Olympics, 2024: Volleyball Australia apologises to past players for ‘environment of fear’ at AIS

Volleyball Australia has issued an extraordinary public apology to female members of the Australian team at the AIS for creating “an environment of fear”. Details inside.

Players who were at the AIS as members of the Australian Women’s Indoor Volleyball team experienced coercive control, which included using training as a method of punishment, verbal and physical abuse, favouritism, ostracism, excessive punishments, and body-shaming. Picture: Getty Images

Volleyball Australia has issued an extraordinary public apology to female members of the Australian team at the Australian Institute of Sport for creating “an environment of fear” causing decades long physical and mental harm.

Players who were at the institute as members of the Australian Women’s Indoor Volleyball team in the lead up to and after the Sydney Olympics, specifically between 1997 and 2005, and as young as 14, experienced coercive control, which included using training as a method of punishment, verbal and physical abuse, favouritism, ostracism, excessive punishments, and body-shaming.

A scathing independent review by Sport integrity Australia, prompted by complaints by the athletes, found the athletes were isolated and vulnerable and resulted in them continuing to struggle, some up to a quarter of a century later.

Sport integrity Australia found that the poor culture, coupled with absence from family and limited contact with family members, “was wrong and is not the fault of athletes who were adversely impacted”.

Players had told of excessive training which was used as punishment coupled with humiliation and bullying.

The volleyball players have since self-harmed, had eating disorders, body dysmorphia, substance abuse, estrangement from loved ones which has resulted in loss of income and low self-worth.

The complaints were first raised with the sport four years ago and the years long delay in getting to the point of the sport issuing the public apology has further angered the players involved.

One player has been hospitalised several times in the past four years reliving the trauma of what happened decades ago.

Volleyball Australia says: “We are deeply sorry for the ongoing effects these experiences have had on your life, and on your relationship with the sport of Volleyball and with Volleyball Australia. We unreservedly apologise for that harm.”

Volleyball Australia added: “We failed to keep athletes safe and to adequately oversee the management of the program. There was a system-wide failure to understand the seriousness of concerns raised by parents, performance support staff and external coaches regarding unacceptable coaching practices and athletes’ wellbeing, and we failed to successfully check those practices.”