Unit 2 Writing 1 and 2

Running Head: SPORT ETHICS 1

Sport Administrative Issue: Sport Ethics

Trae’Von Clavo

Belhaven University

MSA 670

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Sport Administrative Issue: Sport Ethics

The readings from the Costa article and class reading has outlined various sport

administrative issues in sports ethics such as ethics and morals, sources and moderators of ethical

decision making, ethical principles for sports and recreation, human interaction, agent

accountability, and rendering of moral judgment. Various aspects of ethics have been addressed

in the second chapter of the class reading, and the issue of ethical issues in sports administration

has been widely discussed. According to Andrew, Pedersen, & McEvoy (2019), values such as

sportsmanship, integrity, and a strong work ethic remain the top goals for professional teams and

individual athletes. They claim that when these value judgments are faltered, serious

consequences may follow, such as league penalty, and public ire. Costa (2005) has also argued

that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is one of the major ethical concerns in

contemporary society. Other authors have also claimed that understanding how ethics impact

professional sports is essential to a successful career in sports administration due to the severity

of penalties and fines that can be levied when ethical rules are broken. This paper aims to discuss

ethical concerns in sports administration and its impacts on athletes and sports administration

when they are broken.

Sports administration is highly concerned with ethics in sports administration as there

have been increasing cases of the misuse of ethical behavior guidelines in professional sports.

There are several bodies which are responsible for governing how the athletes should conduct

behave on and off the field. For instance, USA Basketball is governed by the NBA and the

International Olympic Committee, which oversee the winter games. Some of the potential ethical

concerns in football include diversity, pay for play, gambling, and performance-enhancing drugs.

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The aspect of diversity is a severe issue in sports administration as many countries record

increasing cases of discrimination as the minority groups are undermined of their rights, and they

are also facing racial discrimination as well as prejudice. In recent years, public scrutiny has

turned to diversity among coaches, and other support staff, meaning franchise must now be

cautious with issues regarding gender and racial diversity.

Other ethical concerns in sports administration are the issue of pay for play as many

college athletes are forced to pay their coaches to be granted a chance to participate in sports.

Besides, some schools must also pay a certain amount of money before they are allowed to

participate in sports. Other ethical concerns such as gambling have also developed root in sports

administration as many gambling firms have emerged in the country forcing sports

administration and athletes to face hefty penalties and public ire when they break ethical

guidelines. Ethics in sports administration is also evidenced in performance-enhancing drugs as

many famous athletes such as Lance Armstrong and Andre Agassi report the use of drugs to

enhance their performance. How sports administration handles these situations deeply affect

public perception. Athletes use steroids to improve their performance while others inject their

bodies with oxygenated blood and blood doping. These are techniques which undermine the

spirit of sport by threatening the health of the athlete.

Based on these discussions, it is clear that sport managers have a critical role to play in

sport ethics. For instance, coaches should be at the forefront of setting team culture. When

coaches discuss the effects of doping with team members, they can easily influence the behavior

of those working under them. Besides, an athlete who is found guilty of violating ethical

guidelines should be fined heavily as a way of shaping public perception.

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This topic is relevant because it is one of the issues that affect athletes and sports

administrators currently. With the increasing rate of technology, there has been a significant

increase in using performance-enhancing drugs and gambling. These are challenges which are

not only characterized by athletes but also the sports administrators thereby making it more

relevant.

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References

Andrew, D. P., Pedersen, P. M., & McEvoy, C. D. (2019). Research methods and design in sport

management. Human Kinetics.

Costa, C. A. (2005). The status and future of sport management: A Delphi study. Journal of

Sport Management, 19(2), 117-142.