ASADA Youtube channel fostering a positive culture in sport

Nadine Patmore, Education Officer - Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority

The videos feature Australian sports stars talking about anti-doping issues that might arise during their career. Importantly they were created by athletes, for athletes via Crossing the Line – an organisation focused on athlete welfare.

Each of the 28 videos are designed to prompt athletes, parents and coaches to think about the implications of doping, the options available to them and the importance of their support networks.

They examine pressures like the fear of letting your teammates or coach down, the fear of staff losing their jobs because you don’t perform, or the fear of not making a team in the first place.

They also encourage athletes to think ahead before making the decision to dope – how will you explain it to your family? What sort of example are you setting for people who look up to you?

Finally, they look at the choices facing athletes. How to say no, how to report suspicious activity, and how to pull yourself from the idea that ‘everyone is doing it’.

Ultimately, these videos are about fostering a positive culture in sport and protecting athlete welfare, which is a key focus of ASADA’s new CEO David Sharpe. There is also a number of other programs underway – from new awareness campaigns, to an overhaul of our face to face education presentation – and we hope to work much more closely with sports to address any issues together in future.

In the meantime, you can read our blog post about the videos on our website and you can find all the videos in the series on the ASADA YouTube Channel, along with a number of other informative resources.