11/03/2025
With this statement, we wish to address the last-minute cancellation of our inclusive soccer clinic by the Charlotte Independence team:
It was solely the decision of the Charlotte Independence to cancel the inclusive clinic mere hours before the clinic was set to start. It was only with our urging that they contacted parents to let them know that the players had cancelled. Then, when parents started saying they weren’t going to attend because the players were no longer involved, they cancelled the clinic altogether because, according to them, low numbers wouldn’t look good to their sponsors.
The sent the email out to the registered families moments later.
Allow us to be clear: Autistic Youth International had no part in the cancellation. We are outraged, not that the team had an unscheduled game, but that little to no regard was given to our children with a last-minute cancellation. Further, it was expressly stated that the priority was keeping the sponsors happy, not the children.
So, they disappointed over 20 kids - including my own, who was devastated - but promised a makeup clinic, where the children will be given their promised jerseys and tickets.
This is the second time that the team has bailed on us. This last time was outrageous.
Autistic, Neurodivergent and Disabled children don’t “do change” very well. Do you have any idea the social stories, the prepping, the elopement safety plans, the packing of safe foods… any idea what these caregivers and their kids had to go through to prepare for this? All to meet a player, as promised by the flier the team created themselves.
You gave us almost no notice. Kids were super upset - including my own kid, who has been asking about “soccer class” every day for a week. In fact, if it wasn’t for us, you would have just had the kids show up excited and then disappointed them all.
Do you not know how children work?
Today, I was told that scheduling a makeup clinic would be “more difficult” than anticipated and no guarantees could be made.
I told them flatly that we wanted our name off of future clinics. I was told that, should the clinic fail, the team wouldn’t likely do it a second time. I was also told they may have to search for another nonprofit when I complained.
This? Not okay.
Allow me to retort: you are overestimating your appeal at this point to our community. What you did was rude, dismissive and bordering on outrageous. You don’t get to passively threaten withdrawal of your support of our community and make promises to our kids that you don’t intend to keep. It’s not fair, and I don’t want any part of it.
I want to apologize to all the children on their behalf. They deserved better and frankly, I’m embarrassed to be a Charlottean right now.
