‘Protect Players’: Mana Shim Named To Lead USSF Participant Safety Task Force
Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 05:21PM By Barry Janoff
November 1, 2022: Stating that “There is no time to waste . . . we have to protect players,” Meliana “Mana” Shim, a former player for the National Women’s Soccer League who was among the first to report physical, verbal and emotional abuse done to her and other players by coaches, has been appointed the head of a new Participant Safety Taskforce by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
USSF said it created the task force in response to an independent report issued Oct. 3 by Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general and a partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters & Government Investigations practice, which spent a year investigating the abuse allegations.
“I’ve accepted a job as Chair of the new Participant Safety Taskforce at U.S. Soccer because there’s still so much that needs to be done when it comes to changing the culture of soccer in this country,” Shim, a third-year student at Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, posted to social media.
“I love this sport and I believe we have an opportunity in this moment to protect players and set a new standard for all sports. We don’t have any time to waste.”
Shim was a midfielder for the NWSL Portland Thorns (2013-17) and Houston Dash (2018-19).
She was also a major participant in the recently aired ESPN investigative report, Truth Be Told: The Fight For Women’s Professional Soccer.
“Sally Yates’s report made it clear that, for far too long, leaders across the soccer ecosystem — including at U.S. Soccer — have not taken responsibility for protecting players,” said Shim.
“But I believe in the capacity for change. As leader of the Taskforce, I am committed to ensuring not only that Yates’s recommendations are implemented, but that we push beyond them.”
According to Shim, “We need to find the root causes of our sport’s systemic failures and take action at every level — from the youth game to the professional game.”
USSF said it would name this week the Taskforce’s full membership and additional details about its mission and timeline for progress.
According to the USSF, “This Taskforce will coordinate efforts to implement the report’s recommendations across the soccer ecosystem and explore actions that can be taken above and beyond the report’s recommendations, from the youth level all the way up to professional leagues and senior national teams.”
The Yates investigation, which began in October 2021, not only confirmed numerous complaints by current and former players in the NWSL regarding allegations of years of physical and verbal abuse by coaches — which the players said had largely been ignored or undervalued — but said the situation was “systemic.”
The investigation conducted interviews with more than 200 former and current players — including Shim — coaches, owners and front office staff from USSF, NWSL and NWSL clubs. (See the full report here.)
A separate investigation is also on-going between the NWSL and NWSL Players Assn.
The two investigations have led to the removal or departure of numerous NWSL coaches and executives and the resignation of NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird in October 2021
Current NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman began her position on April 20, replacing interim commissioner Marla Messing, who assumed the role after Baird’s resignation.
Amid the challenges and issues, the NWSL just concluded its tenth anniversary season, calling it the most successful in its its history regarding growth in fans, marketing and media.
“I understood exactly what the challenges were, and are, and felt uniquely prepared to be able to address them on the basis of my background and experience,” Berman said during a media conference prior to the 2022 Championship Game between the Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current (Oct. 29), won by Portland.
“The last six months have really only validated, confirmed and inspired me to know and believe that this league has unlimited potential.”
Photo: ESPN
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