Independent Review into Australian Volleyball

Sport Integrity Australia
Independent Review into Australian Volleyball: Final Report

Executive Summary

In October 2020, several elite Volleyball Players assisted by the Australian Athletes Alliance (AAA) and Volleyball Australia (VA) commissioned Sport Integrity Australia to conduct an independent review of the culture of Volleyball between 1997 and 2005 (review) with the view to:

  • Investigating the volleyball players’ experiences and ensuring they receive appropriate wellbeing support; 
  • Providing those who wish to maintain a relationship with Volleyball a safe way to do so; and 
  • Improving current and future practice, policy and governance to ensure safety, wellbeing and empowerment of all volleyball players, current and future.  
 

The material underpinning the Review was collected between April – November 2021 with 27 participants interviewed, 16 written submissions received, and documentary material provided. A draft final report was provided to the parties in February 2022 for review and comment. To ensure all parties were afforded procedural fairness, extensions to submit feedback were granted, which delayed the finalisation of the report. Based on the information obtained during the review process, Sport Integrity Australia has identified several key findings from the review of the Women’s Indoor Volleyball Program (The Program) between 1997 and 2005. These include: 

  • A culture of fear and punishment; 
  • Unacceptable training practices; 
  • Inadequate complaints handling procedure;  
  • Lack of coach accountability; and 
  • Limited athlete support 
 

The Program was housed at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra and funded predominantly by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC)., including the employment and financing of coaches. Despite this arrangement, the Program was nevertheless the National VA Program. That is, responsibility and accountability remained with VA which included oversight of the way the Program was being run, including ensuring the Players were safe and not being subjected to abuse or harm. Responsibility also rested with VA to oversee coaches who were running the Program, and that the Players trained in a safe environment.  

VA should continue to strive for a safe, positive and empowering program for all participants. Sport Integrity Australia provided the following recommendations to address the key findings:  

Recommendations

Based on the information and insights gleaned from this Review, Sport Integrity Australia provides a number of recommendations to address systemic issues that contributed to the poor culture of the Program between 1997-2005. These recommendations aim to provide a safe environment for current and future volleyball athletes, free from abuse and harmful practises.  

Recommendation 1: Volleyball Australia maintain an induction programs and establish a structured mentoring program. 

  • Maintain an induction program for all athletes entering a high-performance program, which provides information on the behavioural expectations of all involved in the program. VA should ensure that it includes a clear mechanism for athletes to raise concerns or make a complaint.  
  • Facilitate former or senior Players to act as mentors for the new generation of athletes entering a high-performance environment by sharing their experience, insights and feedback in a structured mentoring program. An appropriate recruitment and screening process would be required to appoint mentors to the program and mentors would be provided with training, specifically in sports integrity-related policies including child safeguarding and member protection (incorporating bullying and harassment).  

    All athletes, program staff and support staff involved with the program undergo extensive and training as well as having direct access to the sport’s full policy suite and associated mechanisms to deal with providing safe and inclusive environments. Supported by the Win Together – Win Well High Performance 2032 Strategy, a number of actions including education and mentoring are in place to ensure past program participants’ experiences, insights and feedback are considered in building culture within the program. 

     

    Completed

     

Recommendation 2: Volleyball Australia adopt the National Integrity Framework including the independent complaint handling process.  

  • The National Integrity Framework is a streamlined suite of policies that sets out the broad expectations for the conduct of all participants in sports. These expectations relate to safeguarding children, member protection, competition manipulation and sports wagering, and the misuse of drugs and medicines.  
  • The Framework also includes the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy. This policy outlines the procedures for managing, reporting, assessing, and determining potential breaches of the integrity policies contained in the Framework. Under this policy, Sport Integrity Australia will undertake the independent complaint assessment and review process.  
  • Sport Integrity Australia notes that VA has indicated that they are in the process of adopting the National Integrity Framework with a completion date on 30 June 2022 anticipated.   

 

As of mid-2022, Volleyball Australia has implemented a full suite of policies aligned with the National Integrity Framework (NIF). The NIF also includes the Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy. This policy outlines the procedures for managing, reporting, assessing, and determining potential breaches of the integrity policies contained in the NIF. The NIF undergoes programmed review in partnership with Sport Integrity Australia and other partners to ensure it is up to date and fit for purpose. All State and Territory Members Associations have adopted the NIF.

 

Completed

 

Recommendation 3: Volleyball Australia should strengthen its coach accreditation framework in the areas of safeguarding, integrity, and athlete wellbeing. 

  • Consider fully incorporating Sport Integrity Australia e-learning content into their Coach Accreditation Framework, i.e. Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction Course, Ethical Decision Making in Sport Coaches Course.  

    The coach accreditation framework and associated courses and professional development content are aligned to the NIF, and all content is fully aligned with Sport Integrity Australia e-learning systems.

     

    Completed

     Recommendation 4: Volleyball Australia should maintain a comprehensive human resource system which includes continuing support and management of coaches.  


  • Maintain a thorough recruitment and screening process when appointing coaches, including international check when appointing personnel from outside Australia.  
  • Establish a comprehensive performance management and review process to monitor coach behaviour and performance. The review process should include feedback from athletes and support staff.  
  • Provide a cultural integration program for international coaches training Australian athletes.

    A fully aligned recruitment practice has been established across the whole of Volleyball Australia’s recruitment processes, including extensive regulatory checks and cultural alignment considerations for all prospective employees, including program coaches.

     

    Completed


  • Recommendation 5: Volleyball Australia should continue to embed athlete wellbeing into policies and procedures at all levels of the sport.      

  • Articulate behaviours and standards that underpin participation in volleyball programs and competitions in the form of codes of behaviour. 
  • Ensure policies and procedures are athlete centred, prioritise athlete wellbeing and address areas such as selection, training load, injury treatment and performance management.  
  • Facilitate transitional support for athletes retiring from high-performance programs and competitions.

  •  

Volleyball Australia has a full-time Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager whose role is to build relationships with, be a direct contact point for, and provide wellbeing advice to athletes, and advocate for athlete wellbeing within Volleyball Australia. 

The NIF and associated policies set the expectation on standards of behaviour and clearly identify behaviours that are prohibited in our sport.

A transition process has been developed to support athletes transitioning out of the high-performance program through retirement and/or non-selection. This includes an exit interview with senior staff, checklist and set follow ups at 3mths, 6mths and 12mths.

Completed


Recommendation 6: Volleyball Australia, in collaboration with the impacted Players, engage in a restorative and reconciliatory process.  

  • The restorative process should be facilitated by an independent mediator with experience in restorative processes.  
  • As part of that restorative process, VA to consider facilitating the reunion of Players for the purpose of sharing experiences to aid the healing process.  
  • The process should include an apology to those Players who were subjected to behaviours at the subject of this Review. 
  • The publicity of that apology is to be determined by the Parties, noting the value of a public apology which goes beyond to just those Players who took part in the Review process, and equally noting the confidentiality provisions agreed by the Parties in the Terms of Reference.  

    Volleyball Australia, with the support of the Australian Sports Commission, participated in a restorative engagement process which was independently facilitated. All actions agreed upon in this meeting have been completed by the parties.

    Completed