Ethical Issues in Sports

Ethical issues in sports are a major factor in determining the success or failure of an athletic program. For athletic directors and other members of sports leadership, it's essential to understand the ethics involved with sports and know how to react when an issue arises.

Why Are Ethics Important in the Sports World?

The sports industry is a major player in the American economy. Statista reports that in 2022, the five major professional sports leagues in the U.S. received more than $6.1 billion in sponsorship revenue.¹ And that isn't even including the profits generated by college leagues – the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) raked in approximately $1.14 billion in 2022 from March Madness alone.²

With this enormous flow of revenue comes high stakes for everyone involved with sports, from players to coaches, trainers, athletic directors and team owners. Those high stakes can lead to increased temptation to make questionable decisions and take unethical actions in order to secure a win.

In Major League Baseball (MLB), for example, sign stealing is an unethical action sometimes taken by teams to gain an upper hand. Baseball teams use hand signals, or signs, to communicate with members of their team. While it's understandable that players could learn another team's signs by paying close attention, using any type of technology to steal a team's signs is illegal in baseball.

In 2017, the MLB discovered that the Houston Astros had participated in unethical sign stealing throughout the season. The Astros were fined $5 million and lost their first and second year draft picks for two years. Some of the individuals involved also faced consequences – Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and another manager, A.J. Hinch, were both suspended.³

This is just one example of why ethics are so important in the sports world. After all, athletic events aren't just a major moneymaker – they're also a main source of entertainment for people around the world. Sports bring people together, whether they're facing off on the field, cheering from the stands or watching from home. At the heart of a love for sports is the belief in one central ethical principle: Every team or individual should play by the same rules.

What Are Common Ethics Issues in Sports?

While ethical issues in sports can be diverse and vary between sports programs and leagues, some challenges are common across the spectrum. These include:

• Performance enhancing drugs: When athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs such as steroids or human growth hormones, they gain an unfair advantage over others. While such enhancements are banned by professional and scholastic leagues, drugs that improve athletic performance continue to be a major ethical issue in sports.⁴

• Discrimination: Discrimination based race, gender, religion, ethnicity and other factors is illegal. Unfortunately, people who hold prejudices and implicit biases still attempt to practice discrimination in many industries, including sports.⁵ All those involved have a responsibility to watch for and report discriminatory practices.

• Corruption and bribery: Money can be a major motivator for anyone, and it's no different for professionals in the sports industry. However, accepting bribes, fixing games and other forms of corruption are unethical and negatively impact the sports world and all those involved in it

• Harassment: Physical, verbal, sexual, emotional and mental harassment cannot be tolerated at any level of the sports industry. Harassment between athletes, between players and coaches and from fans may not happen often, but sport managers need to be prepared for these situations when they arise. Allowing harassment to go unchecked is an ethical issue that stands in the way of a healthy environment for all those involved.

Examining Ethical Issues in College Sports

Some ethical issues are more common in college athletics than in other levels of the sports industry. The high-pressure environment of college sports can lead players, coaches and others to make poor ethical decisions when it comes to:

• Academic integrity: High expectations are placed on student athletes. They have to balance their studies with a demanding athletic schedule that includes mandatory exercise sessions, practices, games and other events. Unfortunately, on some occasions, athletes, coaches and even professors make the unethical decision to cheat or falsify grades so that an athlete can play in an important game or tournament.⁵

• Retaliation or silencing victims: When a person comes forward to report discrimination, harassment or violence, it's important to listen, investigate their claims and take any action necessary to remedy the situation. However, some college sports programs have chosen protect transgressors and silence or even retaliate against victims. This is unethical and damaging to not only the victim, but the entire program.⁵

• Sports gambling: When coaches and athletes participate in sports gambling, they create a conflict of interest. If an individual would gain money from their own team losing a game, they may be tempted to throw the game on purpose to help themselves. This is why college sports programs don't allow gambling by people involved with the game – but in some cases, it still happens under the table. This causes an ethical issue that can lead to severe disciplinary action.⁵

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Ethical Issues in Youth Sports

Adolescent athletes require thoughtful guidance and support when they participate in sports. Ethical adults who model positive attitudes toward competition and fair play are essential to these developing athletes. Sports have great potential to teach important life lessons, but these ethical issues can get in the way:

• Parental interference: Parents want what is best for their children, but sometimes, the instinct to protect and support their children can lead them to become pushy when it comes to sports involvement. When parental interference with sports teams influences coaching decisions, it can create an unfair playing field for young athletes.⁵

• Gender inequality: Despite the changes implemented by Title IX, gender inequality still exists in school sports. Some adolescent girls still report having fewer opportunities to take part in sports than adolescent boys, and some programs for girls are still inadequately funded and receive less support and recognition. Additionally, young people who identify as transgender continue to face barriers when it comes to participating on sports teams.⁵

