Chicago Red Stars Ownership Statement

We apologize to Christen Press, Jennifer Hoy, Samantha Johnson and those players who didn’t feel safe to come forward, and we are deeply sorry for the pain they endure.

As the owners of the Chicago Red Stars, we commit to holding ourselves accountable and to doing better. There is no place for any type of abuse in women’s sports. The fact that it happened here, despite the belief that we had mechanisms in place to prevent it, means our club will require significant reflection and evaluation to ensure this does not happen again.

The NWSL has already put many new mechanisms in place to protect the players going forward (including multiple anonymous ways to report abuse). We are working to add capabilities for the players at the club level, as well. More detail on that will be provided as we continue this dialogue with players and fans. Specifically, regarding the new coach search:

• We will ensure active player involvement in the identification and selection of the new coach

• We will mandate interviews of coaching candidates that include sports psychologists and other professionals who can more deeply screen candidates

• We will conduct thorough background checks and interviews with prior peers, players and team staff

The Chicago Red Stars are motivated to be a part of positive change for the NWSL while also recognizing the ways in which we have contributed to a culture that did not sufficiently prioritize the health and safety of our players, and we commit to ensuring this team succeeds in years to come by being a player-centric organization.