Popular Key Biscayne kids soccer coach under investigation for alleged mistreatment of players

A popular Key Biscayne coach is under investigation by the Florida Youth Soccer Association after a parent complained that he mistreated players under his watch and failed to follow coaching standards. 

The accusations against Hernan Acosta prompted about 50 residents to attend the Village Athletic Advisory Board meeting on Thursday.

Parents, former players and even a board member came to the coach’s defense.

Board Member Kenneth Coto said a few disgruntled families could hurt Key Biscayne soccer just as its competitive level is reaching championships and building a reputation.

“They push out a coach that everyone loves, respects and admires. What signal does that send to the other families that are here in this room and into the broader community?” Coto said. “I think the families that are involved in the club will lose confidence in the club.”

David Rodriguez – a former soccer player with Real Madrid – and his wife Nuria de la Fuente initially complained about Acosta to the Village that his approach hurt their son when he was 7 and 8. Acosta eventually demoted the child from the competitive A League to the developmental B League.

Rodriguez was not at the meeting on Thursday, but his wife attended. “This is institutionalized bullying,” she told the Independent after the meeting. “It has been encouraged by the Club,” de la Fuente said.

To the group of 50 parents assembled at the Community Center’s Lighthouse Room,  she made similar statements: “This is not about us or any parent. It is about our children. In any case, we will once again state the truth. It is many parents across multiple teams and multiple seasons, the harm from this coach across these seasons is real and documented.”

Fred Daiube told the board his son went from an enthusiastic player to a kid who didn’t want to go to soccer. “We are dealing with 8 and 9-year-olds,” he said.  “Now he is with a different coach, like a different approach, super happy.”

The parents supporting Acosta, though, said his discipline approach may seem intense, but it has built character in their children and has elevated their game so much that some have moved on to Inter Miami’s academy program.

“This father’s frustration after his son was reassigned to the second team last season, his only complaints were always the same: minutes and starting positions,” said parent Natalia Salama. “I was present at 100% of the practices, and I never witnessed abuse.”

Key Biscayne Soccer Club President Marcelo Radice said the complaint started because Rodriguez was upset that Acosta cut his playing time. It then escalated from there because Acosta wasn’t taking Rodriguez’s advice on coaching the team.

Still, the club took Rodriguez’s complaints seriously and worked with the Village to adopt a new policy that forbids private coaching sessions and mandates playing time rotations for the younger teams, among other things.

Parks Director Todd Hofferberth was the only member of the Village administration at the meeting. Hofferberth left so abruptly that no one had a chance to ask questions. 

After the Independent published the story, Hofferberth reached out through email at 6:12 p.m. Friday. He said parents were invited to share their feedback on the Key Biscayne Soccer Club at the Athletic Advisory Board’s regular monthly meeting.

” The meeting served as an opportunity for open discussion and input from families about the program,” he said. “Providing a forum for parents to share their perspectives on our youth athletic program is an important part of the Board’s role.”

Hofferbeth, however, did not answer a question as to the nature of the complaints. “We have not been copied on all communications to FYSA, as some families choose to include us and others do not. The Village is committed to following the proper process and will work with FYSA as appropriate to ensure this matter is addressed responsibly and thoughtfully,” he said in the email.

Radice said Rodriguez – after complaining to Village in April – escalated their accusations by filing a complaint with the U.S. Center for Safesport, initiating an investigation by FYSA. He said another Rodriguez complaint to the other governing body for youth soccer – U.S. Club Soccer – was dismissed.

“Instead of the playing time, which was what the issue was, now it’s mental abuse, emotional abuse, and that’s a trigger when you say that,” Radice said.

Acosta was not at the meeting on Thursday to defend himself and has not returned phone calls and messages from the Independent. Radice said coaching soccer isn’t a hobby for Acosta – it’s his job.

“He’s a very humble guy,” Radice said. “He’s upset because this guy’s destroying his reputation.”

Rodriguez, on Friday night, spoke to the Independent after this story initially ran, as well, and denied U.S. Club Soccer had dismissed his complaint; instead, it applied jurisdiction to FYSA as a procedural matter. He said Radice mischaracterized the scope, the number, and the nature of complaints about Acosta.

Rodriguez also said he found it “perplexing” that Cato, a board member of the Athletic Advisory Board, would make statements in support of Acosta without having reviewed or asked for any evidence or spoken to any dissenting families.

“At every step, the Club has externally characterized our concerns as isolated or overstated,” he said. “At every step, we learned that it was worse and more systematic than we initially understood. Over the last three months, after going public, we have heard from many families describing near identical experiences.”

Emotions ran hot at Thursday’s meeting at the Community Center and at one point, Hofferberth alerted the police officer about one man who had disrupted the meeting three times, upset with de la Fuente and Diaube — criticizing Acosta.

Salama asked the board how much longer Acosta would remain under investigation.

“The Village already conducted an investigation, and they later let our kids keep their coach. In fact, his complaints led to a new set of rules, rules that met all of his demands. And yet, here we are again, this time, the accusations are even more serious,” she said.

Several of Acosta’s former players also spoke on behalf of the coach.

“He pushed us all very hard, because he loved us. He loved us all, and he wanted the best for us, and he was a great person,” said Carlo Liverani, 14.

Jeronimo Barabona, 12, said, “Hernan has been the best coach I’ve ever had, and he has taught me respect, discipline, and responsibility are the most important things.”

Editor’s Note: This story corrects the age of Rodriguez’s son and includes new comments from Rodriguez.

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JOHN PACENTI is a correspondent of the Key Biscayne Independent. John has worked for The Associated Press, the Palm Beach Post, Daily Business Review, and WPTV-TV.