Tenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

The work of anti-doping regulators, most notably the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), focus on the harmonization of anti-doping rules and practices across international sport. While resources are devoted to anti-doping education, science, and public awareness, most funding is reserved for testing and enforcement. Scholars have argued that current policies and practices present athletes as an inherent risk population and in need of increasing surveillance and testing, consequently engendering harms not only to athletes but the wider sport community. Research indicates that professional and elite level athletes across many sports are skeptical and somewhat distrustful of anti-doping efforts, viewing them as ineffective and exclusionary. Unsurprisingly, this environment has strained relations between athletes and anti-doping regulators and engendered not only suspicion but varying levels of shame and trauma, while being weighted heavily in favor of regulators. In light of the current climate, we propose a road map for determining if the application of restorative justice principles and practices may offer a useful approach to address the limitations that exist within the anti-doping environment. When applied properly, we believe that restorative principles and practices can foster and strengthen a more balanced and equitable relationship among not only athletes and regulators, but others involved in the sport ecosystem including medical professionals, media, and support personnel.