How important and useful is that code of ethics in a practical sense?
Gene Schembri: I think a code of ethics is very important, and the reason for that is, it gets us to focus on the athlete as a person and as a whole being. The athlete has health and wellbeing needs, it gets us to think about the dignity of the athlete, it gets coaches to think about acting professionally. So from that point of view, the code of ethics is very, very important. Our challenge is to get coaches to see a code of ethics as something that is positive and that’s going to enhance the coaching and sporting environment. Not to see it as a threat, but to see it as something that adds value. Amanda Smith: And do some coaches see it as a threat? Gene Schembri: Well I think they do, and I think it’s easy to work through those issues with coaches by depersonalising the agreeing or the signing on to a code of ethics. And what we want to do is weed out the very few dodgy characters who are really going to give sport a bad name, and to give all the good, hardworking coaches a bad name.
