at testing itself has been associated with a number of psychosocial benefits to athletes. This has been discussed by Coombs and Coombs (1991), who found that, while some athletes' reactions to drug testing were negative (embarrassment, humiliation, upset, anxiety), many others actually experienced positive benefits.
These benefits included receiving new information about drugs and what they can do to athletic performance, simply having a novel and interesting conversation piece, and having a socially acceptable way to refuse drugs offered in friendship. Some athletes said that testing benefitted their athletic performance; athletes attending colleges or universities also said that drug testing had helped them improve academically because they were less inclined to go to parties and more inclined to stay home and study.
Coombs and Coombs (1991) also stated that one of the more negative experiences associated with mandatory drug testing could be reduced if efforts were undertaken to humanize and improve the experience and if better orientations were provided to players about what to expect. They
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