Guides
Resources For Athletes
We believe survivors deserve to be at the center of their healing journey. The Assist offers resources, peer support, and programs designed by and for athlete survivors.
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Trauma Basics
- Understand how trauma affects the body and mind.
- Learn about trauma responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.
- Learn about how trauma can have unique impacts.
- Discover strategies for self-care and healing.
Our Basics of Trauma guide explains how trauma impacts athletes. You’ll learn about common responses to trauma, how it might show up during training or competition, and why it’s not just about “mental toughness.” These insights will help you better understand your experiences and empower you to approach healing at your own pace.
⚠️ Content Warning: This guide references traumatic experiences and responses.
Survivor Support
- Find resources for discovering your own pathway to healing.
- Explore options like self-care, seeking legal support, and reporting.
- Learn how to contact a confidential advocate.
- Learn what to expect during the healing journey.
Key points to remember
Our Survivor Support guide walks through steps you can take after experiencing abuse, whether you choose to report or not. You will find resources on emotional healing, medical care, legal rights, and self-advocacy. This resource is designed to meet you where you are and provide support without pressure. You are in charge of your own pathway. The Assist is here to support your choices.
⚠️ Content Warning: Discusses abuse recovery in detail—ensure you’re in a supportive space before reading.
Athlete Safety Guide
- Learn the Four R’s of Trauma-Informed Athletics.
- Spot red flags in unsafe team and sport environments.
- Understand your rights and how to advocate for yourself.
Key points to remember
Our Trauma-Informed Athletics for Athletes Guide is a core resource for every athlete. You will explore how trauma-informed environments are built, what safe coaching looks like, and how to identify harmful practices. These resources will demonstrate h ways to set boundaries, communicate your needs, and find support when you do not feel safe. You will also find a section on how to create a personal safety plan tailored to your needs.
Athlete Rights
- Understand your rights as an athlete in every training and competition space.
- Learn what protections you are entitled to as an athlete and the protections under such resources as the Child Athlete Bill of Rights.
- Discover how to advocate for yourself if your rights are being violated.
Key points to remember
Every athlete deserves a safe, respectful, and supportive environment. This page will walk you through your rights in clear, actionable language and guide what to do if those rights are not being honored in your sport environment. Further, our Child Athlete Bill of Rights outlines the core protections and principles that should guide every sports program, including your right to be free from abuse, to be heard, and to access resources for your well-being.
Abuse In Sport
Defines forms of abuse in athletics, risk factors, and warning signs, as well as why abuse in sport shows up differently than in other areas.
Appropriate Athlete-Coach Relationships
Guides athletes on safe disclosure, legal rights, and accessing trauma-informed support throughout the reporting process.
Athlete Survivor Mental Health Crisis Safety Plan
Personalized safety toolkit for athletes facing abuse, covering emergency contacts, safe spaces, and digital security with considerations for athletes and sport environments.
Barriers to Reporting Abuse in Sport
Identifies fears, stigma, and systemic failures that silence athlete 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
A 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 (organizations that respond to and investigate abuse in sport).
Sharing Your Story of Sexual Assault Publicly
Tips for survivor-led storytelling that protects well-being, manages triggers, and amplifies advocacy impact.
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
A review of options and pathways for response and reporting. Includes strategies for athlete survivors and allies, including documenting abuse, seeking support, and knowing legal and reporting options.
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