The report argues that there has been a widespread institutional failure to protect female soccer players from predatory behavior-findings that have left some players demoralized. He allegedly continued his verbal and emotional abuse of players in Louisville and stands accused in the report of sexually coercing a Louisville player. Racing Louisville, of the NWSL, hired Holly as head coach in August 2020, thanks in part to his work for U.S. Read More: The Sexual Abuse of Child Athletes Goes Beyond Larry Nassar “We found no evidence,” the investigators write, “that anyone at sought to determine the reason for his departure from Sky Blue or conducted any vetting prior to Holly’s work.” Soccer then hired him do to contract work for national team programs. The team publicly stated that Sky Blue and Holly mutually agreed to part ways in 2017, and thanked him, but the report claims he was asked to leave because of “verbal abuse” and a “relationship with a player.” In 2016, Christy Holly was named head coach of the NWSL’s Sky Blue team, based in New Jersey. One former player recalled Dames asking for “massages, things like that.” According to the report, former Eclipse players said he insulted them and created a “sexualized team environment-in which he spoke to players about foreplay, oral sex, and their sex lives.” This environment “crossed the line to sexual relationships in multiple cases, though these relationships may have begun after the age of consent.” Soccer officials that Dames verbally abused them during games and “created a hostile work environment.” The Yates report said this feedback reached Arnim Whisler, owner of Red Stars.ĭames also ran a youth team, the Eclipse Select Soccer Club. Meanwhile, accusations were made against Rory Dames, then head coach of NWSL team Chicago Red Stars, beginning in 2014.
(At the time, Riley denied the majority of the accusations.) The report further claims that although “allegations of sexual misconduct against Riley were brought to the attention of leadership, either at the League and/or the Federation every year from 2015 through 2021, much of Riley’s misconduct remained under wraps” until The Athletic published an investigative story about him in September 2021. Read More: The Radically Inclusive World of England’s Grassroots Women’s Soccer Clubs Riley’s abusive conduct was considered an ‘open secret,’ but it never prompted an institutional response.” He fixated on players’ sexual orientations and targeted players with grooming behavior that included late night texts, drinking, and flirtatious comments about their appearance. One is Paul Riley, former coach of the Portland Thorns, Western New York Flash, and the North Carolina Courage.Īccording to Yates’ report, Riley “frequently talked with players about sex and encouraged them to do the same. The investigation homed in on three coaches.
Some coaches stand accused of committing sexual misconduct during or before their time in the league.
The document alleges that numerous NWSL coaches subjected players to verbal and emotional abuse.