This week is UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) Clean Sport Week!
The theme this year is ‘Teamwork in Clean Sport’ and it’s so important for us at Stirling RFC to create a positive culture and support our athletes to play and win fairly.
Behind each of our athletes is a whole team who support them to perform at their best. Everyone from family to coaches to physiotherapists all play a crucial role in building a positive culture around our athletes to give them the confidence they need to play and win fairly.
Head Coach Eddie Pollock speaks of this positive culture stating:
“We spend a lot of time on developing our culture at Stirling Wolves. Honesty was identified as a key attribute for everyone in the squad to have. Honesty allows us to develops trust in each other both on and off the field, which combined with a high work ethic will drive performance upwards. This hopefully allows us to strive to be the best version of ourselves.”
Our players Ryan Southern and Benedict Grant left some comments on what Teamwork in Clean Sport means for them.
Ryan Southern (centre position) said that:
“Competing in Clean Sport is essential at any level as it creates a level playing field. This means no shortcuts to performance can be taken but rather worked for and earned. Athletes need to be educated on this as it promotes good work ethic, and more often than not, playing longevity.
Making the correct decisions is incredibly important and for this we have our strength and conditioning coach Luke Guerin who is great at advising us on diet and supplement choices. Without him, players would have to do their own research which can sometimes be very inconsistent, so that makes the world of difference.”
Benedict Grant (back row position) spoke about the importance of education regarding nutrition and clean products:
“Educating and developing young athletes on their nutrition and supplement intake is a massive part of the game. Making sure we are all taking registered and clean products ensures the correct protocols are in measure.
As a team, with the help of our Strength and Conditioning coach, we are able to ensure all the products we are taking are above board and good quality.
Stirling County, as an organisation, is open and honest about the fact that nothing will ever come easy. We work hard on and off the field to ensure that every person is fulfilling to the best of their ability. Eddie, Scotty, Hodgey and Luke all work tirelessly to create an environment where hard work is celebrated and cutting corners is irrelevant when it comes to the makeup of our team DNA!”
Find out whats on for the UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) national awareness week here >> https://www.ukad.org.uk/clean-sport-week-2023
