Former Utah Royals goalkeeper took a leave of absence in May
By Lesley Ryder
Former Utah Royals goalkeeper Carly Nelson shared a post on her social media Friday afternoon saying “I can no longer stay silent about the emotional and psychological abuse I endured” Nelson alleges that despite seeking support for her mental health, she was “met with resistance and public retaliation from the coaches responsible.”
Nelson’s arrival in Utah was a homecoming. The former Utah Ute led the PAC-12 in shutouts her senior year. In an interview with Salt City FC, she expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to be “the role model she never had growing up in Utah’s queer community.”
Carly Nelson played in the club’s season-opening match, a 2-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars, but she was replaced in the team’s second match. By May, she was listed as an “excused absence” on Utah’s weekly report. On May 29th, she announced she was taking a leave of absence for her mental health.
“I love this game with everything in me, but at the end of the day, it’s just soccer.” Nelson said in a statement shared on her Instagram stories. “It began bleeding into my personal life and poisoning my love for the game. To me, that cost is far too high for me to continue.”
The Utah Royals supported Nelson’s leave in a statement to KSL.com "As a club, Utah Royals FC and Real Salt Lake fully support Carly and her decision to step away from the team to focus on her mental health. URFC and the NWSL will continue to provide the resources she and others need."
In October, the club declined to extend Nelson’s contract, making her a free agent.
On Friday, Nelson shared more about her experience with the Utah Royals. “The retaliation and discrimination I faced for prioritizing my mental health made it clear that the club cared more about control than accountability. While some responsible were eventually removed, the damage had been done-not just to me, but to others as well.”
In July, the Utah Royals parted ways with head coach Amy Rodriguez, and goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel. At the time, Sporting Director Kelly Cousins explained to the media that the decision was not taken lightly, but made for the future of the club. “For us, it was definitely performance based, we want to be a successful team. We have a week break next week and six weeks building into our first league game and we can really use that as a mini pre-season to step into the second half of the season and make that positive and be ready for next season.”
Amy Rodriguez remains a coaching free agent, and Bard-Martel has since moved on to join the Montreal Roses of the Northern Super League as an assistant and goalkeeping coach.
On Friday, the Utah Royals released a statement in response to Carly Nelson’s post.
“Utah Royals FC prides itself in creating a positive and supportive experience for our players and staff. We take any allegations counter to this with the utmost seriousness and urgency. We were saddened to learn of a former player’s experience.
“Everyone deserves safe and supportive environments on and off the field of play. Our goal is to enable our athletes, our staff and employees to enjoy a nurturing, healthy and respectful workplace for all.”
The NWSL did not return a request for comment, but in a statement to The Athletic said “The health and welfare of players and staff is our top priority, and we’re committed to creating and sustaining healthy environments where everyone associated with our league can thrive. We have taken corrective action when necessary and will continue to work with all our clubs to ensure the resources necessary are in place to serve athletes and staff alike.”
The Utah Royals are the second club to be accused of fostering an emotionally abusive environment. In October, five former Wave FC employees filed a lawsuit against the club and the NWSL for discrimination and retaliation.