Introduction
Deviances are traits, actions, or ideas others perceive as falling outside society’s ordinary and acceptable range. In sports, it is defined as any behavior that sharply differs from the set standards and may break the written rules. Deviant behavior in sports involves actions that deliberately harm others or compromise the integrity of the sport.
However, given the individual and cultural differences in norms, people may confuse certain acts as allowable. For instance, some individuals think hazing is acceptable due to failure to distinguish it from rites of passage, bullying, or initiation (Coakley, 2016). Although there are various on-field deviances, including cheating and aggression, this paper focuses explicitly on drug use to enhance performance.
Doping as On-Field Deviance
Many athletes use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in an endeavor to perform well during competition. The rules set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have failed to deter some people from using PEDs due to the anticipated benefits and issues of self-confidence (Kabiri et al., 2020). The sports where players are likely to dope include cyclists, marathon races, skating, bodybuilding, and soccer due to the high demand for sustained strength.
Some athletes believe that doping is a normative conduct, with about 10% to 40% of players using substances for field success (Kabiri et al., 2020). Nonetheless, it can still have many adverse outcomes, including suspension from competition, tainting the individual’s or team’s reputation, moral outrage from sponsors, and risk to the person’s health (Kabiri et al., 2020). Therefore, it is essential to inform coaches to warn their teams and tell them that there will be regular tests and repercussions for those found guilty.
One medicine known to increase sportspeople’s endurance is erythropoietin (or EPO). It is a prescription medicine that medics use to treat patients with kidney problems. However, among healthy individuals, it can help increase vitality. In the late 1960s, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stripped Lance Armstrong of all his seven successive wins after establishing that he was taking EPO (Gilles, 2022). The PEDs represent a form of deception as they create unfair conditions for other contestants. Surprisingly, fans, spectators, and even regulatory authorities see no problem when an individual uses such substances (Gilles, 2022).
The misconduct can increase if the person lacks self-control or perceives that the consequences are not dire compared to the gains if there is a failure to detect the substance. Thus, it is vital to have a written code that bans the use of chemicals that stimulate the body during training and competition, with clear consequences for those found guilty. Notably, the athletes should learn to encourage each other even when they fall below expectations to reduce the temptation of using drugs to impress.
Conclusion
Doping is one of the deviances that is common during field games. People resort to using drugs that can boost their ability to play and give them a higher chance of winning. The practice promotes cheating by denying contestants a fair ground for competing. Despite the apparent adverse effects on the integrity of individuals, teams, and sports, many still perceive it as a norm.
Moreover, the practice may persist across several sports even after the suspension and striping the guilty individuals of their titles. Establishing high moral standards and values is vital to understanding the importance of maintaining the laws. In addition, coaches should continually warn their members of the impact of PEDs.
References
Coakley, J. (2016). Chapter 5: Defining and studying deviance in sports. In Sports in society: Issues and controversies. McGraw-Hill Education.
Gilles, P. (2022). The success of a deviant system explained by a toxic leadership: An illustration. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 22(3), 32-39. Web.
Kabiri, S., Masoomeh (Shamila) Shadmanfaat, S., Donner, C. M., & Cochran, J. K. (2020). An integrated model of athletes’ PED use: A test of low self-control, opportunity, deviant peer associations, and control deficit. Deviant Behavior, 42(10), 1313-1328. Web.