In the recent years, very many athletes in the different fields of sport have been found to be using drugs to enhance their performance. Well known athletes have tested positive for drugs that are used to enhance performance and other many instances have gone under without being reported. It is so disappointing in such cases where an athlete is seen to be doing very well in their sport and later on speculations on the use of performance-enhancing drugs or steroids arise. The most bothersome thing about the use of these drugs is that the users put their lives at risk just so that they can become successful.
Even though it has improved the value of entertainment in sports, it has on the other side diminished the sportsmanship value. The use of drugs in the field of sport is widespread and has become a matter of public debate and knowledge and New Zealand has not been left out in the use of performance enhancing drugs. The use of these performance-enhancing drugs has also seen our athletes going to the United States to buy them for the reasons that they are not legalized in New Zealand. The use of these drugs has raised serious ethical questions for the athletes.
Performance enhancing drugs and their effects
In New Zealand, athletes have been found to be using dietary supplements which are also said to have the same effects as those from the prescriptions. Studies have continued to indicate that some the supplements used by our athletes automatically convert into illegal steroids immediately they are taken into the body. In other countries, the use of supplements has been linked to death of athletes who consumed more than the dosages that are recommended or went on to mix their intake of the supplements with some other drugs. Supplements have become so easy to buy and for this reasons our athletes are so easily drawn to them as they are not well regulated in our country.
Our athletes should know what they get themselves into when they are using the performance enhancing drugs and therefore the drugs’ side effects should be publicized. In order to discourage our athletes from using them, screening of the athletes should thoroughly be carried out before any participation and those found with any traces of the performance enhancing drugs denied participation. As a result of using performance enhancing drugs, the following side effects have been found in men: shrunken testicles, reduced sperm counts, inability to attain an erection, an irreversible enlargement of the breast (gynecomastia), impaired function of the liver, acne, male pattern baldness. On the other side, women have been seen to have the following side effects: Development of excessive body hair, deep voices, increased sex drive, menstrual cycle irregularities, coarseness of the skin, impulsive closure of the epiphysis, hypertrophy of clitoris.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse stated that, the serious life threatening results of steroid abuse includes liver cancer, strokes and heart attacks. Addiction and depression are the other serious psychological problems. In some other cases, injection of steroids into the body with contaminated needles has created the risk of HIV and also other infections that are blood-borne.
The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports can never be justified. It is not only illegal but also morally at fault in that it is a violation of the virtues of trustworthiness and honesty and this goes on to hurt the integrity and fairness of competitive sport. Role model in the sports industry who use the drugs influence the young athletes to use them as they young people perceive it as the only way to achieve success. The values that should be taught by participation in sports or in a team include competition, dedication, cooperation and teamwork but instead, these values have been replaced by a single value which excelling at all costs.
The effect on the young people
The young people then are very willing to do anything at their disposal in order to excel. It seems as if the sports’ fans are accepting the performance-enhancing drugs just as they have been accepted in the fields of cosmetics, farming and in medicine. When professionals admit to using performance enhancing drugs, they young athletes tend to think that use of the drugs is what one must do in order to be an elite athlete. So as to save the young athletes from such notions, we should impart them with more positive influence while at the same time closing the false images that our culture sells to young people on who they ought or must be.
Currently, sports are doing very well without the supernatural athletes that had been in existence for centuries. Sports have become as popular as ever and as a result provide entertainment to many millions of people across the world. It has therefore been made clear to all the athletes that the use performance-enhancing drugs are a violation of the moral standards that are governing sports. The athletes are mostly admired for their ability and skills. Athletes should play and practice as hard as it is possible in order to be successful. The main question that some of the athletes should ask themselves is whether they would really want to harm their bodies and also tarnish their sports image so as to be successful.
Drug Free Sport New Zealand
Drug Free Sport New Zealand is the organization mandated with the duties of screening, protecting and advising our sports men and women on how to keep away from performance enhancing drugs in our country. The organization is headed by Michael Heron who is the chairman and under him is Graeme Steel the chief executive. The main objective of the DFSNZ is the promotion of international and national harmonization of the actions to be taken on doping. The body undertakes to: Minimize the trafficking of the substances used in doping and also the used of the doping agents, creating a national co-ordinating body, strengthening the doping controls and also improve the techniques of detection, ensuring the efficiency of penalties to be imposed on the offenders, collaborating with laboratories that are accredited with carrying out anti-doping tests, working hand in hand with other sports bodies at all levels.
