Principles and Values Associated with Clean Sport

The International Soft Tennis Federation (ISTF) upholds a set of Principles and Values centered around promoting clean sport, aiming to safeguard the integrity of sports by fostering respect for rules, fellow competitors, fair competition, equitable opportunities, and the global significance of maintaining sportsmanship.

VALUES ASSOCIATED WITH CLEAN SPORT

Anti-doping initiatives are grounded in the intrinsic value of sport, often identified as “the spirit of sport”: the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicated refinement of each athlete’s innate abilities.
These initiatives are designed to safeguard athletes’ well-being and enable them to pursue excellence without resorting to Prohibited Substances and Methods. Furthermore, they aim to preserve the integrity of sport by upholding respect for regulations, fellow competitors, fair play, equitable competition, and the overarching value of clean sport worldwide.
The spirit of sport embodies the celebration of the human spirit, encompassing physical, mental, and emotional aspects. It epitomizes Olympism’s essence and manifests through values such as health, ethics, fair play, honesty, athletes’ rights as outlined in the Code, excellence in performance, character, education, enjoyment, teamwork, dedication, commitment, adherence to rules and laws, self-respect, respect for fellow participants, courage, and community solidarity.
Upholding the spirit of sport entails playing truthfully, with doping standing in direct contradiction to these principles. Therefore, in Soft Tennis, athletes are strongly encouraged to uphold these values.

PRINCIPLES ASSOCIATED WITH CLEAN SPORT

• Integrity
  The ISTF maintains exemplary standards of governance, ethics, and respect, cultivating an environment of transparency and trust.
• Accountability
  The ISTF places a high value on accountability, defined as the state of having control over one’s actions. Athletes, support personnel, and other stakeholders are expected to acquaint themselves with their rights and responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code. Being a good sport entails athletes and their support staff taking responsibility for their performance and conduct both on and off the field.
• Passion
  The ISTF unites the Soft Tennis community to foster enjoyment, enthusiasm, emotional engagement, and a sense of belonging.
• Equality
  The ISTF ensures that individuals of all genders, races, ethnicities, nationalities, or socioeconomic backgrounds have equal access to participate in and derive benefits from the sport of Soft Tennis.
• Collaboration
  The ISTF collaborates with various stakeholders to provide relevant support to Member Nations, facilitating the growth and prosperity of Soft Tennis.
• Innovation
  The ISTF embraces innovation to transform its operational framework, committing to ongoing evaluation, feedback, and adaptation to continually enhance the quality, accessibility, and relevance of Soft Tennis as a sport, as well as the operations and initiatives of the ISTF.