A man has been charged after reportedly threatening a player during a youth soccer match in Vaughan, according to police.
The suspect, who is the parent of a player, allegedly threatened a child from the opposing team, leading to the game’s cancellation, York Regional Police stated in a news release on Monday.
The incident took place during a U13 girls soccer game between Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club (KNSC) and Glen Shields Juventus FC on June 20 at Concord Thornhill Regional Park, coaches for KNSC told CBC Toronto.
About 10 minutes into the second half, a KNSC player collided with a Glen Shields player, said Nikita Moriarity, assistant coach for KNSC.
A video from the game shared by KNSC seems to capture the moment when two players collided, resulting in one girl falling to the ground.
After the referee blew the whistle, someone can be heard yelling, “I’m going to f-king stab you.”
A young player is heard saying: “He told me he’s going to stab me,” while another spectator added, “Yeah, I heard that. I also heard that.”
A 53-year-old man from Vaughan was taken into custody on Friday and charged with one count of uttering threats, police reported.
Authorities are not disclosing the age of the affected player since they are considered a youth.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to reach out to police or provide an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.
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Team has temporarily barred individual from activities
Moriarity mentioned that one of her players was “obviously distraught, very fearful” following the remark made during the game. “When you have parents who should be role models and encourage young minds acting or saying those kinds of things from the bench-no matter who it’s directed at-that’s concerning,” she told CBC Toronto. KNSC assistant coach Nikita Moriarity said a player for the club was ‘obviously distraught, very fearful’ after the comment was made. (Mathis Cardinal/CBC) However, Glen Shields Juventus FC stated in an Instagram post on Friday that they conducted an internal review of what happened-including examining “available footage” and collecting eyewitness accounts-and determined that the comment was directed toward an adult at the game rather than a child player. “While early media reports suggested that it was aimed at a young player our findings do not support that account,” said the club in their statement. The individual alleged to have made this comment has been temporarily suspended from participating in any club events “pending the outcome of a full investigation by appropriate authorities,” according to their statement. “Glen Shields Juventus FC maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against abusive behavior in any form-whether directed at players, referees, coaches or spectators.” In an email correspondence with media outlets about this incident, club president Aldo Lippa mentioned they will not be making further comments. Both teams are affiliated with York Region Soccer Association (YRSA). The association’s sporting director Tony Fonseca informed CBC Toronto via email that they are aware of this situation and both teams along with YRSA are “acting accordingly” as law enforcement continues its investigation. “This does not represent the excellent sportsmanship and respect displayed consistently by all our member clubs throughout York Region every time they take to field,” he wrote.“Such unacceptable behaviors have no place within our environments.”
Head coach calls for accountability
Ontario Soccer confirmed awareness of this incident but indicated YRSA is managing it due to its involvement with local clubs.
If Ontario Soccer receives any formal complaints about this event they’ll assign it to an independent third-party for management.
KNSC head coach Andrea Yepez expressed her desire for ensuring safety and protection for girls and women involved in soccer.
She noted having faced intimidation before as female coaching within male-dominated spaces but feels this alleged threat “raisedthe bar.”
“[Are] there certain protocols or procedures put in place for protecting female players?” she asked.KSNC head coach Andrea Yepez remarked facing intimidation previously as female leadership amid male-centric sport while stressing alleged threat ‘increased severity.’ (Mathis Cardinal/CBC)
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