The parents of a 3-year-old boy say their son was removed from a youth soccer game in Florida over his advanced skill level after police were called to the field.
Footage of the incident has gone viral, including an Instagram video shared by Nevada Pierre’s parents that shows the boy racing past other soccer players with the ball and scoring.
The caption of the post says Nevada was “escorted out” by officers, with video showing police who arrived at the game held at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park on Saturday, October 24.
“They called police on a 3-year-old cause he’s too good,” Nevada’s father is heard saying in the video.
According to a Monday, October 26, statement from the Winter Park Police Department, a soccer league official requested a police response to an alleged disturbance involving league officials and Nevada’s parents.
The officials were from i9 Sports, according to NBC affiliate WESH.
The league official told officers Nevada’s parents were “upset” with the boy’s playing time and that they were informed he “would no longer be allowed to play in this league due to behavior,” reads a police report released by the department.
The report also states Nevada’s parents were “upset that their child was being scorned for playing [too] well and was being taken out of the game.”
Police said the incident was a civil issue between the parents and league officials, not a criminal matter.
“The league requested the family leave and offered to refund the league cost to [the] family,” the department said in its statement.
According to bodycam footage shared by police on Monday, the league official who called police claimed Nevada had been pushing other children, per ESPN.
“The kid is good. He’s great. Really good,” the man is heard telling officers at the scene. “He’s very advanced compared to the other ones, so he’s scoring a lot of goals. But he’s pushing the kids.”
“I just want him out. Immediately,” the league official said after accusing Nevada’s parents of causing a disturbance over their son being benched.
“Just give me their names so I can give them their refund,” he added.
Nevada’s mother, Martasia Griffin, said that other parents took issue with their son’s advanced skill set.
“They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer,” Griffin told police, according to body camera footage. “They’re literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at soccer.”
In a GoFundMe page Griffin created to support her son’s soccer passions, Griffin wrote Nevada “the situation escalated to the point that law enforcement was called.”
“At just 3 years old, Nevada could not understand why he was being taken away from a game he loved,” Griffin said. “What should have been a happy childhood moment became heartbreaking and distressing for him and deeply painful for our family to witness.”
A post on Nevada’s Instagram page said he had been playing with older children, 5-year-olds.
His removal from the soccer league has caused an uproar online.
In an Instagram statement, YouTube star Ms. Rachel responded and wrote she was “LIVID.”
“The police were called on a 3-year-old Black boy because he’s too good at soccer. He was kicked out of the league,” Ms. Rachel said. “The cops showed up at the game.”
Winter Park police said Nevada’s parents cooperated with officers who responded to the soccer game.
“No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park,” the department said in its statement.
