In the wake of abuse by coaches throughout the NWSL coming to light in 2021, U.S. Soccer commissioned an investigation which culminated in the Yates Report, which resulted in U.S. Soccer creating the Safe Soccer Clearance Program. The program has three phases. Currently the program is voluntary.

• Phase 1 of the program includes SafeSport training, Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments training, reading and acceptance of U.S. Soccer’s Code of Conduct, and confirmation of the accuracy of contact information.
• Phase 2 of the program includes, completion of phase 1, Positive Soccer Environments, and DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging).
• Phase 3 of the program includes completion of phase 2 and a background screening.   

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The first two sentences of the NWSL Coach Code of Conduct state:

“Coaches shall hold themselves to the highest standard of coaching within the soccer ecosystem and promote a positive and safe environment for all participants.”

“Coaches shall comply with the NWSL coach licensing standards (as defined in Operations Manual Section 8.19) and seek continuous personal and professional development.”

The code of conduct makes no mention of specifics. It seems the NWSL Operations Manual would have the specifics, but it is not made public.  

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In 2015 U.S. Soccer revamped it's coaching education, creating the Pro License which is the current highest. In 2018, U.S. Soccer again made changes to its coaching education, this time in an effort to improve the grassroots pathway. Information about the USSF coaching license pathway is here.

The U.S. Soccer Directory “serves as a verification of record for users that have current coaching, referee and compliance related certifications on file with U.S. Soccer. Active licensing and/or compliance certifications represent satisfactory completion of course related criteria.” 

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With the NWSL currently in the midst of pre-season, let’s have a look at the San Diego Wave coaches.

Jonas Eidevall – Head Coach

NWSL History: Eidevall was named head coach of the Wave in January 2025. He takes over after the Wave's carousel of coaches last season. Eidevall has his work cut out for him in his first job in the NWSL and the U.S.  The Wave and the NWSL are currently being sued by six former female employees, which will inevitability cause greater scrutiny of the club as the suit progresses. On top of that the Wave have lost a significant portion of their shield winning roster. This includes the recent loss of Naomi Girma and Jayden Shaw, who both requested a trade in 2024.      

• Highest License: According to the Wave press release announcing his hiring, Eidevall has a UEFA Pro License. 

Eidevall does not appear to be in the USSF database, which would mean:

• No Safe Soccer Clearance 
• No Background Screening
• No SafeSport
• No Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments

Becky Tweed – Assistant Coach (in directory as Rebecca Tweed)

NWSL history: Tweed started her NWSL career as an assistant coach at Gotham FC in 2020. She remained with Gotham through the 2022 season. In 2023, Tweed joined Angel City FC as an assistant coach. Angel City fired their head coach midway through the 2023 season, and they named Tweed as interim head coach. Under Tweed, Angel City made the playoffs resulting in the club removing her interim status for the 2024 season. In December 2024, Angel City announced that they fired Tweed. The Wave announced Tweed’s hiring at the end of January 2025.

• Highest License: A - Senior, issued 1/20/2021. The Wave’s press release announcing her hiring says that Tweed is currently working to earn a USSF Pro license.
• Safe Soccer Clearance: phase 2 of 3 complete, issued 10/25/2024 and expires 7/27/2025
• No Background Screening
• SafeSport: issued 7/27/2024 and valid through 7/27/2025
• Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments: issued 9/27/2024 and valid through 9/27/2025

Jack Jensen – Assistant Coach

NWSL History:  The Wave announced Jensen’s hiring at the end of January 2025. This is his first time coaching in the NWSL and the U.S.

• Highest License: According to the Wave press release announcing his hiring, Jensen has a UEFA Pro License. "He has also earned his master’s degree in sports science with a specialization in high-intensity training in football from the University of Copenhagen".

Jensen does not appear to be in the USSF database, which would mean:

• No Safe Soccer Clearance 
• No Background Screening
• No SafeSport
• No Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments

Kenneth Mattsson – Head of Goalkeeping

NWSL History:  The Wave announced Mattsson’s hiring at the end of January 2025. This is his first time coaching in the NWSL and the U.S. 

• Highest License: According to the Wave press release announcing his hiring, Mattsson has a UEFA A Goalkeeper License. He also has a "master’s degree in sports science from Malmö University". 

