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OUA performance enhancing drugs education task force issues final report
TORONTO - The Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) Education Task Force issued its final report on Tuesday, June 28, in conjunction with the release of the final report by Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) Task Force, on the use of PEDs in Football. The OUA report makes 16 recommendations concerning PED education across all sports, and is based on extensive data obtained from a survey of Athletic Directors across OUA.
The OUA Task Force is chaired by Bob Copeland, University of Waterloo Director of Athletics, who was also cross-appointed as a member of the CCES Task Force along with University of Windsor Director of Athletics and OUA President, Gord Grace.
"A more rigorous, targeted, and continuing PED educational program is called for," said Copeland. "The recommendations of the OUA Task Force must be part of a fully integrated strategy with more testing and policy enhancements led by the CCES."
Grace agrees, and expressed he is "encouraged that the CCES Task Force has worked closely with the OUA Task Force leadership and has expressed support for the OUA recommendations."
Key recommendations include mandatory PED educational training for coaches and other medical personnel, expanded and improved PED education for student-athletes, robust policies to deal with rumours about PED use, better control and regulation of performance nutrition supplements, and the need to begin PED education in high school curriculum.
Copeland acknowledged his fellow Task Force members, "who have brought tremendous insight, expertise, and credibility to this process." These experts include: Richard McLaren, Interim Dean of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law, who is a member and arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland and a key architect of the Mitchell Report on Steroids in Major League Baseball; Dr. Ira Jacobs, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto; Steve Lidstone, Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, McMaster University; Wendy Dobbin, Director of the National Coaching Institute & Athlete Services for the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario; Neil MacKenzie, Manager of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, as well as a CCES Doping Control Officer; and Samantha Magalas, Sport Development Officer for OUA.
In addition to the members of the Task Force, several external subject matter experts were consulted including Mr. Donald Hooton, President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, and Travis Tygart, Chief Executive Officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency; both organizations were cited in the final report for their leadership in PED education in the United States.
OUA Executive Director Ward Dilse acknowledged the significant contribution of the Task Force members. "The OUA is proud of the quality of this report and the important recommendations brought forward for the sake of the health of our student-athletes, the integrity of our league, and the reputation of the universities these students represent."
Click here for the final report, including the results of the OUA PED Education Survey.
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