Sports - Performance enhancement …What?

Performance enhancement is a name given to describe; work towards success. Today's athletes have equipment that has been specifically designed to improve their performance and enjoyment of the game. Getting psyched and being mentally confident also contributes to performance enhancement. This too is serious study and sports psychologists are sought after. Better physical and strength training using more scientific methods too helps improve performance. So, take a look around and enjoy! After all, sport is supposed to be fun and enjoyment not just winning.

We often see advertisements with regard to performance enhancement in every fold but not limited to sport. The environment is one of performance enhancement whether it is through pills or plastic surgery to lift a sagging top and bottom line.

It is not surprising that given the environment people may tend to use short cuts to improve performance. The buzz in rugby circles as reported in our sister paper the Daily Mirror on 12th August and in The Sunday Times of 13th August is the suspicion that drugs are used by some of them involved in rugby. The accusation is levelled at club as well as school players. No concrete evidence but deductive reasoning has led to a conclusion. They did not do well earlier but have uplifted the performance suddenly. Another argument is that they did well as schoolboys but not when in another environment. So they must have been taking something. A different contention is by players themselves who say “we associate with players and we know.”

Though there is no specific instances reported it appears that the hierarchy too has heard of these stories. Theirs is no longer an issue to wait till there is a complaint. The governing body must show they are cognizant and are organizing themselves to take action and eradicate the menace and or dispel the doubts as rumours. Else the game will suffer with parents getting reluctant to send their children. Doping tests are costly and need specialized staff. It also needs faculties at the venue. They need publicity to say that the SLRFU has sent medical officers for training and this alone will deter any wrong doers.

There is a need to educate coaches and others in authority on banned substances and the harmful effects. Those in control must be aware of the perceived knowledge, actual knowledge, attitude, and intended behaviour of the community of coach’s mangers and advisors with respect to performance enhancement drugs.

The ‘player’ should not be the only person to be blamed in case of a positive drug test. Numerous studies have pointed out that an athlete’s use of drugs in sport could be attributed to a complex interaction of personal and environmental factors (Nicholson and Agnew, 1989; Tricker, Cook, and McGuire, 1989). Possible contributing environmental factors include attitudes of peer group and parents, accessibility to drugs, and cultural norms and values (Polich, Ellichson, Reuter, and Kahan, 1984; Tricker and Connolly, 1997).

It is argued that coaches could be one of the more important agents in preventing drug use among athletes and should be included in any doping prevention campaigns (Dubin, 1990).

For coaches to function optimally as role models and in assisting young athletes to formulate correct attitudes against doping, they must also possess accurate knowledge and appropriate attitude on doping and drug use.

One possible contributory factor that leads to performance enhancement drugs being used can be a result of cultural norms values and high expectation. These come from coaches, club membership, parents and old boys. The financial aspect of the game leads persons to think of better performance irrespective of the means adopted to achieve the end. We hear this often as people claim so much is spent and we need results. Very often the blame in rugby falls on the referee when the side does not win. Does this culture lead to the administration of drugs to stimulate performance? This question has to be considered if we are to take the reported issues seriously. It boils down to the values, norms and expectation. While the issue is about taking drugs and I am talking of values there is an interesting story doing the rounds? It is about school on more salubrious climes who it seems have played a student who is not eligible in terms of the ministry circular as quoted in the schools handbook. It is alleged the boy had gained admission to the university in June but had played in July and faded away. If there is any truth, it is serious business. The irony is, those who are accused have been making comments about the honesty of others. Culture being a learned experience may be the others are judged by what you have gained from your behaviour.