Guides
Resources For Sports Institutions
Make Your Institution Safer
Equip your athletic department or sports organization with policies and guides that prioritize athlete safety. The Assist offers comprehensive resources to build trauma-informed environments and foster a culture of accountability in sports.
Make Your Institution Safer
Develop a Clear Policy
- Abuse prevention policies tailored for schools, universities, and private sports organizations.
- Guidelines for transparent reporting structures and accountability.
- Survivor-centered best practices for safe environments.
- Policy templates for handling abuse disclosures and investigations.
Establishing strong, clear policies is the foundation of an abuse-free sports culture. The Assist’s Model Policies help institutions create environments where athlete safety is prioritized, incidents are handled with transparency, and survivor well-being is centered. These resources include policy templates, reporting protocols, and best practices for governance structures that prevent abuse and hold abusers and those who enable abusers accountable.
Trauma-Informed Athletics for Institutions Guide
- Practical steps to build trauma-informed athletic departments.
- Guidance on recognizing trauma responses in athletes.
- Strategies for integrating trauma-sensitive coaching methods.
- Culture change frameworks for sports leadership.
The Trauma-Informed Athletics Guide for Institutions equips sports organizations with the tools to foster a culture of safety, empathy, and trust. Learn how to identify signs of trauma in athletes, train staff in trauma-sensitive practices, and implement leadership strategies that prioritize athlete well-being. This guide provides actionable steps to build an inclusive, survivor-centered sports environment.
Speaker Engagements
- Book athlete survivors to speak at your institution.
- Keynotes on abuse prevention, athlete advocacy, and culture change.
- Tailored workshops for teams, leagues, athletic departments, and student-athletes.
- Q&A sessions with experts on trauma-informed practices in sports.
Bring impactful, survivor-led education to your institution through Speaker Engagements. The Assist offers keynote presentations, workshops, and panel discussions designed to shift perspectives, educate stakeholders, and empower athletes. Our speakers, many of whom are athlete survivors themselves, share lived experiences and practical strategies for abuse prevention and building trauma-informed sports cultures.
Technical Assistance
- Custom support for implementing abuse prevention policies.
- On-site and virtual consultations for sports organizations.
- Assistance with crisis response planning and staff training.
- Ongoing advisory services for compliance and best practices.
Our Technical Assistance Program provides hands-on, customized support to help institutions implement athlete safety initiatives effectively. From developing reporting protocols to staff training and crisis management plans, we offer expert guidance tailored to your organization’s needs. Partner with The Assist to ensure your institution upholds the highest standards of athlete protection.
Abuse in Sport
Outlines forms of abuse in athletics, risk factors, and warning signs, urging systemic change to protect athlete well-being.
Appropriate Athlete-Coach Relationships
Defines healthy coach-athlete boundaries, warning signs of grooming, and safe communication best practices.
Athlete Survivor Mental Health Crisis Safety Plan
Personalized safety toolkit for athletes facing abuse, covering emergency contacts, safe spaces, and digital security to plan for sporting events, practices, and other sport-related activities.
Barriers to Reporting Abuse in Sport
Identifies fears, stigma, and systemic failures that silence survivors, offering strategies to remove obstacles to justice.
Disclosing Abuse in Sport
Guides athletes on safe disclosure, legal rights, and accessing trauma-informed support throughout the reporting process.
Power and Control Wheel
Visual tool showing tactics abusers use in sport to raise awareness and guide prevention.
Safe Sport Entity Guide
Establishes 6 principles and 5 functions for survivor-centered, independent, and rights-based safe sport bodies.
Sharing Your Story of Sexual Assault Publicly
Tips for survivor-led storytelling that prioritizes well-being, acknowledges the risk of re-traumatization, and amplifies the impact of advocacy.
Trauma-Informed Environment In Sports
Provides steps for creating safe, supportive sport settings that prioritize survivor healing and resilience.
What to Do if You Suspect Abuse or Neglect
Resources on options for taking action and interrupting abuse, including documenting abuse, seeking support, and knowing legal and reporting options.
Donate Today
Your donation supports survivors, funds sexual abuse prevention education, and helps make sport safer for all athletes.
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