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Other Sports

OTHER SPORTS

Sports Abuse Lawyers for Other Elite and High Performance Athletes

OTHER SPORTS

Sports Abuse Lawyers for Other Elite and High Performance Athletes

Harmful culture in sport is not limited to one or two disciplines. Reviews into gymnastics, swimming and volleyball and broader research into Australian sport have shown patterns of bullying, body shaming, discrimination and abuse across a range of codes.

Donaldson Law acts for elite and high performance athletes from a wide variety of sports including diving, figure skating, track and field, netball and endurance sports. Some athletes have been part of centralised programs at the Australian Institute of Sport or state institutes. Others have trained through professional clubs or specialist academies.

Many athletes contact us years after they have left their sport. Some are unsure whether what they experienced “counts” as abuse. If you know that your time in sport has left ongoing psychological or physical harm we can talk with you about your rights, even if your sport has not been the subject of a major public review.

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Abuse In Sport and Your Legal Rights

Across sports, integrity frameworks now recognise that safeguarding and fair treatment are just as important as anti-doping. The National Integrity Framework sets out policies on child safeguarding, discrimination, harassment, bullying and other prohibited conduct for sports that adopt it with complaints handled through Sport Integrity Australia rather than only within the sport itself.

Depending on your sport and circumstances possible pathways may include:

  • civil claims where abuse or harmful culture has caused long term psychological or physical harm
  • complaints under National Integrity Framework policies or equivalent integrity systems
  • internal complaints, restorative processes or mediation with clubs or governing bodies
  • participation in independent reviews or restorative programs where these are set up in your sport

Our task is to identify the systems that apply in your sport and to help you use them in a way that feels safe and purposeful.

Common Abuse Patterns Across Sports

Independent reviews and recent research have highlighted repeating themes across different sports in Australia.

Environments Of Fear and Control
Athletes often describe environments where questioning a coach feels impossible and where selection or scholarships can be lost if they raise concerns. This can create a climate where abusive behaviour goes unchecked.
Body Shaming and Unsafe Training
In many sports athletes report harmful focus on weight, shape or appearance and training loads that ignore age, injury or wellbeing. Over time these practices can contribute to injuries, eating disorders and long term distress.
Emotional And Psychological Abuse
Yelling, belittling, threats and humiliation are common features of harmful coaching styles. Research has linked such behaviour with increased anxiety, burnout and early dropout from sport.
Sexual Harassment or Abuse
Sexual harassment and abuse can occur in any sport. Athletes may face inappropriate comments, unwanted touching or more serious assaults by coaches, staff or others connected with their sport.
Failures To Respond to Complaints
Across sports athletes often report that complaints were minimised, ignored or managed by people with clear conflicts of interest. The move to independent processes under Sport Integrity Australia is intended to address that problem yet there is still work to do in building trust and awareness.

Sports And Bodies we Commonly Deal With

We act for athletes connected with:

  • national sporting organisations
  • state associations and professional clubs
  • the Australian Institute of Sport
  • state institutes and academies of sport
  • specialist academies or private training centres

Even if your sport has not been specifically named in high profile reviews the same legal duties and integrity expectations apply. We can help you work out who may be responsible and which processes are relevant.

How We Work With Athletes From Other Sports

When you contact us you do not need to know whether your sport has an integrity review or a specific scheme. You can start by telling us what happened and how it has affected you. We then:

  1. Identify your sport’s key organisations and integrity framework
  2. Check the relevant laws and time limits
  3. Explain all realistic legal and integrity pathways
  4. Work with you to choose a strategy that fits your safety and goals

You remain in control of whether to pursue a claim, make an integrity complaint or contribute to broader culture change in your sport.

Discuss Your Options

Contact Our Team
(07) 4580 0900

◈ Elite Athlete Sports We Commonly Act In ◈ 

You do not need to see your exact sport listed to contact us. These examples show the types of high performance environments we regularly advise on. We have dedicated sub-pages for key sports where we most often act:

Gymnastic Abuse Claims
Weightlifting Abuse and Overtraining Claims
Volleyball Abuse and Culture Claims
Swimming Abuse and Integrity Claims
Elite Athlete Abuse Claims

From this Elite Athletes hub you can click through to learn more about how the law may apply in your sport and which bodies or schemes may be relevant.

THE DL DIFFERENCE

Why Athletes From Other Sports Choose Donaldson Law

Athletes from a wide range of sports choose Donaldson Law because:

Our practice is built around abuse law, personal integrity violations and elite athlete matters rather than general sports administration or contract work.
We work with the National Integrity Framework and similar systems in many sports which means we can quickly identify the options that apply in your case.
We recognise that your sport history may still influence how you feel about authority, trust and performance. We plan our work to minimise unnecessary retelling and to respect your boundaries.
You have a primary lawyer plus a small team who know your matter and can support you consistently.
You receive written costs information before you engage us and regular updates as your matter progresses.
GOT A QUESTION?

Sports Abuse FAQs

If you are a current or former athlete from any sport and you feel ready to talk about what happened you can contact us by phone, email or through our online form

Speak With Us
Abuse Law FAQs (1)
My sport has not been in the news. Can I still bring a claim?
Yes. The fact that your sport has not been the subject of a public review does not prevent you from seeking advice or bringing a claim. What matters is what happened to you, how it has affected you and whether the law provides a pathway for accountability.
Do I have to make a complaint under the National Integrity Framework first?
Not always. For many athletes the National Integrity Framework is one of several options rather than a mandatory first step. We can help you decide whether to use that process, pursue a legal claim or take another approach.
Is there a time limit for sports abuse claims?
Time limits vary based on the type of abuse, your age and where the events occurred. Some child abuse claims now have no limitation period while others do. When you contact us we will identify the rules that apply to you and explain any deadlines clearly.