Understanding the role of Kenyan Collegiate athlete support personnel in the pursuit of clean sport

Summary: 

The project investigated the roles of Kenyan college athlete support personnel, specifically coaches and team managers, in preventing doping. The main goal is to understand what actions these coaches and team managers take to stop doping and what personal and environmental factors affect their roles. 

Methodology:

To achieve this, the study used a two-phase approach that included both surveys and group discussions. In Part 1, they had discussions with 12 coaches and 11 team managers. In Part 2, they followed up with a survey distributed to 256 coaches and 53 team managers from various college sports regions.

Results

Coaches and team managers took various actions to maintain discipline among athletes. They focused on creating awareness and providing counseling to discourage doping. Their efforts aimed to educate athletes about the harmful effects of doping and promote fair competition. However, they faced challenges due to limited resources and inadequate training, especially regarding doping rule violations. They often relied on the internet for information, which sometimes led to incorrect details. Additionally, they lacked collaboration with anti-doping agencies and struggled to get support from college administrations and the National Anti-Doping Agency. Notably, there was no anti-doping policy at the college level to guide their actions.

Potential significance for Clean Sport

The study highlights the potential for collegiate athlete support personnel (ASP) to contribute significantly to anti-doping efforts in Kenya if they receive proper support and resources. The insights gathered from this research can be used to develop tailored programs for ASP in Kenya and set the foundation for future anti-doping studies in the country. The results emphasize the need for collaboration between the National Anti-Doping Agency and educational institutions to incorporate anti-doping education into curricula, thereby enhancing the knowledge and role of ASP in preventing doping. This research underscores the importance of establishing systematic anti-doping support and resources in collegiate sports to promote clean practices and foster a stronger anti-doping culture.