The role of athlete support personnel in preventing doping: a qualitative study of a rugby union academy

ABSTRACT

Global anti-doping policy indicates that athlete support personnel (ASP, e.g. doctors, nutritionists) can play an important role in fostering supportive environments that protect against intentional and inadvertent doping. Yet, research into ASP anti-doping roles is limited and no study has examined how (if at all) different members of ASP work together. Therefore, this study investigated anti-doping roles of ASP in a single sports club environment via semi-structured interviews. Through inductive reflexive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were constructed: 1) Everyone has responsibility for anti-doping, but most of the work rests unevenly on a few shoulders, 2) Education is fundamental to doping prevention, and 3) (Preventing doping) It’s all about the way we work with players and each other. As the first study of its kind, the findings indicated that actions taken to prevent doping varied across ASP working together in the same environment. The nutritionist and medical staff were most active in anti-doping efforts and least active were strength and conditioning coaches. Factors underpinning anti-doping roles were individuals’ relevant expertise/training and overall job responsibilities (e.g. supplements, medications) related to risk of doping. Staff also connected their doping prevention efforts to the club’s person-centred philosophy, which prioritised ‘individualisation’ and supportive relationships. While the data indicates potential for anti-doping responsibilities to be shared amongst ASP who work well together and trust one another, it revealed that reliance on one or two ASP in any environment might allow other ASP to neglect their opportunity to have a positive influence on players’ doping-related decisions.

KEYWORDS:

• Anti-doping
• doping prevention
• drugs in sport
• interviews
• multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
• reflexive thematic analysis
• support staff

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank ASP working in this club for taking part in the study. We would also like to thank all of our ‘critical friends’ for their feedback on earlier versions of the manuscript, including our colleagues, Dr Toni Williams and Dr Fieke Rongen.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The Player Development Manager also reported obtaining parental consent for doping control (tests), submitting Whereabouts information, and chaperoning players during tests.

2. The Doctor also reported applying for Therapeutic Use Exemptions and managing doping control test results.

3. It has not been possible to locate details of this policy by searching the RFU website or the internet more generally.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Carnegie School of Sport New Researcher Grant (Leeds Beckett University).

Notes on contributors

Laurie B. Patterson

Laurie B. Patterson Dr Laurie Patterson is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Leeds Beckett University (UK). Her principal research interest is investigating (anti-)doping behaviour among athletes and athlete support personnel, to inform effective anti-doping practice, programmes, and policy. Laurie has been working in this area since 2008 and has spent most of her time driving forward a body of work, including her doctoral research, investigating coaches’ anti-doping roles and the factors that influence this. Using her research, Laurie provides sporting and anti-doping organisations across the globe with guidance for developing, implementing, and evaluating their anti-doping provision.

Susan H. Backhouse

Susan H. Backhouse Sue Backhouse is Professor and Director of Research in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University (LBU). Sue established the Protecting Sporting Integrity and Welfare (PROSPER) research team at LBU and over the last 15 years has led an internationally recognised programme of research examining the complexity of doping behaviours from multiple stakeholder perspectives. Sue serves as a member of the WADA Social Science Research Expert Advisory Group, Convenes the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science Clean Sport Interest Group, provides expert guidance to the English Institute of Sport via its Technical Steering Panel and is co-founder of the Clean Sport Alliance.

Ben Jones

Ben Jones Ben Jones is a Professor of Sports Physiology and Performance in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University. Ben is co-director of the Carnegie Applied Rugby Research (CARR) centre, the Head of Performance at England Rugby League and Pathway Performance Director at Leeds Rhinos Rugby League club.