A Cross-National Investigation Of The Effect Of A Coach Education Program On Young Athletes’ Attitudes Toward Doping

Summary
The research examines the effectiveness of coach education programs and their implementation across various sports organizations and countries, including Armenia, Georgia and Moldova .

Methodology
The study collected evidence from 12 National Sports Organizations (NSOs), four National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs), and one International Sport Federation (ISU). It analyzed the design, implementation, and impact of anti-doping interventions. The research evaluated whether interventions were grounded in research or theoretical foundations and assessed the clarity of objectives and strategies for implementation. 270 coaches and 810 athletes were surveyed using questionnaires  from the Social Science Research Package questionnaires in 22 sports

Results
The findings reveal several shortcomings in the anti-doping interventions across different sports organizations and countries:

• Institutional pressures and mimetic isomorphism often drive intervention design and implementation.
• Anti-doping interventions are often cascaded from higher-level organizations like WADA and NADOs down to NSOs and clubs, resulting in varying interpretations and implementation rates.
• A lack of understanding exists concerning the relationship between the nature of doping issues, the affected parties, and the role of interventions.
• Few interventions are based on explicit theories or grounded in research, aside from a few cases involving NADOs.
• Uncertainty prevails among anti-doping officers about the performance and change objectives of interventions.
• A polarized situation emerges between those with clear implementation strategies and those without.
• The absence of an implementation strategy creates organizational problems and hampers effective delivery and evaluation.
• The lack of thorough evaluation prevents the identification of how and why interventions achieve their intended effects and for whom.

Significance for Clean Sport

This research has profound implications for the anti-doping landscape. By highlighting the shortcomings in the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions, it underscores the need for a more systematic and research-grounded approach. Addressing the identified issues could lead to more effective anti-doping interventions, greater clarity in objectives, and improved evaluation practices. Ultimately, this study contributes to the advancement of anti-doping efforts by promoting evidence-based strategies and a more coherent approach to tackling doping behaviors across different sports organizations and countries.