Achieving success in sport is a long and challenging journey filled with many highs and lows. Parents can be a great support to athletes along the way.
By being engaged in your child’s sporting career, you see first-hand how they cope with the lows, when they have their frustrating moments and when they might be susceptible to external pressure to make wrong choices.
Understand the principle of ‘Strict Liability’
Under World Anti-Doping rules, your child is responsible for any prohibited substance they use, attempt to use or is found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether they intended to cheat or not. You need to understand what this means and how it impacts on you and your child.
What is doping?
Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the following anti-doping rule violations:
1. Presence – of a banned substance in an athlete’s sample
2. Use – or attempted use of a banned substance and/or method
3. Refusing – to undertake a drug test when notified by official Doping Control Personnel
4. Failure – to file accurate athlete whereabouts information or receiving a missed test
5. Tampering – with any part of the testing process
6. Possession – of a banned substance and or method
7. Trafficking – of a banned substance and or method
8. Administering – or attempting to administer a banned substance and/or method to an athlete
9. Complicity – helping someone commit an anti-doping rule violation or avoid detection
10. Prohibited Association – associating with an athlete support person who is currently serving a ban or has been convicted in criminal or disciplinary proceedings that would constitute doping
You can visit the WADA website for further information about anti-doping. You can also visit the UKAD website where you can learn more about this important topic in greater detail by clicking on the following link:
www.ukad.org.uk/education/parents/
