NWSL commissioner feels Racing Louisville FC is now set up for success

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As she watches a Racing Louisville FC training session, National Women's Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman feels much different than her last visit to Louisville towards the end of the 2022 season.

She was in Louisville for the NWSL's 1,000th regular-season game as Racing hosts OL Reign on April 29 at 7:30 p.m.

"There was just a cloud hanging over a lot of the players in each market that feels like it has now been lifted," Berman said. "But for this community with Racing Louisville in particular, the players feel like they are inspired and so positive about the direction of the league."

The club was in need of new direction after two separate investigations revealed Racing fired its first head coach Christy Holly during its inaugural season in 2021 for allegedly sexually abusing former Louisville defender Erin Simon. 

Those reports also confirmed other cultural issues within the organization that led to other alleged abuses.

As part of its response, Racing made two major hires: assistant coach Bev Yanez in November and the club's first general manager Ryan Dell in March. The league mandated Racing have a separate sporting staff from the United Soccer League's Louisville City FC, which is also owned by Soccer Holdings, LLC. 

"With the changes that have been made here, the investment in new assistant coaches and a new general manager, coupled with what already existed here with the training facility, this club really does feel like it's set up for success," Berman said.

The commissioner spoke with Racing players before and after a Friday training session and later during lunch. During those conversations, there was repeated praise for Dell and what he has brought during his limited time with the club.

Berman said it was an "incredibly smart decision" for Soccer Holdings CEO and President John Neace to hire Dell. She said Dell brings a level of professionalism that's curated for elite athletes.

She says every Racing player she spoke to on Friday said, "that [Dell's] presence here has elevated their experience on a day-to-day basis and actually made them feel like those little details are being attended to that actually matter in the course of their day."

The NWSL/NWSLPA joint investigation pointed out the club's lax hiring process for Holly didn't go far enough to assess his abusive treatment of players from his time as head coach of Sky Blue FC, now Gotham FC.

So when Neace called Berman to better vet Dell, she said she believes that was an example of a step in the right direction for vetting any organizational hire.

"It was a recognition that the club really wanted to ensure it was making the best possible decision and the most informed decision," Berman said. "And it's hard to know when you've done enough due diligence."

She said it's a process not just happening here in Lousiville but in all markets. 

"I think the fact that those calls were made and are being made," Berman said. "To make sure that they're learning and understanding the information that would be most important to their hiring decisions is a really key element for how this league will move forward."

One of the ways to continue doing that is involving current players, as well as those elsewhere who have experience with a candidate, in the hiring process.

Racing players have had a say in not just the hiring of Dell, but also in bringing on current head coach Kim Björkegren. 

"Some of the issues that have transpired in this league wouldn't necessarily show up on a background check," Berman said, adding that clubs are now doing reputational checks to see what kind of leader is being hired.

From her conversations with some of Racing's newest players, acquired via free agency or trades, Berman thinks they feel the rest of the league has some homework to do on Louisville. 

"The theme I heard from them over and over again is that Louisville is the best-kept secret in the National Women's Soccer League," Berman said. "Why do more players not know about what the experience is like on a day-to-day basis for players?"

She said if they did now that then Louisville would be "a destination market" for top free agents across the league. 

"That's something that I think the club -- and we -- can do a better job of telling the story of the investments they've made in the two areas that are most important to players: sporting staff and the facility," Berman said.

With the staff changes and current state-of-the-art facilities in Lynn Family Stadium as well as the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, Berman believes the only top-tier professional sports team in Kentucky should not just be celebrated more in its third season. She thinks there will be more to celebrate.

"We think there's certainly a solid foundation to build upon and also a lot of room for growth," she said. "We want to see that stadium sold out every single weekend and we think it can be. We think with the foundation that's been put in place by this ownership group and the incredible team that's been assembled on the pitch that they can achieve that."

Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.

Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.