Report: 'Systemic' Abuse of Players in Women's Soccer

Facts

• Following an independent investigation by former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, a report released Monday found a list of failures by the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) related to allegations of abuse by coaches.
• The report - released a year after players protested multiple public allegations against coaches - found that owners, executives, and coaches within the NWSL and the US Soccer Federation failed to act on years of reported verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse.
• The report found that the abuse was "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."
• Among the coaches specified in the report was Christy Holly, the male former head coach of the Louisville Racers. Holly is alleged to have sexually molested then-player Erin Simon while the two reviewed game film together.
• Former NWSL players Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim's accusations against former North Carolina Courage coach, Paul Riley, were also reported on. Farrelly alleged Riley harassed and sexually coerced her between 2011 and 2015.
• Yates' report also included recommendations, including eliminating "non-disclosure" and "non-disparagement" agreements, requiring coaches to obtain annual recertification, and suspending the licenses of coaches engaged in misconduct.

Sources: ESPN, New York Times, CNBC, and Axios.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Inquirer. What's devastatingly ironic about this report, as well as the revelations of the past year, is that those in charge of the NWSL claimed to prioritize the well-being of female athletes, but their actions spoke differently. Immense shame should be felt not only by abusive coaches but by those in power who could've stepped in but chose to sweep rampant abuse under the rug.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided Huffington Post. Though misconduct could and should have been addressed much earlier, the league has now accepted its hidden culture of abuse and will take significant actions to end the vicious cycle that so many women endured. The recommendations outlined in Yates' report will help the NWSL take the positive steps necessary to clean up its institution.