Testing for performance enhancing drugs in athletes
For many years in New Zealand, sports drug testing was entirely based on the collection of samples. Even though urine remains to be the best medium to identify most substances that have been prohibited, blood testing has become a crucial additional source of information and DFSNZ has initiated the programme. Blood is directly used to detect substances like the human growth hormone and also used to set the natural parameters for the athletes. If they move outside the norms that they have set up over time, it is an indication and clear evidence that some doping may have taken place.
DFSNZ has faced a number of cases that are complicated and has necessitated that it works in conjunction with Medsafe Omega Investigation and also the international partners. Such is a case where a cyclist had imported substances that are prohibited and the matter needed to be dealt with quickly before the Commonwealth Games had tested our resources and systems to the full. In New Zealand, Cannabis has continued to be dominant in the findings of the DFSNZ testing programme. It is complicated because the athletes are not able to provide corroborated evidence to show that the drug was not actually taken to enhance performance.
The programmes that have been initiated by the DFSNZ run in two tracks which then intersect at some point. The first track is to raise the general awareness on the effects of performance enhancing drugs and also to that there is support for clean sports. New Zealand is a country that is generally a fertile territory for programmes such as this one. The second mandate of the DFSNZ is arguably more complicated and harder as it entails that trying to ensure that all those athletes who are tested are in a position to understand their responsibilities and also fully comply with them.
For the organization to carry out its task effectively, it needs to ensure that it connects with the athletes in a manner that they can well respond to. The testing programme by the DFSNZ has continued to identify very many athletes who are yet to adequately understand the rules. On this matter, cannabis has continued to provide a more challenging problem which in real sense is beyond the ability of a small organization to deal with. The DFSNZ has been able to make very strong contributions to the international anti-doping work. The organization must stay up with its role in terms of best practices in the anti-doping work. Even though there can never be all the expertise needed in New Zealand to continuously connect with the people who can offer assistance to us so that we can be at the leading edge, the DFSNZ should do all it can to counter the menace in our athletes.
Conclusions
The issues of drugs in sport have brought the question of integrity in the world of sport. It is unfair and unethical when some of the players are using performance-enhancing drugs while others are not. The players are tempted to use the drugs because they know that the better their performance is, the more money they are going to earn. This may be good for the athletes in the short-run but in the long-run, it will end up harming the athlete involved in the use of those drug and also spoil the competitive aspect of sports. It is for this reason that screening in sports should be emphasized and the New Zealand should not be left out in the battle of protecting sports. Athletes who are participating in games internationally including the Olympics always go through doping tests. If the war in doping is not won, the standards of sports will not survive as people will lose respect for the games.
Team analysis
Progress of the team
The team selected to develop the new park is clearly not likely to meet the target date for the planning of this project. The reason for this is that the team does not understand the goals they are supposed to attain. The team has no clear agreement and direction on the essential aspects of the project and no clear expectations have been shown by the chairperson from the members of the team. They have proven that there is no organization in the way they conduct themselves such that they do not have specific tasks to carry out for the planning.
All the members are involved in each other’s task and they are finding it difficult to come up with clear findings as each person wants the planning carried out in their own ways. If the team continues that way, they will take a lot of time on a single role which could quickly be taken care of if one or two people had been given the a single task to carry out the research and bring their findings on the table so that the way forward can be discussed.
Strengths and weaknesses of the team
The Railway Land Development Committee has exhibited some good qualities of a team such as open communication where the members are feeling free to express their opinions, thoughts and probable solutions to problems. The members have a feeling that they are being heard and listened to by the other members and they are attempting to understand. The team is comprised of members who are creative and innovative. These has helped the team to have different points of view and when a not so creative idea is put forward, the other members are able to pin point it and replace it immediately. Strength shown by the team is that the members have a powerful sense of belonging to the team. They exhibit a strong commitment to the decisions and actions to be taken by the team.
