Police have charged a man with uttering threats after an incident during a U13 girls soccer game in Vaughan last week where coaches say a parent threatened to stab someone.
Who exactly the threat was directed at, however, is in dispute between the two teams.
The incident happened during a game between Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club (KNSC) and Glen Shields Juventus FC on June 20 at Concord Thornhill Regional Park.
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 recording of the game provided by KNSC appears to show a moment where two players collided, with one girl falling to the ground.
After the referee blows the whistle, a voice can be heard shouting, “I’m going to f—king stab you.”
A young player can be heard saying: “He told me he’s going to stab me” with a spectator adding “Yeah, I heard that. I also heard that.”
York Regional Police said a man was arrested on Friday in connection with the incident and was charged with uttering threats.
Moriarity said the threat was directed at a KNSC player, who was “obviously distraught, very fearful” after the comment was made.
“When you have parents who are supposed to be role models, who are supposed to be encouraging and developing young minds, acting or saying those kind of things on the bench, regardless of who it’s directed at, that’s concerning,” she told CBC Toronto.
However, in a statement posted to Instagram Friday, Glen Shields Juventus FC said they conducted an internal review of the incident, which including analyzing “available footage” and gathering eyewitness accounts, and found the comment was made toward an adult at the game, not a player.
“While early media reported an public statements suggested the comment was made toward a young player, our findings do not support that account,” the club said in its statement.
The individual alleged to have made the comment has been temporarily restricted from from participating in any club activities, “pending the outcome of a full investigation by the appropriate authorities,” the statement says.
“Glen Shields Juventus FC upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy toward abusive behaviour in any form, whether directed a players, referees, coaches, or spectators.”
In an email, the club’s president Aldo Lippa said it will not be speaking to media about the incident.
Both clubs are part of the York Region Soccer Association (YRSA.) The association’s sporting director Tony Fonseca said it is aware of the incident in an email to CBC Toronto, and that the teams and the YRSA are “acting accordingly” as the police investigation continues, he said.
“This does not reflect the great sportsmanship and respect demonstrated at all times by all our member clubs in York Region every time they step on the field,” he wrote.
“Such deplorable behaviours do not have a place in our environments.”
Ontario Soccer said it was also aware of the incident in a statement, but the YRSA is managing the case since it involves clubs in their district.
If a formal complaint is filed with Ontario Soccer, the organization said an independent third-party will manage the case.
But KSNC head coach Andrea Yepez said she is questioning whether Ontario Soccer will take action after the incident to protect girls and women in soccer.
“[Are] there certain protocols or procedures put in place for the safety of the female players?” she said.
Yepez said she has dealt with intimidation before as a female coach in a male-dominated sport, but the alleged threat “raised the bar.”
She is calling for consequences after the incident, which she said reflects an ongoing toxic culture among some clubs and parents.
“We’re not going to just roll over … We’re going to keep working, keep maintaining the goals and our character,” she said.
