Well, we finally have some kind of resolution to the infamous “Soccer Coach Affair.”
On Tuesday, Crown Counsel stayed assault charges against Richmond FC coach Roberto Sciascia. The Crown stated that, in this case, “alternative measures” are appropriate to address “harm to the community,” although those measures were not disclosed.
In other words, Sciascia has not exactly been exonerated, but nor will he be saddled with criminal charges. Regarding his coaching career, BC Soccer and the Richmond FC (RFC) banned him indefinitely when the charges were laid last April. It’s unclear if that ban will now be lifted.
Either way, feelings about this outcome are going to be sharply divided. The families who initiated the charges may feel Sciascia has not been adequately held to account for what they considered on-field abusive behaviour. (One assault charge was a result of putting his hands near a player’s neck in a mock choking gesture to demonstrate how they were going to “choke” the opposition. The second charge appears to have been in the same vein.)
Others are incensed that this whole matter went to court in the first place.
Sciascia is a colourful character, who had his fans and detractors long before these incidents came to light. As a soccer mom who’s stood on the sidelines in Richmond for a good 13 years, I’ve heard the chatter.
While some parents appreciated how he refused to molly coddle players and set a high bar; others felt he took it too far — reportedly intimidating players. Clearly, what constitutes “over the line” is not always clear.
I remember one tournament that my son was playing in where his coach was yelling to the point that parents from other games were turning to watch the commotion. One father was horrified, as was his kid. That boy soon quit the team. On the way home in the car, I asked my son how he felt about the yelling. He shrugged and said, “Well, we did suck.” Again, what’s over the line for one kid is “whatever” for another.
Obviously, we want kids to enjoy the game. Screaming and belittling players is probably not going to do it. At the same time, sports can provide some amazing life lessons and dealing with fiery coaches can be part of it.
The take away for RFC is to ensure concerned parents feel heard. The fact this case has concluded with “restorative measures” suggests there were legitimate concerns, but the matter could have been handled outside of court. Even if that’s not the case, RFC owes it to itself to look carefully at what went wrong here — and I trust it will.
My kids have had great experiences with Richmond soccer, and that’s what we deserve to be known for.
