wildpixel How Whistleblower Laws Will Protect Competitive Youth Athletes
After decades of abuse being silenced, whistleblower laws are one way to add a much-needed layer of protection for young athletes and their parents who allege abuse by a coach.
January 28, 2021 at 12:00 PM
8 minute read
On Dec. 10, 2020, Bob Birarda, coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps women's soccer team, was charged with sexually abusing several female athletes. The majority of athletes who trained under Birarda welcomed the filing of formal charges.
For more than 20 years, the Whitecap soccer players attempted to report the abuse to the team's owner and governing body. Former player Ciara McCormack documented the abuse she and other athletes suffered in a series of blog posts. McCormack detailed how players lived in fear of their coach; the athletes knew they had no protection from Birarda's power and complete control of professional Canadian women's soccer, so they remained silent about the abuse.
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