The junior A Nanaimo Timbermen know their reputation took a hit this week, when one of their players was busted for alleged steroid trafficking.
But the team hopes people will be able to separate the lacrosse team and its playoff push from Isaac Haack’s arrest.
Haack was indefinitely suspended by the club after he allegedly tried to sell steroids Saturday to an undercover RCMP officer in the Bowen Road Co-op parking lot.
“It’s caused a huge black mark for us already, it really has…” said Dave Bremner, coach and general manager of the Timbermen. “It definitely fractures the state of lacrosse, the state of the Nanaimo Junior A Timbermen but by no means should this reflect us.”
No coaches or players had any inclination that Haack might be a user or distributor of steroids, Bremner said.
“We are doing a team investigation into any other possible usage, so we are doing our due diligence and we’re taking care of our players,” he said. “I don’t believe anybody else on the team has been doing this stuff.”
Even around the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League and the sport in general, Bremner thinks steroid use is uncommon.
“I definitely think it’s a very small-scale incident across the league, across lacrosse,” he said. “I don’t think it’s rampant like it’s perceived to be right now under these circumstances.”
Throughout the season, Timbermen coaches talk to their players about making the right choice when it comes to respecting the team, the game of lacrosse and the people involved. The T-men will reinforce that message this week, then get back to playing sports.
“Any time something like this happens, it is a distraction. But that’s up to us to come together,” Bremner said. “We’re going to try and finish out this 2011 B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League season strong.”