Player safety concerns surface with another Long Island youth soccer coach facing sex charges

A state youth soccer group has suspended the coaching license of a Long Island man who allegedly sent lewd messages to a 13-year-old, sparking concerns about player safety months after another coach went to prison for sex abuse.

In addition, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit with investigative authority, has listed the defendant in the recent case, Kyle Bradbury, 27, of Long Beach, as temporarily suspended from coaching in its programs across the country due to "allegations of misconduct." 

SafeSport, launched in 2017 in response to the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal, maintains a public disciplinary database of coaches banned or restricted from sports for organizations affiliated with Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies, spokeswoman Hilary Nemchik said.

On Aug. 10, Bradbury pleaded not guilty in a Central Islip court to charges including a felony count of using a child younger than 17 in a sexual performance and a felony count of criminal solicitation.

Police allege Bradbury, a trainer, met the 13-year-old at Dix Hills Soccer Club and in April exchanged messages with her on Snapchat that included requests for graphic photos. Bradbury's Melville attorney, Michaelangelo Matera, didn't respond to a request for comment last week but told Newsday after his client's arraignment that he's confident he'll be vindicated.

Bradbury's arrest follows the December sentencing of former Franklin Square soccer coach Sean Johnsen, 39, to 1 to 3 years in prison on felony convictions that included using an underage player in a sexual performance and third-degree rape. Prosecutors said his conduct began when the female victim was 15.

"When you hear something like this, it gives you a red flag, just like you go on alert when you have young kids," soccer dad Maher Bousaid, 48, of Elmont, said of one coach's conviction and allegations against another.

Bousaid has three children, ages 10, 13 and 17, playing soccer in three leagues and believes clubs should post coach and trainer names and information about suspensions online.

"Hopefully this will send a message to all the coaches or anybody dealing with a child," Bousaid said.

When it comes to talking to his children, the father said his message is "just let us know right away, don't be afraid" if a threat to their safety arises.

Gap in 'formal coaching education'

On Long Island, the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association is one of the main organizations that issues coach and trainer licenses on behalf of U.S. Soccer, the official governing body of the sport in the nation that provides formal coach training courses.

The association, which last week suspended Bradbury’s coaching license, includes about 110 clubs on the Island, according to spokesman Randy Vogt. Bradbury's father, Tim Bradbury, is listed as the association's director of coaching instruction. He didn't respond to a request for comment last week.

Vogt said in a statement two days after Kyle Bradbury's arraignment that "no inference of guilt by association should be made against anyone" connected with the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association "or toward the individual's family member, who continues to be associated with" the organization.

The association requires all coaches and trainers to pass a screening company's background check, a process repeated every two years. It includes gathering information on a person's work history, education and driving record, along with checking for any criminal records and involvement in lawsuits. The licensees also must take annual SafeSport courses in abuse awareness and prevention.

Separately, the Kansas City, Missouri-based nonprofit United Soccer Coaches also issues soccer coaching licenses. 

But while those organizations have strict vetting for coaches and trainers, smaller community youth groups or clubs that aren't associated with umbrella organizations are able to set their own rules, national experts said. It's unclear if any such teams exist on Long Island.

Soccer consultant Sam Snow, who retired in 2018 as technical director at U.S. Youth Soccer, which bills itself as the nation’s largest youth sports organization, said the result is a set of guidelines that aren't uniformly applied.

"There’s a gap in the formal coaching education, because those smaller organizations are usually happy to get somebody to volunteer and they don't necessarily say, 'Oh, by the way, you also have to go spend X amount of dollars and X amount of time for this formal coaching course and get a license,' " Snow added.

Dionne Koller, director of the Center for Sport and the Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, said SafeSport's authority should be expanded to include all sports clubs. The federal government also could set minimum safety standards for all youth sports, according to Koller, who is co-chair of the Commission on the State of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

"A lot of youth sports providers are just independent. And in fact, a lot of youth sports providers don't want to affiliate with national governing bodies because they would have to adhere to the SafeSport code," said Koller, who added that some parents "might not realize that."

'Keeping an eye out'

Johnsen, the coach who's in prison, was arrested in 2020 and affiliated with a team within the Franklin Square Raiders Club. The club has roughly 600 players between intramural and travel teams. 

Alex McKendry, the club's president, declined to comment on Johnsen's case. But he said it's up to all the adults involved to stay aware of any safety issues.

"The best thing in the world is parents and coaches and trainers keeping an eye out ... everyone keeping an eye on each other and report. If you see something is wrong, say something," McKendry said.

The soccer official said the Franklin Square club follows Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association rules.

"Could there be more? Of course," he added of the current requirements.

McKendry said every year, coaches and trainers have to get recertified with SafeSport, but as with many other local groups, the club is a volunteer, parent-led organization. "You can only set up the guidelines and hope that they follow them," he added. 

Kieran Griffin, president of the New Hyde Park Wildcats soccer club, said the organization adheres to Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association standards.

"Anybody who is working with children, even a parent administrator who may never see the field ... has to be SafeSport certified," Griffin said.

He said he believes the system is designed to "stamp out" any type of misconduct. But he said it's also up to parents to be aware of their children's activities.

"I mean, the reality is, when you look at it, 99% of the folks who work with kids do amazing work, and they're in it for the right reason and they are protecting kids," Griffin added.

But he recognizes that's not always the case.

"We've seen over the last two or three years here on the Island, every so often you have somebody who has ruined that trust," Griffin said.