And more good people need to be in positions of power. There needs to be a system for reporting abuse that is more effective, robust, comprehensive and responsive than what currently exists. She and other reformers agree there needs to be better regulation in the highly unregulated coaching profession. Wood acknowledges a lot has to happen before the ideal environment she tries to create, becomes a reality throughout sport. We have a very strict social media and texting policy because of how easily accessible these kids are now." Possible fixes "I train both boys and girls," Wood said, "but especially these girls, what I want them to see is that they can be coached by a man and this man will not yell at you. She now has three men on staff along with three women. Initially, she wanted the Academy to be "by women, for women." But Wood, now 31, says the older she's gotten, the more that view has changed. She and her staff coach, as she writes on the Academy website, the way she wanted to be coached – "with encouragement, information and belief." Wood works with players on the field and off – she posts "mindful Monday" videos for her athletes, who range from grade schoolers to professionals. "Hey Summit Squad and happy mindful Monday! So we're going to talk about this idea of control today." And in 2019, she started the Summit Soccer Academy outside of Boston. Wood's future would include two NCAA women's soccer titles at the University of North Carolina, and several years playing in the NWSL for the Boston Breakers. "And I was kind of constantly looking into the future and just trying to survive the present." Coaching the way she wanted to be coached "It's like, how can I survive this with the long term goal in mind," she said. So Wood said she went into survival mode. She also didn't complain at the time because if she admitted there was something inappropriate happening and exposed him, she wouldn't be able to get the training she needed to play at an elite level. She never spoke up because at the time, she interpreted the "stretching and manipulating of my body" as a kind of fine-tuning for what she was trying to accomplish as an athlete. There was kissing and inappropriate touching. And then that's when it progresses from, you know, a hug when you arrive at training, to a kiss on the lips when you arrive at training." They make you believe that you can't get there without them. "They build trust," Wood said, "they make you feel special. We need to start building that trust and at this point, it's just not there yet. And so what ends up happening is we normalize that. "So we normalize a grown man yelling at a child and singling her out or humiliating her as an attempt to motivate," Wood said, "And we think, well, you know, this is kind of the way it's always been, and this is how you're going to actualize your potential. Especially at the elite youth levels, where those involved – coaches, athletes, parents, administrators – have practically accepted cycles of physical, mental and verbal abuse.
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, testify during a Senate hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI handling of the Larry Nassar investigation of sexual abuse of Olympic gymnasts, on Capitol Hill, September 15, 2021, in Washington, DC.Ībuse scandals in gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo, speed skating – over and over and.why?įormer pro soccer player and now coach, Rachel Wood, thinks the problems start young.
Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, gymnast Maggie Nichols, and U.S. "This has been a really dark and heavy week," Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg said afterwards, "for everyone in the league."
On a recent October night in Portland, Ore., the joy of a women's professional soccer match between the hometown Portland Thorns and visiting Houston Dash, was tempered by pain. The country's top women's pro soccer league, the NWSL, is still reeling from a scandal involving multiple coaches and alleged abusive behavior toward players.Īnd it has re-focused attention on an all-too-familiar problem: female athletes throughout sports experiencing abuse and harassment. The celebration, though, comes at a tumultuous time. The two teams played to a scoreless draw Thursday in Kansas City – a crowd of more than 18,000 cheered Lloyd as she came on as second-half substitute.
uniform next Tuesday in Minnesota, in a so-called friendly against South Korea. The popular, 39-year-old veteran of the women's national team will play her final game in a U.S. Portland Thorns and Houston Dash players, along with referees, gather at midfield, in demonstration of solidarity with two former NWSL players who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against a prominent coach, during an NWSL soccer match in Portland, Ore., Oct.