2023 Canada Winter Games

Clean Sport at the PEI 2023 Canada Winter Games

 

 

Introduction

Congratulations on your participation in the 2023 Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island!

Athletes and athlete support personnel participating in the Games are subject to the rules of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), which comes with certain rights and responsibilities.

Athletes may be selected for doping control – that is, have samples of urine and/or blood are collected and tested for prohibited substances, so they should be diligent about what medications and supplements they’re taking.

Athlete support personnel, like coaches, trainers, medical support personnel, and administrators, should know how to support athletes through every step of the doping control process and avoid other prohibited behaviours.

Parents, guardians, and other caregivers should support their child as they step up to compete on the national stage, help them navigate a complex anti-doping system and ensure their rights are respected and they fulfill their responsibilities.

And for everybody, it means staying true to your values whether you’re in training, coaching, cheering, in the locker room, competing, or in the stands. Be clear about which principles drive you and ensure the 2023 Canada Winter Games is truly a positive sport experience.

The Clean Sport 5

Key clean sport messages can be summed up in five simple steps:

Many common prescription and over-the-counter medications (e.g., ADHD medications, asthma puffers, insulin, cough and cold medicine) can contain substances that are prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and are on the  Prohibited List.

Use Global DRO to determine the status of any medication or substance you are considering taking. A search by the 8-digit DIN will return the most accurate result. Remember, Global DRO does not include supplements.

Use the Medical Exemption Wizard to determine:

  • Whether you need to apply for a medical exemption,
  • Where to download the correct forms,
  • The application requirements, including what goes in your medical file, and
  • When to apply for an exemption. 

Despite being legal for adults in Canada, cannabis, specifically THC, is still prohibited in sport.

THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is prohibited in competition, meaning if you test positive for it during the competition period, you may receive an anti-doping rule violation. Using cannabis out of competition can still cause a positive test in competition because it’s stored in the body and released over time.

CBD is not prohibited, but CBD products can contain THC and have resulted in positive doping control tests. 

These are the risk minimization questions you need to ask any time you are considering a supplement:

  • Are they necessary?
  • Can you get what you need through diet?
  • Has Health Canada or the FDA put out a warning or a recall on the product?
  • How sure are you that they’re safe?
  • Have they been tested by a reliable third-party batch testing program?

If it’s important to you to be fair, to pursue excellence, to be inclusive, and to have fun - then express it! Use your voice, lead by example, and consider getting involved in True Sport to help spread the message to your peers and the next generation of athletes.

Education

Athletes and athlete support personnel going to the Games have a mandatory education requirement so that all participants know what’s expected of them, and what to expect if they are selected for doping control!

Values-Based Education

In the sport context, we define values-based education as an educational approach that places the development of an individual’s personal values and principles at the heart of their sport experience. Learn more about values based education.

Athletes

Using the PDF invitation you were provided by email, sign up for an account in the CCES Online Learning Portal and complete one of the following courses, depending on your eligibility.

Thumbnail image of True Sport Clean Next Gen

True Sport Clean: Next Gen

Athletes under the age of 17 who are new to our system will complete True Sport Clean: Next Gen.

Thumbnail image of True Sport Clean 2023

True Sport Clean

Athletes 17 and older doing a CCES e-learning course for the first time (or who haven’t done a course in over a year) will complete True Sport Clean.

The True Sport Clean Review

Returning learners (i.e., who completed a True Sport Clean course in 2022) will complete The True Sport Clean Review.

Athlete Support Personnel

Using the PDF invitation you were provided by email, sign up for an account in the CCES Online Learning Portal and complete one of the following True Sport Clean courses, depending on your eligibility, and The Role of Athlete Support Personnel.

True Sport Clean

Athlete Support Personnel doing a CCES e-learning course for the first time (or who haven’t done a course in over a year) will complete True Sport Clean.

True Sport Clean Review

Returning learners (i.e., who completed a True Sport Clean course in 2022) will complete The True Sport Clean Review.

The Role of Athlete Support Personnel

This module will reinforce key learnings about athlete support personnel-specific requirements, violations, and other considerations.

Parents are welcome to join their children as they work on their courses, or can access other resources and courses.

Your Profile

For your records and certificates to be visible to your team, select the province or territory you are representing and the appropriate Games from the list. For example, if you are on team Alberta and are competing at PEI 2023, you should have selected the following:

The province Alberta is selected.

The PEI 2023 button is selected.

If you didn’t do this, or didn’t do it correctly, log back in to the CCES Online Learning Portal and launch the Profile to correct it. You can click here to go directly there.

 

 

For Parents and Guardians

Doping Control

Doping control refers to the process of collecting urine and blood samples for analysis. If this is the first time your child may go through doping control, it’s important for both of you to learn about the process. They will learn about it in True Sport Clean, and you can learn more about it in the Untracked version of the e-learning course, or the video below.

You can also learn more about the sample collection process.

The Representative

Athletes can ask for someone to accompany them throughout the doping control process to help protect their rights and fulfil their responsibilities. The time for them to ask is when a CCES Doping Control Officer (DCO) or chaperone notifies them that they have been selected for testing.

That representative can be you! It can also be a coach or other trusted adult who is 18 or older. Your child and their chaperone can locate you before sample collection begins. As a representative, you can ask questions, observe the process, and make any comments you like on the doping control form to give the CCES feedback about the process.

