Police Invited to Evict 3-Year-Old From Florida Soccer Match
Organizers asked Winter Park officers to remove a family after a boy's dominance on the field drew complaints, though no one was arrested.
By Lucas Mehta ·
The dispute began on a weekend in October when a youth soccer organizer asked Winter Park Police to remove a three-year-old boy from a public park. The organizer claimed the child, Nevada, was pushing other players and causing a disturbance. Body camera footage released Monday shows the officers arriving at the scene to handle what the league described as a conflict.
Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, the boy's parents, stated they paid nearly $300 to enroll Nevada in the i9 Sports league. They argued their son was being benched and removed from play because he was too skilled for the age group. In a video posted to social media, Nevada is seen dribbling past opponents and scoring multiple goals without visible physical contact with other children.
The i9 Sports organizer spoke directly to the responding officers, describing the player as very advanced. The organizer admitted the boy was great but insisted he needed to stop pushing. The league representative told police that the parents became argumentative after their son was benched. The organizer requested their names so a refund could be processed and asked for the family to leave immediately.
Griffin told the officers that the league was effectively punishing their son for his ability. She noted that while coaches claimed Nevada was not passing, other children were not catching the ball. The parents maintained that their son was being ejected for being good at soccer rather than for misbehavior.
Officers determined they did not have the authority to cite the family for trespassing or force them to leave the park. The Winter Park Police Department later confirmed that the family was cooperative and stated the game was over. The department noted that the league offered a refund to the parents, who were not named in the initial police report.
No arrests were made, and the family was not formally ejected. As the officers finished their shift, one commented to a colleague that he wanted to see Nevada play. The officer added that he was certain the child was good.
Source: ESPN
