New Anti-Doping e-Learning Courses Launched for Coaches and Higher-Level Athletes 

More than 5000 NZ athletes and support personnel received anti-doping education in 2016, with an increasing number choosing to complete clean sport education online.

The overwhelming success of Drug Free Sport NZ’s (DFSNZ) Level One e-learning programme has been the perfect platform from which to launch two new modules, one for coaching personnel and a Level Two initiative for those who have previously received anti-doping education.

DFSNZ Chief Operating Officer Scott Tibbutt says the two new programmes are designed to educate coaching staff and high performance athletes on anti-doping.

“The Coaches module is specifically designed to inform coaches of their anti-doping responsibilities while also providing practical suggestions for creating clean sporting environments for their athletes,” Mr Tibbutt says.

“Some of the biggest influencers in an athlete’s life are their support team, which includes coaches, managers, strength and conditioning trainers, nutritionists and physios. All of these people have a vital role to play, including providing a ‘clean’ environment in which to train and supervising the choices that athletes make in terms of competing clean.

"The Coaches e-learning programme only takes 25 minutes to complete via the DFSNZ website, and we are encouraging national sporting organisations to make their staff at all levels, aware of the programme,” he says.

The other course available is the Level Two e-learning programme. This has been designed for those athletes and their support personnel who have previously received anti-doping education, either through a DFSNZ seminar or the Level One e-learning course, and need a refresher.

Level Two is complimentary to the award-winning Level One e-learning programme which has enjoyed huge success. Level Two goes more in-depth about anti-doping and features new videos and challenging case studies.

Mr Tibbutt says the sporting community being able to access clean sport education anytime, anywhere is another tool in the fight to keep sport clean.

“Every athlete or athlete support person with a mobile device or computer can access this anti-doping information,” he says.

“Our hope is that the New Zealand sporting community will get behind our e-learning programmes and encourage all of their members, staff and stakeholders to complete the courses.”

DFSNZ is the country’s national anti-doping organisation tasked with helping athletes understand the importance of clean sport, educate them about their rights and responsibilities, as well as carrying out a comprehensive testing and investigations programme.

The DFSNZ Level Two and Coaches e-learning programmes are months in the making and involve collaboration with Kineo Pacific.

To view DFSNZ’s new e-learning programmes, please click here.