Minors need an adult to accompany them as a representative. If your child is a minor, consider discussing who will act as their representative prior to the Games.

Support Checking Medications and Medical Exemptions

Two of the most critical things that have to be done are checking medications and helping apply for medical exemptions, if necessary. You may need to liaise between the CCES and your child’s physician. Please read more about both of those processes.

2023 Canada Games Parents’ Webinar

Sign up for a webinar presented by CCES staff who will go over clean sport information and field questions. The webinar is happening on January 29, 2023. Following the webinar, a summary of the questions and answers will be made available.

Tell us what you want to learn

Sign up for 10:00 a.m. EST

Sign up for 12:00 p.m. EST

Sign up for 2:00 p.m. EST

Parents’ FAQ

On January 29, 2023, the CCES held a series of webinars for the parents of athletes going to the Canada Games. There were many excellent questions asked, which we recorded and have answered below. To those who participated and asked questions, thank you so much for your interest in and contributions to clean sport! You can review a summary of questions from the Parents’ Webinar here.

Education

Unlike athletes and athlete support personnel, parents do not have a mandatory education requirement, but we encourage you to learn more about the CADP to support clean sport!

True Sport Clean: Untracked

A freely accessible version of True Sport Clean so parents can access the same course material as athletes.

Learn More

Parents' Guide to Clean Sport

Clean Sport Parents’ Guide

Download the Parents’ Guide which summarizes everything you can do to support clean sport.

Learn More

Continue reading

More information about the steps you’ll need to take to check medications, prepare a medical exemption, if necessary, and more.

Learn More

 

Athletes, Check your Medications

The Prohibited List

Do you have a prescription? Do you use any over-the-counter medications? They may contain substances that are prohibited in sport.

Learn more about the categories in the Prohibited List on our page about banned substances and methods.

 

To avoid testing positive by mistake, make sure that you search for any and all medications you are using (or will be using during the Games) in our online database, Global DRO.

The most accurate way to search for a medication in Global DRO is by its Drug Identification Number (DIN). You can also search by name or active ingredient(s).

Download a PDF of your search once you complete it so you can reference it later. Use the button on the right side of the search results screen.

Go to Global DRO

Did you do a search and still need help? Get in touch:

Email your question to [email protected]

Call us toll-free:
1-800-672-7775

Medical Exemptions

The CCES grants medical exemptions for medically justified uses of prohibited prescription medications. There are several types of exemptions. Canada Games athletes with a prohibited prescription medication need a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) either in advance, or following a positive test, depending on their requirements.

Most Canada Games athletes can go through the TUE application process after a positive test, but some athletes who have additional requirements (e.g., they are in the national athlete pool or the registered testing pool) need to apply in advance.

Determine your exemption requirements using the Medical Exemption Wizard.

Did you go through the Medical Exemption Wizard and still need help? Get in touch:

Email your question to [email protected]

Call us toll-free:
1-800-672-7775

Tips for Doping Control

By the time an athlete reaches the Olympics, they have gone through the doping control process a lot. Here are some Canadian Olympians’ top tips and observations from years of experience with doping control. Click here to learn more about the sample collection process.

Activate True Sport

Every Canada Games is officially declared a True Sport event! A True Sport event is an opportunity to express your commitment to values-based sport by incorporating the True Sport Principles into all aspects of the event, contributing to positive and memorable experiences for everyone. Watch for True Sport declarations, outreach, and awards at the Games, and share your favourite #TrueSportMoments!

 

What is True Sport?

True Sport is an approach to values-based sport that is underpinned by the seven True Sport Principles: Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back. It is an initiative of the CCES that is dedicated to the notion that good sport can make a great difference and is built on a set of values that were defined by Canadians: fairness, excellence, inclusion, and fun.

How do we activate True Sport?

Here are some ways to build True Sport into your preparation for Canada Games.

No Ref, No Game

Discuss with your team the impact officials have, and how we can live our values through our interactions with them. After all, no ref, no game. Share your conversations using our social media tiles and using our campaign’s hashtags.

True Sport Principles in Action

What do those principles actually look like, sound like, and feel like in practice? Check out the True Sport Principles in Action infographics and see what kind of actions and behaviours you and your team can bring to the Games.

True Sport Lives Here Infographics

Our roles in sport are all so different. Athlete. Coach. Parent. Official. More. What does it mean to live True Sport in each of those roles? Learn more about what True Sport can look like when you bring it to life.

The Ride Home

Remember that the sport experience doesn’t end on the field of play. Sometimes, what happens on the ride home and afterwards is even more important.

True Sport Agreement

A True Sport Agreement answers a simple, but important question, “How are we going to treat each other in this group?” Parents, coaches and organizers can also benefit from the creation of such an agreement.

True Sport Policy Template

Good sport shouldn’t happen by accident. It should be intentional and backed by policy. Consider implementing a True Sport Policy in your sport organization using our template.

True Sport Tips for Parents

True Sport Tips for Parents helps parents nurture their child’s participation in sport and provides tips on how to ensure sport remains a positive and fun experience. Carry it with you during practices and games and feel free to share it with other sporting parents too!

The True Sport Principles

The True Sport Principles are available in English, French, four Indigenous languages, and several other languages that are commonly used in Canada.