Mattsson does not appear to be in the USSF database, which would mean:

• No Safe Soccer Clearance 
• No Background Screening
• No SafeSport
• No Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments

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At the end of June 2024, the Wave fired their 2023 NWSL Shield winning coach, Casey Stoney, while she was home in England attending a funeral. Paul Buckle was named interim head coach. In mid-August the Wave announced Landon Donovan as yet another interim head coach, as the club said that Buckle had not been able to commit to finishing out the season. Shockingly to probably no one other than Jill Ellis, who hired Donovan despite his lack of qualifications after he recommended himself, Donovan did not lead the team to the playoffs, which Ellis said in her post firing Stoney press conference was the expectation for the club and the reason she fired Stoney after a slow start to the 2024 season. The Wave announced the conclusion of Donovan's tenure in November 2024.

A former Wave employee, Brittany Alvarado, spoke out in July 2024 to say that the Wave has a toxic culture. Among what Alvarado said was that “San Diego Wave was ostensibly founded on principles of equity, championing women and minorities in leadership, and prioritizing mental health and well-being. Yet, the reality for myself and many others working for this club starkly contradicts these claims. Despite its public proclamations, the organization often perpetuated discrimination against women and demonstrated a complete disregard for their long-term mental health.” Several other former employees followed with similar proclamations of there being a toxic environment at the Wave.

The Wave put out a statement saying the claims made by Alvarado were false “including the ones directed at our president Jill Ellis”, and proclaimed they were looking into taking legal action. The club did not address that other former employees had concurred with Alvarado. The Wave itself never did follow through on this threat of legal action, but Jill Ellis did sue Alvarado for defamation. Alvarado has filed an anti-SLAPP motion (anti-SLAPP laws are protections for free speech), which is scheduled to be heard on March 28, 2025. The judge granted Ellis limited discovery, but it appears that the discovery will be filed under seal due to a protective order filed by Ellis. The burden is on Ellis to show that she is likely to win the case. If this burden is not met, the case will be dismissed.

On October 7, 2024, five former female employees – including Brittany Alvarado – sued the Wave and the NWSL. On October 31, 2024 a sixth former female employee joined the suit. Two of the former employees sued under a pseudonym (as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2) pursuant to Marsy's Law, which is a California law that protects and expands the rights of victims. Both Jane Does say that they were sexually harassed by the same Wave employee. There are fifteen causes of action in the complaint: disability discrimination; failure to make reasonable accommodation; failure to engage in good faith interactive process; racial discrimination; sexual harassment; failure to investigate and prevent discrimination and harassment; retaliation in violation of government code 12940; wrongful termination; violation of sick leave policy; violation of California Family Rights Act; retaliation for engaging in protected activity; tortious interference with future employment; wrongful constructive discharge; negligent hiring ,retention, supervision, and training; and negligence. The full complaint can be read here. 

Given all that transpired off the field last season, one would think that the Wave would want to dot their i's and cross their t's. Yet, none of their coaches have completed the Safe Soccer Clearance Program. Becky Tweed has completed two of the three stages of the program, but she has worked in the NWSL since before the creation of the program, yet has not completed it. The other three Wave coaches - Jonas Eidevall, Jack Jensen, Kenneth Mattsson - have only been with the club since January, so it could be argued that they should have more time to complete it. However, it could also be argued that a coach should complete the program before beginning to actually coach, given that when U.S. Soccer announced the program it was billed as transforming the safeguarding "approach from simply “red-lighting” bad actors after an incident has happened, to “green-lighting” them before they begin participating in the sport, which will prevent potentially bad actors from ever having a role in soccer".  

The Safe Soccer Clearance Program is voluntary and the Wave and/or the NWSL may have conducted background checks without putting it into the USSF system. However, the NWSL is still dealing with the effects of previous rampant abuse, the league is currently being sued alongside the San Diego Wave, and in January former Utah Royal, Carly Nelson, spoke out about the abuse she endured last season. The Safe Soccer Clearance Program is hardly a cure all, but shouldn’t the NWSL and U.S. Soccer want – if not outright mandate - that NWSL coaches complete this program that was created because of the misconduct that occurred in the league?