DR. WALLACE: I'm a guy going into my junior year of high school. I neither attended sporting events during my first two years nor tried out for any, even though I'm interested. I feel that if I was bigger, I could maybe play in a couple of varsity sports.

My friends are encouraging me to test some steroids, but I know better than to do something stupid like that. While I'm interested in playing high school sports for my final two years, I don't want to ruin my entire life or body in the process.

I could plan to hit the weight room hard this summer and eat a high-protein diet to bulk up. I'm also growing a bit taller each year which could help me, especially in basketball.

What's your advice to a growing boy who is interested in playing varsity sports? — Hopefully a Future Athlete, via email

HOPEFULLY A FUTURE ATHLETE: First of all, you're absolutely making the right decision to not ever consider steroids. Your future life and health is far too important to consider such a dangerous path.

As a former coach, I'd like to stress two areas of physical fitness that are quite often overlooked: endurance and flexibility. While strength and power are important, elite athletes typically also excel in the areas of endurance and flexibility, depending upon their sport and the position they specialize in.

Spend your time running, jogging and climbing stairs at a brisk pace. Go online and look up full-body stretching exercises that you can do daily at home or outside.

The next area to focus on is technique. Practice the correct techniques for the sport and position you are interested in. Research as much as you can on your own and then try to contact a coach or assistant coach and gather as many pointers as you can. It's important that your repetitions in practice mirror the actual performance you hope to achieve when playing.

Take note of these suggestions, realign your focus accordingly and know that I am rooting for you to succeed.

I'M ALWAYS BROKE IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS!

DR. WALLACE: I'm 14-year-old girl who has asked for an allowance several times, but who has never been granted one.

My parents work together in a small, family-owned business and they tend to worship at the altar of making money and saving as much of it as possible. They were both born outside of the United States, and they have memories of growing up dirt poor.

I was born here in the U.S. and am very fortunate to have had a normal childhood with several friends. But all of my girlfriends and peers are receiving allowances! Some do extra work for it, but they all have it! I'm the only one who has no spending money when we hang out!

My parents tell me that they spend money on me when they buy me clothes, school supplies and food. But I want to be a normal teenager who has a little money to spend on fun things with my friends.

I do chores and even a little bit of work each Saturday at our family business, but I'm not given anything. What can I do to convince my parents to at least allow me a little bit of spending money? — I'm Always Broke in Front of My Friends, via email

I'M ALWAYS BROKEN IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS: I suggest that you discuss with your parents that you appreciate all they do for you financially. Tell them that all of your closest friends have the opportunity to either receive an allowance or to do extra work to generate some spending money to do fun things together.

Explain that you're happy to do additional work. If they are not willing to give you an allowance directly, ask for their permission for you to do some part-time work such as babysitting, yard work, organizing or cleaning homes of some neighbors. Showing this type of initiative and being willing to do work to earn money should be something your parents not only understand but respect.

If you approach this topic in this manner, I trust your parents will either allow you to do the extra work or allow you to work elsewhere to earn some money.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Gentrit Sylejmani at Unsplash