However the Railway Land Development Committee has its short comings and they have been the reasons as to why this team is not performing its duties as expected by the mayor. The team members do not seem to understand their roles properly and as such they lack the commitment to attaining the main aim of the committee. Leadership in the team has not been felt in leading the meetings, recording the decisions that have been made and also assignment of tasks. The leader of team does not seem to assess the progress, giving direction to the team and does not hold the members accountable. The team members do not make decisions together as every member is trying to push for their ideas while demeaning the ideas of other members
The Railway Land Development Committee does not seem to have some agreed upon procedures to diagnose, analyze and resolve the conflicts and problems of the team. Member personality clashes and conflicts have been brought in the discussions and the team members are not able to come up with a mutual resolution. It is also evident that the team does not examine itself so as to continuously improve its practices, processes and the team member interactions. At no time did the members discuss on the norms of the team and what may be a hindrance to ability to progress and move forward in areas of its efforts and strategies.
Improving the functioning of the team
Being in a team in a broader sense can be said to be as a result of having a feeling to be part of something that is larger than oneself. It has more to do with one’s understanding of the objectives and the missions of the team that one is in and as such, members are able to effectively contribute to the success of the team. The Railway Land Development Committee should have clear expectations which are communicated to the team members by the leader of the committee. The team members should also have a clear understanding of the reason as to why the team was created and should be willing to support the team with their time, attention, discussion and interest. The team members of the Railway Land Development Committee should be able to define their importance to the achievement of the corporate objectives and goals.
The whole team should understand where its mandate fits in the whole context of organizing its goals, visions, principles and values. The team members of the Railway Land Development Committee should be committed to accomplish the mission of the team and its expected outcomes. They should have an anticipation to be recognized for their contributions in the planning of the project. They should also have an expectation for their skills to develop and grow on the team. If the team members put all that in mind, the functioning of the Railway Land Development Committee will with no doubt experience remarkable improvements.
Stage development of the team
The team in some way has remained to be stagnant at the starting point stage which is as a result of poor organization. Due to lack of clear roles by the members, most of them have been channeling their efforts at the same place and resulting to lack of development in the team’s task to plan for the park. Poor leadership has also attributed to the slow action of the development committee as the team members do not have the direction in which to follow. The strategies to achieving the goals of the team are also not clearly outlined for the team members. Without proper strategies of achieving objectives, little can be done and it results to disorganization.
Leadership, leadership style and implications
Leadership has been defined as the process of social authority whereby a person is able to join the support and aid of others so as to accomplish a common goal. Leadership style on the other hand is the style of a leader to provide implementation plans, directions and motivating the people under him or her. There are three main leadership styles and they include: Authoritarian or autocratic, Free Reign or Delegative, Participative or democratic.
Authoritarian style is utilized when the leaders tell their workers what they would want to be done and also how they would want it to be done without getting any advice from their followers. The appropriate situations to use this kind of style is where the leader has all the information on solving a problem, when there is limited time and the workers are well motivated. Some people have a perception that this style is an avenue for yelling, leading by threats, use of demeaning language and abuse of power. This cannot be referred to be the authoritarian style but an unprofessional style known as bossing people around and has no place in leadership styles. Authoritarian style of leadership should only be used in few occasions. If there is plenty of time, participative style should be utilized so as to attain motivation and more commitment from the workers.
Participative style of leadership involves the leader utilizing one or more workers in the process of decision making even though the leader makes the final decision. The use of this style can be mistaken for weakness but it is a strength that workers will respect. Participative style is used where the leader has part of the information and the employees have the rest. Use of this style is beneficial in that it allows employees to part on the team while it allows the leader to make better and informed decisions.
Delegative style is a situation where the leader allows workers under him/her to make decisions but still the leader is responsible for the decisions made by the workers. The style is used when the workers have the ability to analyze situations and make decisions of what is supposed to be done. Delegative style is not used so that the leader can blame other workers when there is a problem but is used when the leader has full confidence and trust in the employees working under him/her. The leadership should however be used wisely to avoid mistakes.
References
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Waddington, I. (2000). Sports, Health and Drugs. Critical Socialogical Perspective .
William, T. N. (2002). Anabolic Steriods and the Athlete. McFarland.
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