Role of the Coach in Clean Sport

Coaches play a crucial role in the development of people, not only from a sporting perspective but also in helping them set their moral compass. How you coach, and your coaching philosophy, does not only have a direct impact on whether athletes choose to train and compete clean. The culture you build within a sporting context has a broader impact upon their role in society and the decisions they make, in the knowledge of the consequences of making an ill-informed decision.

We need your support to instil strong clean sport values and ethical behaviours in the athletes that you coach as well as your wider sporting community. The World Anti-Doping (WAD) Code acknowledges that athlete support personnel have a responsibility to positively influence the athletes they work with.

The facts - what coaches need to know

• Coaches are mandated by the WAD Code to council and advise athletes on anti-doping matters

• The Anti-Doping Rules apply to you

• If you coach, or support an athlete long-listed for a major games, you are required to complete mandatory clean sport education in line with the Clean Games Policy.

What that means for you

Clean sport education is not something that can be ignored or delegated.

As a coach you need to understand how the anti-doping system impacts you and your athletes, and what you need to do to keep your clean sport education up to date.

This will help prevent you, your athletes and wider coaching team from being at risk of inadvertent doping.

Should you be found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, you too can face a ban from sport.

What you should do

• Develop a coaching environment that nurtures a culture of personal excellence rather than win at all costs

• Develop positive values and beliefs in all athletes you coach and any other athlete support personnel you work with

• Remember to protect both yourself and the athletes you work with: the Anti-Doping Rules apply to you both! Help your athletes apply the principle of strict liability

• Support athletes in managing inadvertent doping by helping them check their medications on Global DRO and managing the risks associated with supplement use

• Keep yourself informed and find the time to engage in clean sport education. Speak to your club or National Governing Body for more information on clean sport education that may be taking place for coaches in your area

• Our eLearning resource Coach Clean is a fantastic resource to both increase your knowledge and ensure that you remain at the cutting edge of clean sport education and is relevant for coaches at all levels

• If you have any suspicions of doping activity in sport, no matter how small the information may seem, you can come forward in confidence via our Protect Your Sport platforms.

Where to go for further advice

• Sign up to UKAD's Clean Sport Hub and complete the Coach Clean eLearning course designed for you