Everything you need to know about the misconduct happening in the National Women’s Soccer League
Trigger Warning: This article discusses sensitive issues, including sexual assault.
In October 2021, I published an article detailing the abuses by coaches and general managers occurring in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In the same month, an investigation led by Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates began. Yates looked into numerous general managers’ and coaches’ actions in response to concerns from the NWSL, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT). On October 3, 2022, The Yates Investigation was released to the public, and this report sparked outrage, frustration, and pain from so many, including myself. With that, I want to take time to highlight the Yates Investigation and emphasize its importance.
Three former coaches (Paul Riley, Rory Dames, and Christy Holly) were heavily investigated in the Yates Report, highlighting the misconduct that was going on in the league and the lack of action taken. While I’m only going to discuss Riley, Dames, and Holly, it should be noted that numerous coaches and people in high-up positions were also investigated.
While coaching for the Portland Thorns starting in 2012, Riley engaged in sexual misconduct toward players, and verbally and emotionally abused them. In 2014, players told USWNT then-head coach Jill Ellis that he “created a hostile environment,” “belittle[d]” and “verbally abused[d]” players. In 2015, he was let go by the Thorns after a report of his inappropriate behavior. Riley began coaching again in the NWSL in 2016, despite warnings to the NWSL and USSF. Every year until 2021, players were open about his behavior, and it was only a year ago that he was terminated again.
As early as 2014, players were speaking out against coach Rory Dames to the USWNT and NWSL front offices, saying that he “created a hostile environment for players” and verbally abused them during games. Despite the players’ concerns, Dames began coaching the Chicago Red Stars. A report investigating his behavior highlighted players’ perceptions of him in 2014, 2015, and 2018. They found that “70% of the players interviewed reported emotionally abusive behaviors, and that many players failed to recognize certain behaviors as abusive because they were so ubiquitous in women’s soccer.” After this became public, he was terminated in 2021.
Finally, Christy Holly was a head coach for a reserved team in 2016 but was soon fired due to his “angry, disorganized, erratic” and “paranoid, ultra-aggressive, short-tempered” behavior on and off the field. However, that didn’t stop him from working for the USSF in 2018 and then becoming the Racing Louisville head coach in 2020. Soon after, he was fired because his pattern of misconduct continued and became public. It should be noted that Louisville (and Portland Thorns) did not actively participate in the Yates Investigation.
Following the Yates investigation, responses have been swift and loud, advocating for safer working conditions. Individual NWSL teams, The USWNT Players’ Association, the NWSL commissioner, and USSF all released statements of solidarity and support for the players. Further, numerous people in higher positions of the NWSL and USSF have since stepped down since the Yates investigation became public.
The Yates Investigation is unfortunately not surprising. Players have been open about coaches’ behaviors, which have included racism, sexism, and homophobia, since the Women’s Professional Soccer League was formed in the 1990s. Abuse also doesn’t just occur at the professional level, as it can begin right from when kids start soccer. Moreover, it’s quite clear that people were always aware of misconduct, but actively chose to ignore the issues. For instance, Christen Press and Kaiya McCullough first reported Dames in 2014, and Mana Shim and Alex Morgan filed a separate report in 2015 against Riley. However, action was delayed. To make matters worse, Jill Ellis knew of the abuse that national players were going through, and made it mandatory that in order to be on the National team, they must play in the NWSL. This shows how she chose to ignore what was going on, putting players in harm’s way.
It’s frustrating and disheartening to write about this situation, but it’s necessary. If I wasn’t a fan of women’s soccer, I also probably wouldn’t be aware of the investigation. It’s important to recognize the abuses that athletes, especially women, non-binary and transgender athletes, go through. Awareness is the first step in ensuring that athletes are safe.
Finally, what I have shared is not even half of what happened and what is happening. For a complete timeline of abuses and misconduct in women’s professional soccer, visit this report published by The Athletic. I encourage you to take care of yourself if you choose to read this timeline and The Yates Investigation.
I hope my article inspires you to support women’s sports and continue to educate yourself on the experiences of women, non-binary, and transgender athletes.