Abilene Reporter News: Other Sports -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 1/19/2005
Last Visited: 1/20/2005
Bill Lum, Foothill's co-athletic director and wrestling coach, said he had no intention of turning his athletes into AdvoCare customers when he accepted the sponsorship.He wanted to expand his tournament.The Foothill tournament was able to go from 45 to 83 teams with the help of AdvoCare, Lum said.
"I made phone calls to make sure (AdvoCare) was OK," Lum said."That's my name behind it.I felt real safe in what they are doing."
Lum said he talked to other coaches and checked out AdvoCare's products online before going ahead with the sponsorship.Lum said he felt safe in having AdvoCare sponsor his tournament because of the company's affiliation with California USA Wrestling, an affiliate of the national governing body for U.S. amateur wrestling.
"If their products are used by Olympic athletes who are the most (drug) tested in the world, then we aren't talking about BALCO," Lum said, referring to the steroid drug scandal involving the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.
Two of AdvoCare's products are on the NCAA list of banned substances.Both products, MNS Gold and A Perfect You Gold Multinutrient Supplement, contain synephrine, which is a stimulant present in Citrus aurantium (green orange) extract and is known to curb appetite while increasing metabolism, according to AdvoCare's Web site.
Lum noted that AdvoCare began its sponsorship of the Foothill tournament last year and that he received no negative feedback from wrestlers, parents or officials.
"I had more complaints about our snack bar prices than AdvoCare being a sponsor," Lum said.