Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

At first I thought this was going to be just a boy's book. There is a lot of specific discussion about positions, statistics, and plays in football. All the characters are boys. However, I think girls could extend the central character's conflict and relate to the type of conflict, if not the specifics of this one. The premise of the story is that Mick Johnson feels pressure to excel in high school football. His entire life has been centered around his football skills; his father excelled when he was in high school and was even drafted into the NFL, so he pushes his only son onto the field. Mick then pushes himself into a corner (a lot of the pressure he feels is self-inflicted) and eventually decides that he can compete better if he uses steroids. He begins with oral steroids the summer before his sophomore year in high school, but he eventually begins to inject himself with stronger steroids. Despite the embarrassing side effects, he has a hard time stopping himself. The coaches in the story are presented quite realistically--they are suspicious of Mick's source of strength and endurance, but have no foundation to accuse him of using steroids. Even his friends do not catch on until late in the story. (Addicts are good at hiding things.)
I was unprepared for the ending of the book--when Mick's best friend confronts him and tries to stop his use, Mick takes his father's gun and drives his friend to a remote area. The ending of the book is extremely sad because you want Mick to overcome his demons. However, the reality of the ending is probably accurate. Things just don't always end happily. I don't see how anyone could read this story and even consider dumping steroids into his body. . . but then again, maybe I can. The pressure some kids face is tough.