Guides
Resources For Service Providers
Athletes who have experienced sexual violence face unique barriers to healing and reporting. For service providers, understanding the sporting context is key to offering trauma-informed, athlete-centered care.
Whether you are a crisis counselor, advocate, medical provider, or case manager, this page will help you support athlete survivors with empathy and expertise.
Need a quick overview of how abuse in sport may look different than other contexts?
Power
Complex Authority & Coercion in Sports Culture
- Coaches and staff, including medical professionals, control opportunities like playing time, scholarships, and advancement.
- Power dynamics can silence disclosures or foster coercive control.
- Service providers must understand how “career leverage” is used by abusers. This means that the pressures on athletes to reach high performance, professional, and elite status are a disincentive for reporting abuse
Body
Physical Proximity & Invasion of Body Autonomy
- Intimate physical contact is normalized in sport, masking boundary violations.
- Scrutiny over weight, body shaming, performance, and appearance creates added vulnerabilities.
- Providers must be sensitive to body-based trauma triggers in athletes.
- Body control and connections to mind-body control can be different for athletes.
- Trauma body responses can show up differently for athletes.
Isolation
Athletes Are Often Cut Off from Support Systems
- Rigorous schedules, travel, and team hierarchy limit access to family and advocates.
- Abuse can be hidden behind “team culture” or “locker room” privacy.
- Providers need proactive strategies to build trust and safe disclosure spaces.
Pressure
Performance & Identity Tied to Sport Success
- Athletes fear losing scholarships, team spots, or future careers if they speak up.
- The “tough it out” mentality discourages emotional expression and vulnerability.
- Providers must validate these fears and support survivors in regaining agency.
Power & Control in Sport
- Explore The Assist’s Power & Control Wheel tailored to the sports environment.
- Understand how coercive control tactics in sport can silence survivors.
- Learn to recognize institutional enablers and subtle forms of grooming in athletics.
In sport, abuse of power often extends beyond individual perpetrators—organizations, coaches, and peers can reinforce environments that keep survivors silent. Our Power & Control Wheel for Sport visually breaks down how these dynamics operate, helping you spot patterns of coercion and control in athletic settings. This tool can be a foundation for survivor-centered casework, advocacy, and system-level change.
On-Demand Trainings
- Access recorded webinars explicitly designed for service providers.
- Deepen your understanding of athlete identity and trauma.
- Learn strategies for supporting survivors after disclosure
- Discover how pressures of sport can affect their trauma response.
We offer a library of recorded trainings focused on the intersection of sport and sexual violence. Topics include trauma-informed responses for athlete survivors, understanding the pressures that delay disclosure, understanding sports systems, and how to build trust with athletes navigating identity crises after abuse. These webinars are ideal for new staff or those seeking ongoing professional development.
Training & Technical Assistance
- Schedule live workshops tailored to your organization’s needs.
- Consult with The Assist’s survivor-experts for case-specific guidance.
- Access resources to implement trauma-informed practices within your team.
If you are looking for hands-on training or customized support, The Assist offers direct technical assistance for service providers. Whether you are working on policy improvements, need help navigating a complex case, or are looking for trauma-informed, survivor-led training for your team, our experts are here to help. Learn how to bring The Assist’s expertise to your organization through our Training & Technical Assistance Page.
Information for Service Providers
Frequently Asked Questions
Athlete-survivors face unique dynamics that can complicate disclosure, reporting, and healing. Power imbalances (coach control over career opportunities), physical vulnerability (touch-based corrections, body scrutiny), isolation (training schedules, travel), and the normalization of abusive behaviors in “tough it out” culture environments create specific barriers to support. Traditional services often fail to account for these dynamics, making it essential for service providers to understand and adapt their approaches to meet the needs of athletes.
We offer survivor-led training, technical assistance, and resource guides designed to help service providers understand the pressures athletes face. Our materials bridge the gap between general trauma-informed care and the unique needs of survivors in athletic contexts.
The Power & Control in Sport Wheel visualizes the specific coercive tactics used by abusers within athletic settings—like threatening playing time, using favoritism, or exploiting the athlete’s goals for control. It’s an essential tool to help you identify nuanced abuse patterns that may be missed in general assessments. It was developed in consultation with athlete survivors and reflects their lived experience.
Yes. We provide a library of recorded webinars and training modules led by athlete survivors and subject matter experts, designed specifically for crisis responders, child advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, and other direct service roles.
Absolutely. The Assist offers Training & Technical Assistance. Through this service, we offer custom consultation for organizations seeking to integrate trauma-informed policies, improve safeguarding practices, or train their teams on athlete-centered approaches.
Visit our content library for research-backed resources on trauma recovery in sports, including the psychological pressures of athlete identity, performance expectations, and systemic enablers of abuse.
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. It also takes into account the needs of athletes in the realms of practice, competition, and travel.
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
Informs 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, from coercion to intimidation, 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 protects well-being, manages triggers, and amplifies advocacy impact.
Trauma-Informed Environments In Sports
Provides steps for creating safe, supportive sport settings that prioritize survivor healing and resilience from a trauma-informed approach.
What to Do if You Suspect Abuse or Neglect
Action plan for survivors, including documenting abuse, seeking support, and knowing legal and reporting options.
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