What Support Do Australian Sporting Organizational Policies Provide to Pregnant and Parenting Elite Athletes? A Scoping Review

Abstract

Elite athletes are increasingly competing during pregnancy and returning to high-performance sport postpartum. Despite this, athletes highlight insufficient organizational support as a significant barrier to their successful return. This review explores the nature and extent of organizational provisions of support currently available to pregnant and parenting athletes within Australia. An extensive search for policies from national sporting organizations and major sporting leagues resulted in 22 relevant policies. Current provisions of support include paid parental leave and other financial supports, flexible work environments and job transfers, categorization and eligibility protection, access to additional facilities and services, and travel support. Only 12 policies were developed with stakeholder engagement (e.g., input from athletes and staff). Further research exploring barriers among pregnant and parenting elite athletes is needed to guide national policy development. In addition, future policies should be established in collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure that organizational priorities align with the needs of the athletes.