Parents and coaches play a crucial role in creating safe environments for young athletes, according to Safe Sport Malaysia.
The organisation, founded by Sarina Sundara Rajah alongside Freda Liu and Datuk Yasmin Yusuff, has been advocating for education and awareness as the foundation of athlete safety.
During a recent episode of the Sport Check podcast, the founding members highlighted how early communication and proactive measures can prevent abuse and support the mental well-being of children in sports.
“Education is the foundation of everything,” said Sarina, a former national gymnast. “It can be part of the curriculum in schools. Prevention is much better than actually being sorry after the harm is done.”
She added that practical guidance and online courses are also available for families, published by the USA Sports Centre.
“In fact, they have a very comprehensive handbook as well for parents to identify changes in behaviour in their athletes. And you know, what kind of language and questions you can ask so that your children become comfortable and start to open up,” she said.
Freda Liu, a parent and founding member, also reflected on her own experiences as a parent: “What sort of questions should I ask my five-year-old so that I know that he is safe in sports?”
The Safe Sport Malaysia team emphasised that the conversation must include all stakeholders, not just athletes and coaches, but parents, friends, and even volunteers. Clear boundaries, supervision during training and travel, and consent protocols are vital to ensure children feel safe.
Sarina noted that international best practices, such as policies in British gymnastics, prevent coaches from weighing athletes without medical supervision to protect mental and physical well-being.
“These are the things that are Safe Sport,” she said. “It’s not just physical harm. Self-esteem, self-respect, mental health — all these things matter.”
Safe Sport Malaysia also encourages ongoing dialogue, urging parents and coaches to seek online resources, safeguarding courses, and guides available through organisations like the U.S. Safe Sport Centre.
“Even parents can actually take a short safeguarding course — just 20 to 30 minutes,” Sarina said, highlighting the accessibility of these tools.
“Thank God for resources like that right now. And even if you don’t take these courses, I’m sure that kind of information is also available everywhere,” Freda added.
The full interview with Sarina, Freda, and Yasmin is available now on the Sport Check podcast via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all PODaBOOM major platforms.
This article originally appeared on Scoop.my and was written by Scoop journalist, Julie Jalaluddin.