Young female athletes should be able to train, learn, and compete in an environment where they are treated with respect. Creating that environment requires clear expectations for behaviour, opportunities to raise concerns, and sports organisations that take their responsibilities seriously.
Within GENDERWISE’s focus on gender equality and dual careers, respectful sporting environments are an important part of supporting young women’s participation and development. Athletes need space to express their views and understand whom they can approach when something feels wrong.
Making Respect Part of Everyday Practice
Respect is reflected in everyday interactions between athletes, coaches, staff, and teammates. The language used during training, the way feedback is delivered, and how concerns are received all contribute to a club’s culture.
Feedback should address performance and learning without humiliation or discriminatory comments. Expectations for respectful behaviour should apply to everyone, regardless of their role or sporting achievements.
Clubs can make these expectations visible through clear codes of conduct, supported by regular discussions and consistent action when concerns arise.
Recognising Personal Boundaries
Sport can involve close working relationships, physical instruction, travel, and communication outside training hours. Organisations should establish clear boundaries for these situations and explain them to athletes, families, and staff.
Athletes should have opportunities to ask questions about training practices and express discomfort. Coaches should explain activities clearly and respond respectfully when a participant raises a concern.
Clear arrangements for communication, supervision, and travel help everyone understand their responsibilities. For younger athletes, these arrangements should form part of the organisation’s safeguarding procedures.
Giving Athletes a Meaningful Voice
Young women may find it difficult to challenge someone who influences team selection, playing time, or future opportunities. Clubs should recognise this imbalance when designing ways for athletes to share concerns.
Regular feedback opportunities can help, but athletes also need a route for raising sensitive issues privately. A designated contact outside the immediate coaching relationship can provide another point of access.
Inviting feedback is only the beginning. Organisations should explain how concerns will be considered and demonstrate that speaking up leads to a fair and responsible response.
Making Reporting Arrangements Clear
Athletes should know where to report inappropriate behaviour and what to expect after doing so. Information should be easy to find, understandable, and available in formats participants can access.
Reporting arrangements should explain who receives concerns, how they are handled, and which further steps may be necessary. Organisations should avoid promising absolute confidentiality when information may need to be shared to protect someone or address a concern.
Athletes should also understand that they do not need to investigate an incident themselves before asking for support. The responsibility for responding appropriately belongs to the organisation and the relevant designated professionals.
Taking Concerns Seriously
A concern deserves careful attention, even when the person involved is a respected coach, a successful athlete, or a long-standing member of the club.
Staff receiving a disclosure should listen calmly, avoid making assumptions, and follow the organisation’s established procedures. Their role is to help the concern reach the appropriate people and ensure that the athlete understands the next steps.
Clubs should also address retaliation, exclusion, or pressure directed at someone who raises a concern. Reporting arrangements are only meaningful when participants can use them without fear of punishment for speaking up.
Sharing Responsibility Across the Club
Creating a respectful environment involves more than a written policy. Coaches, management, volunteers, and athletes all need to understand the standards expected of them.
Training and regular review can help staff recognise their responsibilities and respond consistently. Families should also receive relevant information, particularly where younger athletes are involved.
Athlete feedback can reveal whether these arrangements work in practice. Reviewing that feedback gives organisations an opportunity to improve communication, identify gaps, and strengthen trust.
Connecting Respect with GENDERWISE
GENDERWISE develops educational resources, digital learning opportunities, and mentoring to support young female athletes aged 14 to 26. Skills such as communication, teamwork, and leadership can help participants express their perspectives and contribute to the environments around them.
These learning opportunities sit alongside the responsibility of sports organisations to maintain appropriate safeguarding and reporting arrangements.
For BRAVO, promoting gender equality includes recognising young women as active participants whose voices deserve attention. Clear boundaries, respectful communication, and accountable organisations help create the conditions in which athletes can pursue their ambitions.
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
GENDERWISE is a 30-month initiative funded under the Erasmus+ Sport programme, bringing together seven partners from six European countries. The project promotes gender equality in sport and supports dual careers for young female athletes through educational resources, online learning, and mentoring.
Stay tuned as BRAVO continues sharing GENDERWISE activities and perspectives on creating more inclusive opportunities for young women in sport.
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