If I have learned one thing from my experience in this ocean of harm, it is that change will never happen if the organizations and individuals perpetrating abuse aren’t held accountable
The horrific stories about North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley – abuse that is alleged to have taken place while he was in charge at several top clubs in the National Women’s Soccer League – were personally triggering. I have heard countless accounts of harm in sport over the last few years, and the patterns in the stories of Riley’s abusive behavior – and those of his enablers – are strikingly familiar.
In February 2019, after some teammates and I had tried to report our own story of abuse and its aftermath over 30 times to no avail, I published a blog post entitled: A Horrific Canadian Soccer Story – The Story No One Wants to Listen To, But Everyone Needs to Hear.