Parent allegedly threatens to stab 12-year-old soccer player during game in Vaughan

An image of the soccer match between two U13 girls teams on June 20 (left), and what the field looks like in the day (right). (Andrea Yepez, City_of_Vaughan/X)

Clarification: A previous version of this story suggested the youth is 12 years old. York Regional Police said that while the person targeted was a youth, she was not 12 years old. Investigators declined to provide the youth’s exact age.

Police are investigating after multiple coaches with a girl’s soccer team in Vaughan, Ont. said a parent hurled a death threat at one of their 12-year-old players during a recent game—an incident which the opposing team is denying happened as described.

Two U13 teams, Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club (KNSC)’s iModel and Glen Shield Juventus FC, took to the soccer field at Concord Thornhill Regional Park on June 20 to play the last game of their regular season. Despite the game being rescheduled and a last-minute field switch, the match was unfolding in typical fashion.

But about 15 minutes into the second half, the game took a turn for the worse.

In video reviewed by CTV News Toronto, two players—one from each team—can be seen chasing after the ball toward the far end of the field, close to the sidelines. It appears the KNSC player bumps into the Juventus player, causing them to fall onto the ground and prompting the referee to blow their whistle.

As soon as the whistle blows, a man’s voice can be heard shouting: “I’m going to f***ing stab you.”

Based on the footage alone, it is unclear who made the comment or who it was directed at but KNSC’s coaches say it was a parent from the other team who allegedly hurled the threat toward one of their players.

Juventus tells CTV News Toronto in a statement that it “categorically rejects the version of events being described by the opposing team’s coaches,” calling it “both inaccurate and misleading.”

It adds that it is aware of the footage that was taken from this match but said “it does not make clear what is being said, especially given that the event in question took place on the opposite side of the field, away from the camera.”

“It was obviously disruptive. It was also traumatizing for a young girl, being 12 years old, to hear an adult say something that made her so fearful,” Nikita Moriarity, KNSC’s assistant coach, told CTV News Toronto.

Moriarity said that the player who she believes the threat was directed towards was understandably “distraught” following the incident.

She said that the atmosphere at the field also immediately shifted as players and parents realized the seriousness of the comment.

“It was no longer about the fun of the game. It was no longer about the competition of the game, all of that was now gone,” Moriarity said. “It was about the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of a 12-year-old young girl.”

Andrea Yepez, KNSC’s head coach, and Jessica Ponce, assistant coach, also confirmed Moriarity’s description of the events to CTV News Toronto.

They said that as soon as the comment was made they started talking to the referee to discuss what should be done but were met with indifference.

“He said, ‘Well, it’s a parent. I can’t do much about the parents,’” Yepez recounted. “It felt kind of like it was being a little undermined, about the severity of what was called or what was heard.”

After Yepez said she spoke with the referee and expressed concerns for her team’s safety and whether the match should continue, the call was made to end the game. Instead of apologies from the other team, Ponce says the Juventus coach accused them of not wanting to play the game anymore.

“Then he just picked up his stuff and he kind of furiously walked off the coaching side, and he started to walk towards the parents. And then, I didn’t hear it, but various parents came to me afterwards saying that the coach was saying, ‘Come and join Juventus, better coaching staff. You’re not happy with your coaches, come to us. We’re the better team. We’re the winning team,’ and then walked away,” Ponce said.

Aldo Lippa, club president for Glen Shields Juventus FC, tells CTV News Toronto they take allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” seriously, and that they do not condone any kind of threatening behaviour that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of anyone involved.

“At this time, we are conducting an internal review of the situation and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities as needed. To date, we have not received any formal communication from York Regional Police beyond what has been reported publicly,” Lippa said in a written statement. “Based on the information currently available to us, we categorically reject the version of events being described by the opposing team’s coaches, which we believe to be both inaccurate and misleading.”

Police investigating reported threat

York Regional Police confirmed to CTV News Toronto that they have been notified of an incident, saying a call was made the following morning.

“We are investigating the reports of a threat being uttered from a parent spectator to a youth (player) on an opposing team. No charges have been laid at this time, however investigators have identified the suspect,” Const. James Dickson said in an emailed statement.

Johnny Misley, president of Ontario Soccer, said they are aware of what had transpired on the field between KNSC and Glen Shields Juventus, adding they take abuse allegations “very seriously.”

“As such, we started a process where the York Region Soccer Association, that is the governing district over these two clubs, are managing the case,” Misley said, noting the two teams involved are direct members of YRSA.

Since referees were involved during the dispute, Misley said there’s a protocol that needs to be followed in relation to game-related discipline.

“Obviously, they understand the game was abandoned, so there’s reports that are done, so they follow-up with those jurisdictions. Plus, they have abilities to do other things as well. They could, for example, they could fine the clubs based on their own policies and procedures that deal with unruly control over parents and those types of things,” Misley said.

Tony Fonseca, the sporting director for York Region Soccer Association, called what allegedly transpired “repulsive,” telling CTV News Toronto the organization will await the results of York Regional Police’s investigation before conducting their own probe into what happened.

“The two clubs and York Region Association are acting accordingly to ensure that situations like this will never happen again. Those deplorable behaviours should be banned from our environments,” Fonseca said.

Because the accused parent is not a direct member of the YRSA, Fonseca says it is up to Juventus on what they will do next. The team, for its part, says it will address any concerns that are revealed through their own internal investigation.

But members of KNSC’s coaching staff say that the incident has them concerned about the toxic environment that young girls can sometimes face while competing in youth sports.

“I want to stress that this is no longer about the game. It’s about the safety and well-being of children and specifically, the alarming reality that a 12-year-old girl was threatened with a violent act during a sanctioned soccer match, in front of referees, coaches, and parents,” Yepez said.

“We are trying to create a safe, inclusive space for girls in sport … not lose them due to traumatic experiences like this.”