• Bullying and hazing: Bullying and hazing are unfortunately common for adolescents. It's essential for athletic directors and others in the department to be vigilant and have clear and comprehensive plans to prevent and stop bullying and hazing among their athletes.⁵

Ethical Issues in Hiring for Sports Positions

While ethical issues in the sports world often center on athletes, it's just as important to scrutinize hiring practices for coaches, sports managers, athletic directors and other positions. Unethical hiring practices can result in legal ramifications as well as damage to a team's reputation. Legal and ethical issues involved with hiring for sports positions can include:

• Discrimination: Laws exist to prevent discrimination in hiring, but that doesn't mean illegal actions don't still occur. It's important for anyone involved with hiring to ensure they're following all regulations when it comes to choosing candidates for a position. Often, anonymizing applications can help organizations ensure they are following the law and avoiding discrimination in hiring.⁶

• Referral practices: Many organizations, including sports programs, incentivize employees to refer others who may be a good fit for a role. In many cases, employee referrals lead to positive outcomes for both new employees and the organization itself. However, it's essential to make sure the use of referrals is ethically and legally sound and doesn't promote favoritism or discrimination. Using a scoring rubric during interviews and asking all candidates the same questions, regardless of their referral status, can help ensure legal and ethical use of referrals.⁶

Dealing With Ethical Dilemmas in Sports

Conscientious coaches, athletic directors and other administrators can promote ethically driven sports programs by being prepared to handle ethical issues when they occur. Instead of shying away from the challenges, it's essential for those involved in sports leadership to set the example by facing ethical issues head-on.

While each situation is different, the step-by-step process below can help you navigate an ethical dilemma in your athletic program.⁷

1. Take every complaint or report seriously. Never attempt to silence whistleblowers who are reporting on unethical actions taking place in your program.

2. Learn everything you can about the ethical issue. Talk with everyone involved to ensure you know all of the facts before proceeding.

3. Refer to local, state and federal regulations regarding the issue. If there are laws pertaining to the ethics issue at hand, consult your organization's attorney about the proper next steps.

4. Discuss the issue with other stakeholders. Notify any other professionals necessary, including the athletic director and other members of your organization's leadership team.

5. Develop a plan to remedy the issue. With other stakeholders and, if needed, a legal representative, determining what steps should be taken to address the ethical issue at hand.

6. Implement your plan, including any necessary disciplinary actions. This step may involve implementing an improvement plan or even dismissing the athletes or personnel who took unethical action.

7. Follow-up with everyone involved. Ensure that all stakeholders, including the person who reported the incident, is aware that action has been taken. This is also the time to reflect on the process you followed and make any necessary improvements on your process for the next time your program faces ethical issues.

How to Be an Ethical Sports Leader

The field of athletic leadership delivers many challenges, but it also offers great opportunities to those who are passionate about sports and committed to ethical practices and fair play. To gain the necessary skills and expertise, aspiring sports leaders can benefit from degree programs that specialize in athletic administration.

Ohio University's Online Master of Sports Administration is the top online sports management graduate program in the U.S. as of 2023.⁸ Request more information today to discover how Ohio University’s online program supports graduates in becoming ethical sports leaders who run healthy, thriving athletic departments.

Sources

1. Statista. "Sponsorship revenue of the major sports leagues in the United States in 2022." Feb. 2023. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1380768/sponsorship-revenue-sports-leagues-usa/
2. Investopedia. "How Much Does the NCAA Make Off March Madness?" June 8, 2023. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/031516/how-much-does-ncaa-make-march-madness.asp
3. PBS. "Sign Stealing in Baseball Dates Back to the 19th Century. Here’s Why the Houston Astros Sign Stealing Was Different." Oct. 3, 2023. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/sign-stealing-baseball-history/
4. ThoughtCo. "Sports Ethics and Our Society." Feb. 5, 2019. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.thoughtco.com/sport-ethics-2670391
5. Case IQ. "Why Ethics in Sports Should Be Your Organization’s Top Priority." Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.caseiq.com/resources/why-ethics-in-sports-should-be-your-organizations-top-priority/
6. Society for Human Resource Management. "What Are Some Common Ethical Dilemmas that HR Professionals Face During the Recruiting Process?" Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/ethicaldilemmashrprofessionalsface.aspx
7. Play By the Rules. "The Big Picture - Ethical Decision Making in Sport." Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.playbytherules.net.au/got-an-issue/integrity-in-sport/what-can-you-do/ethical-decision-making
8. College Rank. "Top 20 Online Best Sports Management Graduate Programs." Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023 from https://www.collegerank.net/best-online-sports-management-masters-degree-programs/

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