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Disgraced former Vancouver Whitecaps women’s soccer coach Bob Birarda was sentenced Wednesday to two years in custody – including 16 months in jail and eight months of a conditional sentence – for sexual offences involving teenaged girls.
Birarda was led out of court in handcuffs following Judge Deanne Gaffar’s pronouncement of the sentence Wednesday afternoon.
Birarda, 55, pled guilty in February to four charges, including three counts of sexual assault and one charge of sexual touching while in a position of authority. The victims, whose identities are protected by a publication ban, were all female players on the teams he coached between 1988 and 2008.
During those two decades, Birarda was a prominent figure in the soccer community, running a soccer academy in the Lower Mainland and coaching at both provincial and national levels.
Before reading her decision, Gaffar addressed the court, saying she is aware Birarda's case has garnered significant public attention. "I'm acutely aware that this sentencing process and outcome will not meet the expectations of many, regardless of the amount of incarceration imposed. For some, the period of incarceration will never be enough. For others, it will be too much," she said.
But the judge cautioned, "The law, not emotion nor outrage drives this process."
In reading her decision, the judge described the cases as "both troubling and tragic for all parties."
The judge described circumstances of the offences, outlined earlier by Crown counsel Linda Ostry in an agreed statement of facts in the case.
Each of the four victims – teenage girls under 18 at the time – had played for elite soccer teams coached by Birarda, who was between 21 and 40 at the time of the offences.
The relationship of coach and player was at the heart of their relationships, said the judge, putting Birarda in a position of trust over the teens. Each victim was a competitive soccer player who was either still in high school or had just graduated. “They all sought to play soccer nationally,” said Gaffer.
The judge described how Birarda began by praising the teens’ skills as soccer players and phoning and texting them at home to talk about soccer. But Birarda turned the conversations to become personal, eventually pursuing the teen players off the soccer pitch and pressuring them to have sexual relationships with him.
In victim impact statements read out in court in June, the victims said they were afraid of rejecting Birarda or of anyone finding out because he had influence over their careers in soccer.
“He was a gatekeeper to everything you had been working and dreaming about,” one woman wrote in her statement.
They also spoke of the lasting impacts Birarda’s conduct had on their mental health.
One woman wrote about how his actions had erased her dream of representing Canada on an elite women’s soccer team.
Another wrote of being unable to play soccer again because of the anxiety she associated with the sport.
During the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor told the judge Birarda’s position in the soccer community was an aggravating factor in the case. “He held an incredible amount of power in that community,” she said. "He wasn’t a neighbourhood coach on a Saturday afternoon team . . . He'd been to four World cups. He was the person you had to go through in order to progress."
"These athletes were always cognizant that he had the ability to shape or distort their future soccer careers," said the judge.
Birarda's betrayal of trust continues to affect the women as adults, who continue to experience anxiety, self-doubt and depression, said Gaffer.
In a 10-minute speech before the court in September, Birarda apologized directly to his victims.
“I am truly sorry, to each of you for the pain, the upset and the trauma my behavior has caused you. I cannot find the words to adequately express the depth of my regret, sorrow, shame and even self-loathing I've been filled with for all these years,” he said. “An apology from me today probably means very little to you but maybe it will mean something in the years to come. I'm here today to take responsibility for my actions and the impact I've had on you.”
Birarda also addressed his family and friends and those he let down in the rest of the soccer community.
“I apologize for the harm I have caused and for the disgrace and embarrassment I have brought to the sport that I love,” he said.
The judge said Wednesday, she accepts that Birarda "feels tremendous remorse and shame for his actions."
"While Mr. Birarda was able to reach high levels in his coaching profession, he ultimately destroyed his status, legacy and recognition for his hard work with his criminal behavior," she said.
Mitigating factors include abuse Birarda suffered as a child, the judge noted.
Birarda still has the support of his family, including his wife and adult children, said the judge.
Gaffer noted among the letters submitted in support of Birarda are 12 from soccer players previously coached by Birarda, including two female soccer players who have played at the professional level. Nine were from former female players coached by Birarda, she said.
The judge added Birarda has already done work towards rehabilitation through extensive counselling, and represents a low risk to re-offend.
Following his jail time, Birarda will serve four months of a conditional sentence under house arrest and a further four months under a curfew between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. During that time he will be allowed out for work and for medical appointments.
Birarda will also serve three years probation. Conditions of probation include terms not to contact any of his victims, not to coach, volunteer or be employed in a role that involves contact with women under 18 and not to be in the company of girls under 18 except with permission.
The judge indicated she will make a decision about Birarda’s inclusion in a sexual offender registry at a later date.
