2) 6.1 ethics and deviance in sport

• ethics - rules that dictate an individual's conduct. They form a system of rules that groups and societies are judged on. An ethic in sport would be that athletes stick to the spirit of the rules of the game
• deviance - unacceptable behaviour within a culture. Any behaviour that differs from the perceived social or legal norm is seen as deviant. Driven by 'win at all cost' attitude.
• deviance

  • gambling
  • drugs and doping
  • violence
• violence - intense physical force that is directed towards harming another individual or groups or individuals and can cause injury or death
• cause of spectator violence

  • alcohol and drugs
  • overcrowding/poor stewarding
  • hooliganism - organised violence
  • deindividuation
  • imitate of pitch e.g boxing
  • fustration - game, referee, result
  • Importance of game - final, derby and money for winning
• deindividuation - when you lose your sense of being an individual; this can cause violent behaviour
• causes of player violence

  • provoked/retaliated
  • nature of the game - rugby
  • equipment e.g hockey stick
  • drugs - testosterone and anabolic steroids
  • fustration - game, referee, result
  • importance of game - final, derby, money for winning
• implication of violence on society

  • performers are role models, so violence maybe copied in society
  • put parents off letting their children participate
  • lead to violence against spectators
• implication of violence on sport

  • initiate changes in law and rules of a sport to make violence less likely
  • sport receives bad name/profile
  • can reduce participation
  • loss of sponsors
  • loss of public interest
  • make sport more entertaining for media and spectators
• implication of violence on performers

  • punishment - disciplinary action
  • injury and even death
  • loss of sponsors
  • become a negative role model/detrimental to career
• blood doping - WADA as the misuse of techniques and/or substances to increase one's red blood cell count
• blood doping

  • removal of 2 pints of athletes blood several weeks prior to competition
  • blood is then frozen until 1-2 days before the competition, when it is thawed and injected back into the athlete
  • used for endurance athletes
  • allows extra oxygen to be transported to working muscles
• side effects of blood doping

  • increased blood viscosity
  • increased risk of heart attack
  • pulmonary embolism (a blockage, which can be fat, air or a blood clot, of the pulmonary artery)
  • cerebral embolism
  • cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
  • infections and risk of blood borne diseases
  • allergic reactions
• performance enhancing drugs

  anabolic steroids - enable performer to train harder and longer and often lead to increased strength and aggression

  beta blockers - help control heart rate and keep athlete calm

  stimulants - work as a brain stimulant, which increases alertness for other sports e.g amphetamines
• other prohibited substances:

  • narcotic analgesics
  • anabolic agents
  • diurets
  • peptide hormones, mimetic and analogues
  • masking agents
• prohibits methods are:

  • enhancement of oxygen transfer
  • blood doping
  • administration of products that enhance uptake, transport and delivery of oxygen
  • pharmacological, chemical and physical manipulation
  • gene doping
• classes of prohibited substances in certain circumstances:

  • alcohol
  • cannabinoids
  • local anaesthetics
  • glucocortisteroids
• physiological reasons for PED's

  • improve performance by altering the body physically
  • e.g anabolic steroids for increased strength
• social reasons for PED's

  • pressure to win from coaches, peers, country, politics and media
  • belief everyone else is doing it
  • belief they will not get caught (ahead of drug testing)
  • win at all costs attitude - fame and fortune/sponsors
  • state sponsored programmes
• psychological reasons for PED's

  • improve performance altering brain function
  • e.g anabolic steroids for increased aggression
• lance armstrong

  • epo
  • blood doping
  • human growth hormone
• anabolic agents

  • increase muscle mass and allow a performer to train at greater intensity and duration
  • sprinter, weightlifters may increase their power output and muscular strength through taking steroids

  side effects

  • high blood pressure
  • heart attacks
  • strokes
• beta blockers

  • reduced heart rate and lower blood pressure, therefore stress levels and anxiety are reduced
  • darts and snooker players are able to improve balance and coordination

  side effects

  • depression
  • insomnia
  • nausea
  • diarrhoea
  • tiredness
• stimulants

  • speed up impulses travelling from the brain to the body
  • increases alertness

  side effects

  • increase chance of heart attack
  • nausea
  • fever
  • vomiting
• legal supplementation

  • maximise training and performance
  • accepted by sports administrators
  • e.g gels, energy drinks, creatine
• advantages of legal supplementation

  • improve general health and wellbeing
  • enhance sporting performance
  • claim to help build muscle, increase stamina, weight control, improve flexibility, rehydrating or aiding recovery after exercise
• disadvantages of legal supplementation

  • could contain banned substances or can be contaminated during the manufacturing process
  • long term health impacts on the digestive system
  • muscular and cardiovascular issues
  • increased risk of cancer
  • contain high sugar levels leading to obesity
• ethics of legal supplementation

  • philosophical argument against it suggesting its not in the spirit of fair play because not all performers have access to supplements or cost may be beyond reach
  • others argue that some supplements are bordering on illegal ad may well contain traces of illegal or banned substances
  • purists might argue that simple physical training for your sport, including fitness and skills training, with a normal balanced diet would make a level playing field for sports competition
• reasons for use of illegal drugs and doping

  • pressure to succeed from coaches, family, friends, other performers and themselves
  • political pressured - want to enjoy nations success e.g russian scandal
  • monetary rewards
  • improve performance by altering body physically
  • improve performance through altering brain function e.g aggressions
  • win at all costs attitude
  • everyone else is taking them so why shouldn't I
• consequences of drugs and doping

  • legal action
  • banned/stripped of medals
  • loss of sponsorship/income
  • damaged health
  • loss of reputation and credibility
• strategies to stop use of illegal drugs and doping

  • WADA
  • education about drugs and doping - understand health implications and law
  • reinforce culture of keeping sport free from drug cheats
  • punishments longer lasting
• prevention of violence

  • educated to avoid violence
  • emotional and stress control
  • emphasis of fair play
  • punishment
  • coaching ethos
  • assistance of officials
  • video evidence
  • policing methods
  • promote good disciplinary players as role models