Atchinson, B. (1992). Cheating in sports. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

Cheating is now expected in sports. Athletes try to win by using steroids and by cheating on drug tests. Rules are no longer guidelines for the game but rather barriers to be overcome. Cheating has become a game within the games.

Ben Johnson of Canada, who won a gold medal at Seoul Olympics and then lost it after testing positive to steroid use, might be the most well known cheater but he is not the only one. A year and half later at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, three weightlifters were disqualified and barred from competition after testing positive to steroid use. In all, they won and then gave up a total of seven medals.

Officials are not optimistic about the future of drug cheating in sports. Realistically, they know that testing must become a regular part of every athlete’s permanent record. This type of cheating is not only hazardous to the health of the athletes but runs against every notion of fair competition. It hurts fans, destroys self and national pride, and affects children and teenagers who admire winning athletes.

So why do they cheat? The rewards of winning by cheating are financial gain and fame. These seem to be more important to some athletes than the consequences of getting caught: financial fines and an infamous reputation. Australian Senator John Black, who investigated the Commonwealth athletes, said, "they have learned nothing from Seoul." He continues, "Drug-taking is so sophisticated these days that unless they are dumb or have been given the wrong advice by coaches, athletes should know their clearance time—the time it takes for an illegal substance not to be traced. Ben Johnson tested negative 17 times before he got caught, yet said he used steroids the whole time."

There are other ways to cheat in sports. During a marathon, it is faster and a whole lot easier to win if one takes the subway instead of running the entire course. There are always unsportsmanlike moves that debilitate, temporarily or permanently, an opposing player. Gambling on or against your own team has its well-known hero in Pete Rose. Fixing games or point spreads for cash instead of glory has brought down many an athlete. Cheating abounds in sports and sports heroes.

Fortunately, most of the cases we hear about end with some kind of attempted justice. Athletes lose their medal; managers are banned from the Hall of Fame. The loss of points and yards or the gain of time penalty boxes all offer, at least, symbolic credence to values of fair play.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What are some of ways cheating enters into elementary age sports?
2. Does teaching kids early how to ‘push the rules’ eventually lead to the breaking of rules and cheating?
3. How do little avoidances or ‘cheatings’ in sport reflect on our daily lives?
4. From where does the pressure come to win at all costs?

IMPLICATIONS

1. Cheating has become a game in and of itself. Punishments are seen as risks of being caught. The goal of many athletes is still to win or to get rich with as little real effort as possible.
2. Fair play is a concept that makes competition worthwhile. It is a concept we easily forget to teach to high school athletes.
3. Teenagers need guidance in visualizing the long- and short-term results of cheating. With a teenager, list the "pros" and "cons" of using drugs to improve performance. Rate each of the benefits and consequences on a scale of 1 to 10. Add the points in each column to show the teenager his or her own values concerning cheating in sports.