The American Women’s Professional Soccer League (NWSL) is the scene of systematic abuse at all levels among its players and its highest authority has repeatedly ignored accusations in this regard, pointed out a cruel report published this Monday and commissioned by the Federation of American Soccer. (USSF).
Independent research by law firm King & Spalding paints a picture where verbal and emotional abuse of female footballers and inappropriate sexual behavior goes beyond the limits of “difficult” training and usually from junior to senior level.
Nearly 200 interviews with retired and active players, coaches, club owners or staff exposed manipulative tactics that were more about abuse of power than improving the game and a disturbing pattern of comments has sexual content. , unwanted touching or forced sex.
The teams, the League and the Federation “have not only failed systematically when it comes to responding adequately when faced with complaints from players and signs of abuse, but also when it comes to establishing measures to prevent and deal with it,” stressed the 36 page document.
As a result of this lack of vigilance, the coaches responsible for these abuses moved from team to team without anyone terminating their contracts, whitewashed by press releases in which the clubs thanked them for service provided.
The report was commissioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), which has been criticized for its silence on the matter.
An internship that comes from far away
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was created in 2012 and had its first games in the spring of 2013. The law firm recognizes that verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct is already a widespread problem in women’s soccer before its foundation.
However, that League, which replaced the so-called Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), failed to rectify the situation or establish firewalls.
The document focuses on three coaches – Paul Riley, Rory Dames and Christy Holly – to illustrate the seriousness of the phenomenon, but recalls that last season half of the ten teams in the League parted with their coaches after complaints from players.
De Dames, for example, his players at the junior Eclipse Select Soccer Club recalled that he called them “sluts”, “retards” or “fat ass” and that “on many occasions he crossed the line of sexual that relationship”. Once with the Chicago Red Stars, within the league, he created a hostile environment with verbal abuse during games, the report said.
The investigation maintains that, “in general”, the clubs, the NWSL and the USSF, above the safety and well-being of the players, seem to prioritize the legal consequences of a possible lawsuit against the coaches and the bad news that that might be attracted.
Sexist comments and verbal and emotional abuse
The normalization as part of “hard training” of certain sexist comments and verbal and emotional abuse, as well as intimate relationships between coaches and players, contributed to the perpetuation of these this behavior, the report said.
The reprisals that the athletes fear are also against them: “As in any professional league, they simply wanted to play and maximize their chances of being called up for the national team.”
Among the recommendations to correct this situation are calls for more transparency and accountability, clear regulations that define inappropriate behavior and making it easier for players to air their concerns.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
