The focus on this year’s UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Clean Sport Week is ‘The Next Generation’ and is all about protecting and empowering young athletes. To ensure the future of sport is a bright and clean one, it’s vital that we support and educate young people on anti-doping and inspire them to become proud clean athletes.
Parents and carers have a vital role in helping their children to be clean and stay clean. A UKAD survey found that parents across a number of sports felt highly motivated to support their child to train and complete clean but had very little knowledge of anti-doping topics. Some top tips to support your child to do their best are:
- Set their moral compass: encourage hard work, commitment and taking personal responsibility – and remind them of the consequences of being caught cheating
- Recognise when they are vulnerable: being a great athlete takes a long time – allow them to enjoy the highs and lows of the journey and keep things in perspective
- Be informed: model and encourage appropriate behaviour and decision-making, on everything from fuelling and recovery to managing injuries
- Understand the concept of Strict Liability: ensure your young sportsperson is fully aware of their anti-doping responsibilities as an athlete
- Check everything: engage with your GP and/or pharmacist and use Global DRO to check prescribed and over-the-counter medicines
- Maintain records: keep a list of all medications your child is taking on your phone or in UK Anti-Doping’s Clean Sport app
- Food First: promote a balanced diet and positive lifestyle choices. Check supplements on Informed Sport to reduce the risk of contamination
- Know what happens at a test: ensure you and your child are familiar with the testing procedure. A video is available here - Introduction to Testing | UK Anti-Doping
If you want to find out more, UKAD has a range of resources on its Clean Sport Hub for parents, carers and guardians at Parents, Carers and Guardians | UK Anti-Doping. There is also a booklet that you can download at Parents and Carers Guide FINAL.pdf
The Government of Jersey is working in partnership with Jersey Sport to run a workshop on 20th May for anyone involved with sport at any level who wants to increase their awareness and understanding of anti-doping in sport. You can book a spot here - Anti-Doping Awareness for Sport Organisations • Jersey Sport. There is also lots of anti-doping information on the Jersey Sport website - Anti-Doping in Sport • Jersey Sport – and the UKAD website - Clean Sport Week 2025 | UK Anti-Doping.
Get involved in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #CleanSportWeek