RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ATHLETE
Athletes can be influential role models for young people competing in sport. The behaviour of high performance athletes can have a significant impact on young people as they admire and aspire to emulate their sporting heroes, especially their actions and their attitudes. High profile athletes should remember that they are regularly in the media and their actions can and do impact on many people.
Your responsibilities as an athlete
· Know where to find a copy of your governing body's anti-doping regulations - how any updates might be advised to you and the prohibited and restricted substances list that applies to you - a substance permitted for use in one sport may not be permitted in another.
· Know the person in your governing body responsible for the anti-doping programme.
· Tell your doctor and pharmacists that you are a competitor who may be subject to drug testing so that they can check medications in conjunction with the rules you compete under. Always check if the treatment advised/prescribed contains a prohibited substance and if so, ask for an alternative treatment if possible, or seek permission in writing from your governing body to use the one suggested.
· Keep a list of medications, vitamins or supplements you are taking so you won't have to try to remember during a test.
· Understand you are responsible for whatever substance enters your system.
· If the equipment being used to collect and seal the sample is not familiar to you, ask the Doping Control Officer (DCO) to explain how the equipment works, how it is sealed, how to look for evidence of tampering and its unique numbering system.
· Check that your name does not appear on any documentation received by the laboratory or on the sampling equipment itself. If it does, insist that it is omitted.
· Keep a copy of all documentation until the result of the test is reported as a record of a test you have submitted to.
Your rights as an athlete
· Your notification of selection for a drug test will be provided in writing and your name and/or identification should be clearly indicated on the form.
· You should receive a copy of the documentation at the end of the sample collection which you should keep at least until you receive the result of your test.
· You have the right to choose a representative to accompany you to the Doping Control Station. This representative is not allowed in the toilet area during the actual passing of the sample unless, as an athlete under/18 years or as a disability athlete, you request it. It is helpful if this person is familiar with the procedures such as your coach, team doctor or team manager.
· You have the right to an interpreter if necessary.
· It is your right, and you must always be observed when providing the sample and always by someone of the same sex to ensure you protect the integrity of your sample.
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COACH
Coaching is about helping athletes to compete and perform to the best of their ability. If an athlete needs to take drugs to win, they just aren't good enough. If a coach is caught endorsing the use of performance enhancing substances, they too are breaking the rules. This could affect your coaching career as well as bring shame on your sport and your country.
A coach's roles can vary dramatically, being influenced by factors such as the age of the athlete and the sport he/she participates in.
The responsibility of the coach
· Promote the ideal of drug-free sport to your athletes
· Know how to access support and advice on drug-free sport
· Know that there are procedures athletes need to follow to notify their medications
· Help and encourage athletes to check all medication before use
· Help athletes to understand the implications involved in taking supplementation and encourage athletes to seek advice about their health from a medical professional
· Show concern and caution towards sick and injured athletes and develop positive strategies and support systems to help athletes through injury and illness.
· Understand the specific rules within your sport
· Ensure athletes understand their rights and help them develop strategies for exercising their rights during the testing procedures
· Ensure that a representative is available after each event to go to the Doping Control Station with the athlete if selected for testing.
Rights and Reponsibilities of the medical professional working in sport
The role of the medical professional can be very influential in the decisions an athlete makes about their health. Athletes rely on their doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians and other medical professionals to know what is best for them and therefore the advice you give athletes is fundamental in helping develop their attitude towards drugs and sport. If you work closely with professional athletes, this authority makes it important for you to understand the processes involved in following the rules set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Olympic Committee and the relevant sport.
Responsibility of the Medical Professional in supporting drug-free sport
· Maximise the benefits and minimise the risks to an athlete's health by developing positive strategies and support systems to help athletes through injury and illness
· Know how to access support and advice on drug-free sport
· Know that there are procedures athletes need to follow to notify any prohibited medication for therapeutic use
· Help and encourage athletes to check all medication before use
· Help athletes to understand the implications involved in taking supplementation and encourage athletes to seek advice about their health from a medical professional
· Understand the specific rules within your sport if appropriate
From UKSport website January 2008