The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to release its most recent educational tool titled Parent's Guide to Sport. Aimed at parents of athletes, this publication aims to inform them on essential subjects, so that they can contribute to the development of clean athletes by preventing the use of substances and methods prohibited in sport. The booklet provides the basics and contains links to websites where parents can find more information on the following topics:
• Convey important values
• Determine if a sport culture is healthy
• Find balance
• Food
• Risks associated with supplements
• Risk factors for doping
• Periods when athletes are more likely to dope
• Prevent the use of performance enhancing substances
• Protect clean athletes through the doping control procedure
• Recognize the possible signs and symptoms of doping substance use
• What if your child is taking drugs?
“In general,” explains Rob Koehler, Assistant Director General and Director of WADA's Education Department, “the athlete-parent relationship is the only one that is constant throughout the athlete's career, regardless of the level of involvement or influence. of the parent. Coaches and support staff change often, and athletes - especially younger ones - look to their parents as the first point of contact on many topics. Parents should constantly monitor their child's environment in order to discover potential risk factors. This WADA publication is a starting point for providing parents with the right information on clean sport and anti-doping. It is a reference that can lead parents to learn more. "
Current social science research indicates that parents are the people who have a lot of influence on young athletes. They are the ones who shape the personal ethics of their children, which then guides their behavior and their way of considering sport throughout their careers. According to research, parents, as a group, do not have enough knowledge about the fight against doping. This is why it is important that they are the first targeted by education on this struggle; they will thus have the information they need to guide their child *.
The Parent Guide to Clean Sport is available online and in print, in English, French and Spanish, in the Education section of the WADA website: https://www.wada-ama.org/fr/
* Erickson, K. Backhouse, SH, & Carless, D. Doping in Sport: Do Parents Matter? Sports,
Exercise, and Performance Psychology. Vol 6 (2), May 2017, pp. 115-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/
