‘Environment of fear’: On eve of Olympics, volleyball confronts ghosts of past

Australian women’s volleyball players were subjected to punitive training methods and body-shaming that led to self-harm, eating disorders and substance abuse, according to a Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) review into the culture around the national team when it was based at the Australian Institute of Sport at the turn of the century.

The sport’s governing body, Volleyball Australia, on Thursday apologised to former players from the Australian indoor volleyball team during that era, acknowledging it had failed to keep athletes safe.

Volleyball will be staged at the South Paris Arena at the Olympic Games, which start next week.Credit: AP

VA said that players based at the AIS between 1997 and 2005 had reported living in an “environment of fear” in which coaches operated with limited accountability, the damaging consequences of which reverberated for years afterwards and in some cases had a continuing fallout.

Many players in the program were teenagers, with the youngest being 14 at the time, the organisation said.

“We understand that your experiences amounted to coercive control, which included using training as a method of punishment, verbal and physical abuse, favouritism, ostracism, excessive punishments, and body-shaming,” VA said in a statement.

“We have heard from players who have struggled with physical and mental effects of these experiences, including self-harm, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, substance abuse, estrangement from loved ones, loss of income and low self-worth. Some are living with ongoing effects.”

The Australian Institute Of Sport in Canberra,Credit: Getty

The investigation into the historical culture of volleyball at the AIS was undertaken by SIA, which was commissioned by VA after it was approached in 2020 by the Australian Athletes’ Alliance on behalf of several former volleyballers.

The sporting watchdog’s 2022 review had remained confidential until now and the report itself has not been released.

There were no allegations of criminality.

But in comments provided to this masthead by the Australian Athletes’ Alliance, former volleyballer Selina, whose surname was not given, said players were belittled and called weak, pathetic and useless by coaches and were accused of “making excuses” when they were injured.

She said players were regularly subjected to humiliating training drills including having volleyballs smashed at them as punishment, citing an example of a team member who had been pushed to the point “she couldn’t even walk, and her lips turned blue, and her face was white … then we found out later she got sent to the hospital”.

Selina said another player was driven to the stage of hyperventilating and vomiting in a bin, and was left bleeding from her hips as a result of court burns from diving for balls, while an ex-teammate had been hospitalised multiple times in the past four years as she relived the trauma from her time at the AIS.

“Today, I am choosing to speak out about this not only as a woman, Olympian, and
entrepreneur, but most importantly, as a mother. I never, ever want my children to endure
what I experienced and still carry with me 25 years late,” she said.

The Australian Sports Commission had previously issued an apology to athletes who trained at the AIS following the release in 2021 of a damning report by the Australian Human Rights Commission that detailed long-running abuse in gymnastics.

The coaches and other personnel who worked with the women’s volleyball team between 1997 and 2005 were employed by the AIS, but VA also accepted responsibility.

“We acknowledge that the poor culture, coupled with absence from family and limited contact with family members, resulted in [athletes] experiencing a sense of isolation and vulnerability,” VA said.

“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.”

Addressing the former players, VA said: “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”.

Australian Athletes’ Alliance general secretary Jacob Holmes welcomed the historic apology but took aim at VA.

“The past four years have been extremely challenging. Volleyball Australia, in particular their leaders, have shown consistent disregard for the process and the players,” Holmes said.

“Their action [and inaction] caused additional harm to the players and displayed a consistent disregard for the well-being of the players. There are no words to express how disappointing and disrespectful this has been. It is unacceptable that this process has taken four years. It should not have.”

VA vice president Anita Palm, who was a national team player before the period under scrutiny, said the sport had been guided by the ASC during a lengthy restorative engagement process conducted by the government agency.

“The process itself requires time to get it right,” Palm said.

“It’s difficult for the athletes to speak up like this and with everything we say and do we want to encourage that. All of us involved love the sport and want to make sure it’s a great culture for athletes.”

VA said administrators were implementing all recommendations from the SIA review and had improved its policies and support framework for athletes.

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