report on abuse in the National Women's Soccer League

[onetwo]

But the report makes clear that the problems weren't just about three men. "Our investigation has revealed a league in which abuse and misconduct—verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct—had become systemic, spanning multiple teams, coaches, and victims," it says. "Abuse in the NWSL is rooted in a deeper culture in women's soccer, beginning in youth leagues, that normalizes verbally abusive coaching and blurs boundaries between coaches and players."

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/04/1126730508/national-womens-soccer-league-abuse-report

I know most posters here are really only follow their kids team and maybe their club. This report sheds light on the abuse that was allowed to happen after being discovered and brought to the attention of club and league.

One of the findings was the abuse is normalizes in the youth system(and most likely continues in the college ranks). So the abuse found in the pro league is just a reflection of the system. The girls know no other environment ans it’s hard to come forward even as a women. Most know what happens if you cross a coach. My kid has had good and bad male and female coaches. The worst coach my kid had was at u10 verbally and emotionally abusive and a woman. I think the system. Let’s face for most parents a good coach is the one who picks your kid.

The verbal and emotional abuse players describe in the NWSL is not merely 'tough' coaching. And the players affected are not shrinking violets. They are among the best athletes in the world," Yates wrote.
More than 200 people were interviewed by investigators. Some two dozen entities and individuals provided documents. U.S. Soccer also provided documents and the firm reviewed 89,000 deemed likely to be relevant…

… It recounts an April 2021 encounter between Holly and a player, Erin Simon, who now plays in Europe. Holly invited her to watch game film with him and allegedly told her that for every pass she messed up, he was going to touch her. Simon told investigators Holly "pushed his hands down her pants and up her shirt."

Coaches fired for cause and hired by other teams, etc, etc.

[retiredref]

Impossible to deny the connection to youth soccer here when the Spirit coaches involved were all youth soccer coaches in the area. All of their youth clubs denied all the accusations before they went to Spirit--why did they cover it up?

[soccerx3kidsss]

It's just as bad if not worse at the youth level. Clubs need to do something. What are clubs doing about it? Has anyone heard of any clubs protocols to handle this? I see a lot of coaches abusing players and being allowed to continue coaching. Why?

[lojack74]

retiredref wrote:Impossible to deny the connection to youth soccer here when the Spirit coaches involved were all youth soccer coaches in the area. All of their youth clubs denied all the accusations before they went to Spirit--why did they cover it up?

My kid is on a club that had previously employed or currently employs fired Spirit coaches, and yes, this coach displays many of these abusive behaviors. It's an abusive relationship that I'm trying desperately to get my kid to understand how damaging it has been. Stays on the team because good friends. Most of the other parents chalk it up to tough coaching, as was mentioned in this thread earlier. This coach can rot.

[onetwo]

The main problem is the people coaching are a product of the system. They made it through the abusive system and became a coach. I see abusive women and men coaches coaching little kids. I have spent time in Europe and their coaches over all are much more professional, with higher standards.

[dcurbanmdmom]

We just pulled our child from a team bc of the coach's behavior. He was awful. We shared the information with the club and their reaction was immediately in defense of the coach and completely dismissed all that was said to our child. It's disgusting that adults allow this to happen. They should be taking a stand.