Editor's Note: In September 2020, Kaiya McCullough left the Washington Spirit, a National Women's Soccer League team she'd been drafted to earlier that year. In August 2021, McCullough bravely spoke out to The Washington Post about the true reasons she stepped down: a horrific pattern of verbal and emotional abuse by then-coach Richie Burke, which had started long before McCullough had joined the team.
I can't say what happened was surprising. Abuse in sports is systemic and insidious — always there, but not always apparent. In soccer specifically, the culture of abuse, whether emotional, verbal, or sexual, has been so engrained into the psyches of young players that it is often difficult to realize it's happening as you get older. As I began to speak out about my own experiences, I was staggered by the number of players I talked to that shared a similar tale.
There are many reasons abuse in sports is so prevalent. For one, there's a lack of accountability from those in power when abuse happens, and a lack of policy that standardizes responses to abuse and prevents retaliation. Without proper accountability, predators continue to be hired despite their records of wrongdoing. Additionally, racism, misogyny, and the lack of respect for the experiences of noncisgender men create a culture that perpetuates and protects abuse and abusers.
The above factors, and others, have created a cycle that looks something like this: Coach abuses player, whether verbally, emotionally, physically, or sexually. Often, the player, fearing for their career, whether that be playing time, reputation, access to college coaches, or resources, never reports it. Even if they do, the coach is removed from their position, remaining free to find a job elsewhere. Very often, the consequences are even less significant, and the coach is simply reprimanded.
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