Downriver soccer coach suspended over relationship with minor player

Kyle Lesperance, a youth soccer coach in Downriver, has been suspended for three years by the U.S. Center for SafeSport due to an intimate relationship with a minor player he coached. The suspension, issued on October 22, follows a police investigation into the extensive exchange of flirtatious texts between Lesperance and a girl, beginning in 2023 when she was 12. Although the police report did not result in criminal charges, it noted behaviors consistent with grooming. Lesperance, who resigned as the Grosse Ile High School varsity girls soccer coach in January 2025, did not respond to requests for comment. The suspension applies to all athletics overseen by SafeSport, affecting his coaching and participation in related events.

• 4:02 AMYahoo Sports — Downriver soccer coach suspended for 'intimate relationship' with minor