Portland Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson on Thursday thanked the women who have spoken out about abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League and called on the league to create a “new world standard” for “player welfare and safety.”
“Once all the investigations are complete,” she said, “I look forward to seeing action plans and concrete steps, which must provide the opportunity for the NWSL to set a new world standard for promoting player welfare and safety.”
The respected former player and coach, through a social media statement, spoke publicly for the first time since the release of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s yearlong investigation into alleged misconduct and abuses across the league, which has thrust the Thorns and its leadership to the forefront of controversy.
Since the release of the damning findings Monday morning, owner Merritt Paulson has fired top executives Gavin Wilkinson and Mike Golub and faced calls from fans and media to sell the Thorns and the Portland Timbers.
Rhian Wilkinson, hired to coach the Thorns last December, said the release of the investigation has caused “a reckoning for the sport I love” but said she would refrain from speaking further about the matter until she reads the findings of an independent joint investigation by the NWSL and its player union, which is scheduled to be released later this year.
“I would like to express my profound thanks to all the women who have come forward and who have spoken so bravely about the abuses they suffered,” Rhian Wilkinson said in the statement. “Change is happening because of you.”
Here’s her full statement:
“Being hired as the head coach of the Portland Thorns has been one of the highlights of my life: The players I get to work with are exceptional both on and off the field, my staff are among the hardest working and highest character professionals you will ever find, the club is supportive, and the fan base the very best in women’s soccer. This week has been a reckoning for the sport I love. I would like to express my profound thanks to all the women who have come forward and who have spoken so bravely about the abuses they suffered. Change is happening because of you.
“I came into this job after at turbulent 2021 for the club. I took the job after an extensive interview process, and after meeting with an owner and an organization that were actively taking steps to improve player safety measures and protocols. I made it clear that I needed this to be a top priority for my players and for my staff. I was a player on the Portland Thorns in 2015, and returning in 2022 I felt that this club was committed to helping set the standard for player welfare and safety in women’s soccer worldwide. 2021 was a year with plenty of on-field success, but off the field the players found themselves obliged to be media spokespeople, whether they wanted to or not. I believe that my primary role as the coach of this team in 2022 is to protect and support my players, and I want to give them time to reflect on the recently released Yates report. Individual players may choose to speak publicly on these issues when they feel ready to do so, but I would ask that unless they do, they be respected and given all the space and time they may need.
“I will personally refrain from commenting fully on the situation until I have read the final NWSL and NWSLPA joint investigation report. What is clear is that this league and the teams within it have not properly protected the players. Once all the investigations are complete, I look forward to seeing action plans and concrete steps, which must provide the opportunity for the NWSL to set a new world standard for promoting player welfare and safety.”
-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
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