The Athlete's Ethical Dilemmas In Sport

Athletes on all levels, from the amateur high school softball player to the professional cyclist or baseball player, face ethical dilemmas regarding his or her performance on a daily basis. The more competitive the sport, the more pressure there is on these athletes to perform and surpass his or her opponents. When faced with a decision to participate in something that may be classified as technically within the law and could result in an enhanced physical performance, the dilemma posed for such athletes is whether the risk of failure in his or her performance would outweigh the risk of being drug tested and found ineligible to compete. This paper will examine the athlete’s ethical dilemma according to my Christian worldview.

Ethical Dilemma

This case involves Paul, a young successful athlete. Through hard work in the weight room and on the field, Paul has earned a starting position on his team. There are members on Paul’s team who have been experimenting with a new performance enhancing drug which have yielded seemingly successful results. Paul acknowledges that although this is a drug, the same has not listed as a banned substance. Thus, because this drug is considered untraceable and would not show up, should the team members be drug tested—a fact that Paul’s fellow team members remind him of. His fellow teammates also seem to hold the perspective that that because they have been winning, their coach although aware of their drug use, has turned a blind eye to its use. Paul wants to continue to progress in his performance and is cognizant of the possibility that when compared with the enhanced performance of his fellow team members, his performance may not measure up and his standing in the team would be jeopardized. After being told by his coach that changes may be taking place and that Paul may lose his position with the team, Paul is now left with the dilemma of whether to accept a fellow teammate’s offer to try the performance enhancing drug or, refuse and risk losing his standing position on the team.
Core Beliefs
The tenth commandment says, “You shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17). Paul’s desire for continued progression in his performance level so that he can maintain his standing is the conscious comparison of himself to his fellow teammates. Thus, this is covetous ideation. Whether these are the teammates that are using the performance enhancing drugs or those who choose to train without drugs. This is still Paul’s covet of what his neighbor has and thus, from a Christian worldview, a disobedience to God’s laws.
Humanity was created in the image of God, but because Adam and Eve, desired to usurp their place as designed by God to that of God’s equal, this resulted in the temptation in the Garden of Eden and cursed humanity with original sin (DiVincenzo, A.

(Ed.). (2014). Much like Adam and Eve, Paul desires to be equal to that of his fellow teammates and go against his natural design of his place on the team. This desire exemplifies the sinful nature of mankind.

Resolution

To hold to the ethical and moral values of a Christian worldview, we find that Paul should proceed in truth. Scripture found in Proverbs relates to the need for an individual to restrain and refrain from evil, for one to stand firm in their faith. Through such stance, all is possible, including successful performance in athletic sport. Scripture in Proverbs says, “Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.” (Proverbs 4:26-27)

Because Paul has attained his standing in the team without performance enhancing drugs, he should continue this path of honesty and integrity to maintain his position with the team. Although his fellow teammate offered the performance enhancing drug, despite the friendly gesture of teammate to teammate, Paul should refuse such

offer.
Evaluation
An unintended consequence of a decision by Paul to continue without the performance enhancing drug would be the possibility of being ostracized by his fellow teammates for not choosing to take the drugs or, his demotion and placement on a lower position on the team.

Holding true to obedience of God’s laws and proceeding with honesty and integrity may jeopardize Paul’s standing; however, such is the cost of being true to one’s faith and the Christian worldview (DiVincenzo, 2014).

To be a disciple of Jesus, an individual must “…give up being the king of their own kingdom.” (DiVincenzo, 2014). This means that Paul would have to choose to do things that Jesus would do, that he would have to consider Jesus’ priorities. According to Hiles and Smith (2014), This would require choosing to be humble over one’s pride (DiVincenzo, 2014).

An article written in 2012, details that while taking performance enhancing drugs improves athletic performance, it does not improve relative performance, especially if other athletes are also using similar enhancing drugs (Chwang, 2012). Therefore, even if Paul were to decide to accept his fellow teammates offer of drugs, there is no guaranty that he would perform better or that he would hold on to his standing in the team. Alternatively, if Paul were to accept the offer to use the performance enhancing drugs he would then be exposed to the harmful effects of such drug use. Chwang study postulates that there is the key question to consider of whether

such performance enhancing drug use would shrink versus expand an athlete’s opportunities (Chwang, 2012).
Comparison
In choosing this path of refusal to participate in the use of performance enhancing drugs, from a Christian perspective, Paul may not be the best player in the team, but will receive reward through his obedience to God’s laws. From the perspective of a non-Christian, because the drugs are not technically a banned substance and there is little chance that he will be sanctioned from playing his sport, he should sample it. Perhaps this opinion is drawn that if such performance enhancing drugs will do just that, enhance, then there is no harm in its use. An article written by Veber discusses the coercion argument against performance enhancing drugs and presents the difference between lifting the ban on use of these drugs and making its use a requirement to participate in a sport (Veber, 2014). This would result in the individual choice made by an athlete.
Conclusion
For Paul, choosing a path that may lead him through to a seemingly successful athletic experience, but only through the use of performance enhancing drugs is too easy. This would involve the dishonesty of self in the use of drugs to become something and perform in a way that was unnatural and not intended in his original design by God. Questioning whether the gains of performance outweighs the risk of his health through the introduction of metabolic performance drugs goes hand in hand with the question of whether the lack of integrity is reflective of Paul as a Christian.