Michele Verroken

Michele has worked at all levels of sport and now combines academic work with managing Sporting Integrity Ltd, an international sports consultancy established in 2004, specialising in promoting best practice integrity and governance in sport. Clients include professional sports such as Golf and Esports, as well as international federations (MMA, Teqball), amateur sports bodies, athletes and support personnel. Michele is a Director of the Esports Integrity Commission, Visiting Fellow in Sports Integrity and Law at De Montfort University and a Visiting Lecturer on sports medicine, anti-doping and ethics for several MSc courses.
 
Since 2000, Michele has led the Medical and Anti-Doping Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation, ensuring effective planning and delivery of medical and anti-doping services at Games in Manchester, Melbourne, Delhi, Glasgow and the Gold Coast, in addition to Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, Samoa, the Bahamas and the Isle of Man.  

During her twenty years at UK Sport as Director of Ethics and Anti-Doping, Michele established the first ISO certified Anti-Doping system (the foundation for the World Anti-Doping Code standards) and launched the first online Drug Information Database and whistle blowing line. Her expertise in anti-doping policy development has been sought by a number of countries, including South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Malta.  

1. When did your interest in anti-doping and integrity in sport begin? 
 
It’s been an ongoing theme throughout my life! 

From an early age, my own involvement with sport sparked my interest in the need for and impact of regulations. At school, I challenged the absence of a direct rule on which gender could compete in the inter-house basketball and my house team was one player short! You needed a full team to start the game but I soon got fouled off!

I was fortunate that my first-degree course in the Art & Science of Movement combined human science with the philosophy of sport, which allowed me to study morality, integrity and ethics.  

I competed at international level in Korfball and then Team Handball before I was 21. We were encouraged to qualify as referees and coaches in these sports to enhance our performance knowledge. I was also encouraged to pursue netball umpiring and went on to become an international netball umpire in my twenties (the youngest international netball umpire, I think). Rule enforcement has been integral to my sporting career.  

In 1985, I wrote my first Master’s thesis on Power Relations in Sports Organisations and several articles about doping in sport. Whilst theoretical analysis is useful, I wanted more involvement in policy development and implementation. My first step was to move from academia to The Sports Council, where my portfolio covered Anti-Doping, Sports Medicine, Sports Science and Coaching. Each of these areas has a strong integrity theme. The first focus was Anti-Doping, where I analysed the current arrangements and, supported by then Sports Minister Colin Moynihan and Vice Chair Sebastian Coe, began working on establishing an independent (from sport) anti-doping system for the UK, at The Sports Council in 1989. Ten years later, I took up the wider brief of ethics and anti-doping at UK Sport, following the introduction of the National Lottery and reorganisation of the UK’s sport funding framework. 

2. Which project are you most proud to have been a part of? 

Several projects come to mind – establishing the processes for independent anti-doping, including a drug information database, whistle blowing line, accredited Independent Sampling Officers and the first ISO certified anti-doping system. Arguing for funding for an independent Sports Dispute Resolution organisation in the UK for sports bodies, which reduced conflicts of interest and provided fairer procedures for athletes, is something that I am particularly proud of. However, supporting funding for the Child Protection in Sport Unit and British Athletes Commission come a close second. Since establishing Sporting Integrity in 2004, there are several more! Raising the profile of integrity in sport by calling out poor practice, corruption and abuse requires a lot of resilience. 

3. What do you see as the biggest issues in sporting integrity at the moment? 

Tolerance of low-level corruption, cheating and abuse; unacceptable sports culture is problematic. It should be no surprise that major corruption scandals populate sports organisations when trust and respect are absent at other levels of sport. The true purpose of sport is playing fair and by the rules, integrity is about the individual. If the system allows for pushing the boundaries without challenge or consequences, trust in the sporting environment is lost.  

4. What changes or developments do you wish to see in sport in the future? 

Where to start? COVID-19 will change so much and hopefully for the better.  We need to refocus upon what is worth truly valuing in life and in sport. Profit, glorification and self-promotion can be seen for what they are: empty vessels of the sports business industry. Valuing life and redefining success in sport will be fundamental to my new future of sport; respect and honesty are the foundations. What would be great to see is a shift in sports lawyer thinking from complex regulations protecting sports organisations to the promotion of individual human rights and athlete welfare. Perhaps if a wider group of legal advisers contribute to a more inclusive debate on sports integrity issues, we might encourage a broader integrous sports culture.

5. What advice would you give to those looking to work in the sports sector? 

The advice I would give to anyone looking to work in the sports sector is - find ways to just get involved. Volunteer, work in any capacity (preferably with sports organisations rather than law firms) to get real experience and to understand what integrity issues exist and how they arise (and could be prevented).  

It is a unique industry combining volunteers and industry professionals with the emotional rollercoaster of sport performance and a wide-ranging rewards structure. There are enormous legal issues, consider how you could make a positive difference. Then dive in! Remember, you need to be a competent lawyer first.