A 3-year-old soccer phenom in Florida was kicked out of his youth league for allegedly being “too good,” sparking a heated dispute between his parents and league officials that required police intervention.
In a viral clip shared by his parents, pint-sized soccer player Nevada Pierre, just 3 years old, is seen dribbling past opponents nearly twice his age before firing the ball into the net as his family cheers from the sidelines.
The tiny baller scored 10 times in one game, showing off impressive skills that have earned him attention far beyond the soccer field.
But during a game at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park, Florida, on Oct. 24, Nevada’s talent became the centre of a controversy that ended with police arriving to settle a dispute between his parents and a league official, People reports.
‘Pushing the kids’
According to the Winter Park Police Department (WWPD), the official asked that Nevada’s family leave the field and offered to refund their league fees following complaints about the child’s playing style and his parents’ conduct.
Body camera footage released by police captured the official acknowledging Nevada’s abilities while accusing him of rough play.
“He’s very advanced compared to the other ones. So, he’s scoring a lot of goals, but he’s pushing the kids and doing all that stuff,” the league’s rep told officers.
“So, I try to tell him, ‘Hey, stop. Don’t…push. We want to play without pushing, right?’” the official said, accusing the toddler’s parents of creating “a big scene” and “arguing with the other parents” after rotating players to give other children a chance.
Kicked out ‘because he’s good at soccer’
But Nevada’s mother, Martasia Griffin, disputed what happened, insisting her son was being punished for his talent.
“They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer,” she told officers in a second clip shared by WWPD.
“So, I’m a little confused and I’m a little like, baffled because I signed my kids up for soccer,” she continued. “So, they literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at soccer.”
Griffin later shared footage of the entire game on Instagram, challenging allegations that Nevada had pushed other children.
“This is the full game no cut no edit, where is the pushing?” she asked.
Grabs attention of Heisman winner
The controversy soon attracted attention from former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, who defended the young player on social media.
“Punishing a 3-year-old child for being too good at a sport is RIDICULOUS,” Griffin III wrote in his Facebook post about the “soccer phenom” who “was holding possession of the ball too much.”
Meanwhile, the WWPD confirmed that Nevada’s family cooperated with officers and that no arrests were made.
Police classified the disagreement as a civil matter, adding that nobody was forcibly removed from the park.
What do you think about the league discouraging this exceptionally talented young player against “pushing” on the field? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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