
Source: www.pnj.com
Published: March 3, 2007
By Bill Vilona
While Justin Gatlin's alleged transgression in professional track and field has clouded his future, Escambia School District officials say they're lucky to have him coaching local students.
Today, more than 700 young athletes will converge at Woodham High School for the third annual Justin Gatlin Invitational, the first major prep track meet of the season.
Gatlin, 25, the reigning 100-meter Olympic gold medalist from Pensacola, relocated to his hometown after a failed drug test during the Kansas Relays last April led to an eight-year ban from track-and-field competition. He tested positive for abnormal levels of the male sex hormone testosterone and its precursors.
For the past month, he has served as a volunteer track coach at Woodham, his alma mater, while pursuing an appeal he says will clear his name.
Escambia School District officials say the district's zero-tolerance policy for drug use is not an issue in Gatlin's case. They say his case involves track-and-field eligibility, not law-breaking.
"This is not someone who has been involved in illicit drugs," district spokesman Ronnie Arnold said. "It's a very unusual case, obviously. I think the general feeling was you have an excellent role model in Justin, who has not been charged with any sort of crime."
Arnold said the district has received the "stray e-mail" of dissent.
"You have those people no matter what you do," he said. "We don't run the School District based upon anonymous e-mails."
Norm Ross, deputy superintendent of schools, said Gatlin went through the district's prescribed background check, fingerprinting and other procedures to become a volunteer coach.
"He followed all the screening," Ross said. "I can assure you, we have not altered any of our procedures or practices, and that will not be done.
"He has to adhere to the same standards as the guy who is the third-shift worker at Solutia and wants to help coach."
Gail Husbands, president of the Escambia Education Association, said people seem "thrilled" that Gatlin is helping at Woodham.
"I have not had a single complaint from anybody. Not one," the teachers' union executive said.
"To me, it's an example to kids that if bad things might happen, you don't quit. The part of what makes America great is you get a chance to appeal that kind of stuff."
Gatlin has not competed since winning the U.S. national championship 100-meter run in June. But he is confident that he's well on his way to exoneration.
To meet requirements for appeal within U.S. Track and Field, Gatlin did not dispute original lab results from the Kansas Relays.
He filed a formal request Feb. 16 for an arbitration hearing before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
The hearing will occur within the next three months. If the penalty is overturned, he will be free to continue his professional career.
Gatlin said he is grateful for the Pensacola support he has received.
He has willingly addressed the drug test issue with Woodham track athletes, reminding them to perform the right way, adhere to classroom responsibilities and participate in sports without cheating.
"As I try to tell these kids, whatever happened to me was not a steroid (usage issue). It's a precursor to testosterone, and testosterone is made inside your body," he said.
"So, that's what we're (Gatlin and attorneys) fighting for. We're fighting for the testosterone and the precursor that has shown up as a steroid."
Woodham athletic director Paul Bryan, who also is the girls track coach, said he's convinced Gatlin will be cleared.
"There's another lab that's already done an examination. They have a completely different test result," he said.
Bryan said the negative response to Gatlin's work at Woodham has been in e-mails from people living outside of Florida.
"I could care less what some guy in Iowa thinks," Bryan said. "I know Justin. I know what he does. I know what he says. I know what he stands for. That's all that matters to me."
Madison Whitfield, the longtime track coach at Jay High, also supports Gatlin's quest to clear his name.
"When you're (drug) testing in track, everything you take, every medication you take, has certain things in it that you're not aware of," he said.
"In other sports, it's not even an issue. If they tested college and pro football players this way, I doubt they could even have games."
Whitfield called Gatlin "courageous" for getting so involved in local track.
"He could be living anywhere. For him to be helping Woodham, good for Woodham," Whitfield said.
"I think it's a very stand-up thing for him to do. I've been so impressed."
Published: March 3, 2007
By Bill Vilona
While Justin Gatlin's alleged transgression in professional track and field has clouded his future, Escambia School District officials say they're lucky to have him coaching local students.
Today, more than 700 young athletes will converge at Woodham High School for the third annual Justin Gatlin Invitational, the first major prep track meet of the season.
Gatlin, 25, the reigning 100-meter Olympic gold medalist from Pensacola, relocated to his hometown after a failed drug test during the Kansas Relays last April led to an eight-year ban from track-and-field competition. He tested positive for abnormal levels of the male sex hormone testosterone and its precursors.
For the past month, he has served as a volunteer track coach at Woodham, his alma mater, while pursuing an appeal he says will clear his name.
Escambia School District officials say the district's zero-tolerance policy for drug use is not an issue in Gatlin's case. They say his case involves track-and-field eligibility, not law-breaking.
"This is not someone who has been involved in illicit drugs," district spokesman Ronnie Arnold said. "It's a very unusual case, obviously. I think the general feeling was you have an excellent role model in Justin, who has not been charged with any sort of crime."
Arnold said the district has received the "stray e-mail" of dissent.
"You have those people no matter what you do," he said. "We don't run the School District based upon anonymous e-mails."
Norm Ross, deputy superintendent of schools, said Gatlin went through the district's prescribed background check, fingerprinting and other procedures to become a volunteer coach.
"He followed all the screening," Ross said. "I can assure you, we have not altered any of our procedures or practices, and that will not be done.
"He has to adhere to the same standards as the guy who is the third-shift worker at Solutia and wants to help coach."
Gail Husbands, president of the Escambia Education Association, said people seem "thrilled" that Gatlin is helping at Woodham.
"I have not had a single complaint from anybody. Not one," the teachers' union executive said.
"To me, it's an example to kids that if bad things might happen, you don't quit. The part of what makes America great is you get a chance to appeal that kind of stuff."
Gatlin has not competed since winning the U.S. national championship 100-meter run in June. But he is confident that he's well on his way to exoneration.
To meet requirements for appeal within U.S. Track and Field, Gatlin did not dispute original lab results from the Kansas Relays.
He filed a formal request Feb. 16 for an arbitration hearing before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
The hearing will occur within the next three months. If the penalty is overturned, he will be free to continue his professional career.
Gatlin said he is grateful for the Pensacola support he has received.
He has willingly addressed the drug test issue with Woodham track athletes, reminding them to perform the right way, adhere to classroom responsibilities and participate in sports without cheating.
"As I try to tell these kids, whatever happened to me was not a steroid (usage issue). It's a precursor to testosterone, and testosterone is made inside your body," he said.
"So, that's what we're (Gatlin and attorneys) fighting for. We're fighting for the testosterone and the precursor that has shown up as a steroid."
Woodham athletic director Paul Bryan, who also is the girls track coach, said he's convinced Gatlin will be cleared.
"There's another lab that's already done an examination. They have a completely different test result," he said.
Bryan said the negative response to Gatlin's work at Woodham has been in e-mails from people living outside of Florida.
"I could care less what some guy in Iowa thinks," Bryan said. "I know Justin. I know what he does. I know what he says. I know what he stands for. That's all that matters to me."
Madison Whitfield, the longtime track coach at Jay High, also supports Gatlin's quest to clear his name.
"When you're (drug) testing in track, everything you take, every medication you take, has certain things in it that you're not aware of," he said.
"In other sports, it's not even an issue. If they tested college and pro football players this way, I doubt they could even have games."
Whitfield called Gatlin "courageous" for getting so involved in local track.
"He could be living anywhere. For him to be helping Woodham, good for Woodham," Whitfield said.
"I think it's a very stand-up thing for him to do. I've been so impressed."