Peter Donnelly, professor emeritus of sociology of sport, and Marcus Mazzucco, adjunct lecturer in sports law at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, recently penned an article in The Conversation about the need to recognize children as a protected class in sport. Below, we share an excerpt from their article.
Imagine this scenario: a 15-year-old child is caught consuming cannabis in public and is charged with an offence. If the child is found guilty, the court has discretion to order an absolute discharge to avoid convicting the child, or to convict the child but excuse the payment of a fine under certain conditions. There would be a publication ban to protect the identity of the child.
But what if the child is an athlete caught consuming cannabis for social purposes at a sport competition, in violation of anti-doping rules?
If proven, the athlete would be automatically disqualified from the competition and they would be presumptively banned from sport for two years. There would be no publication ban to protect the child athlete’s identity from media scrutiny.
These scenarios illustrate the lack of protection for child athletes in sport, compared to other aspects of society. Similar examples contrasting children’s treatment in and outside of sport can be found in investigations of maltreatment and age limits for risky activities that are intended to prevent mental and physical harms.
With the Paris Olympics approaching, questions will again be raised about child athletes competing at major international competitions. This presents an opportunity for those in amateur and professional sports to work toward protecting the safety and well-being of child athletes.