Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Cheating in Sports: An Alarming Number of Players & Fans Say Go For It

Cheating in Sports: An Alarming Number of Players & Fans Say Go For It

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jul 26, 2016

No Comments

Have you ever driven your car over the speed limit?  Chances are you have if you have been driving awhile, and when you made the choice to speed you balanced the risk (potential greater risk for injury, or possibly a ticket) for reward (arriving at your destination more quickly).  In sports, athletes experience a unique “risk vs. reward” when deciding whether to use performance enhancing drugs (PED’s) — the risks include personal harm, or a penalty from the league for cheating; but the perceived rewards are better athletic returns, leading to longer and more lucrative contracts.

Research study findings

A recent Yahoo survey asked fans what they would do if they were athletes in a similar situation — would they take PED’s if they were a career minor league player and could make $15 million per year in the big leagues by cheating?  The findings of the poll revealed that roughly 30% of fans who responded indicated they would use PED’s to make it to the Major League.   Does this number surprise you?  What would you do?

This is not the first poll ever conducted to gauge the likelihood of using illegal PED’s, as many surveys have asked athletes directly the same question, and the results have been similar.  In fact, one sport psychology text I used to teach from revealed that nearly 2/3 of Olympic athletes would take a drug if it guaranteed them a gold medal — even if the side effects might kill them.  It appears winning and success are more important than integrity for some athletes (and fans as well as revealed from the Yahoo poll).

These findings might also be a precursor to future Hall of Fame elections with more fans becoming desensitized (and perhaps even developing sympathy?) for players like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens, to name a few.  To date, baseball players suspected of using PED’s from the “steroid era” have been largely shut out by the Hall, but that may be changing.

Cheating in sports comes in different ways

Cheating in sports has become confusing on many levels these days.  Are athletes who use drugs like Adderall cheating (psychostimulants have been found to help with focus, a key part of sport success)? Some athletes fake the symptoms of ADHD (remarkably easy to do by the way) just so they can acquire an Adderall prescription and improve athletic performance.  And what about athletes who have corrective eye surgery and end up with better than 20/20 vision, or others who have procedures like Tommy John surgery before they even need it in order to build muscle strength?  Drugs, it appears, are just one way to cheat in sports.

Conclusion

According to surveys, cheating in sports appears to be approved by more athletes (and fans) than what might have been thought, and the means in which athletes cheat goes well beyond PED’s.  Unfortunately, kids pick up on the temptation to risk cheating in order to improve chances for the reward of possibly playing better, making it that much more important that we as parents and coaches have regular, ongoing talks with our kids about these issues and encourage them to play safely and with integrity.

www.drstankovich.com

 

cheating, Coaching, integrity, psychology, sport, sportsmanship

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • June 5, 2023 What is Happening to Recreation Youth Sports in America?
  • May 23, 2023 Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • May 16, 2023 Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • May 10, 2023 Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • May 4, 2023 Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

The Athlete’s Mind: AROUSAL CONTROL

NEXT POST

Smart Strategies to Help Your Child Maximize the Sport Experience

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Coaching , College , Eligibility , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , Mental Toughness , NCAA , Off Field Issues , Prep , Pro , Pro and College Sports , Social Responsibility , Sport Philosophy , Sport Psychology , Sport Sociology , Sports Administrators , Sports Culture and Society , Sports Leadership , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Sports Safety , Training and Development , Uncategorized , Violations , Youth and Interscholastic Sports

Tags

cheating, Coaching, integrity, psychology, sport, sportsmanship

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • What is Happening to Recreation Youth Sports in America?
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