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Parents claim coach called cops on 3-year-old son for being ‘too good at soccer’
3-year-old nevada pierre

A couple in Florida says police were called on their 3-year-old during a soccer match because he is “too good,” though police and the coach are pushing back on the narrative, saying the child and parents were being unruly.

A dispute erupted at an i9 youth soccer game on Saturday in Winter Park, when 3-year-old Nevada's mother, Martasia Griffin, began arguing with the coach about taking her son out of the soccer game. She says the boy loves soccer and was being punished for being “too good.”

In an Instagram post, the mother showed clips of Nevada, 3, running circles around the other children and scoring goals. As the altercation proceeded, Nevada’s father can be heard saying in the clip, “They called the police on the 3-year-old ‘cause he’s too good. They called the police on the 3-year-old ‘cause he had the ball for too long and nobody else could get the ball, so they called the police on him.”

The case has garnered national attention, setting social media ablaze with comments and arguments. Roc Nation, Jay Z's entertainment company, complimented the 3-year-old and shouted him out on their Instagram page, writing, "Nevada! You're a shining star. We support you and your amazing talents. Keep being great!"

However, the coach, and newly released police bodycam footage dispute the story. "What happened is he's very advanced compared to the other ones. So he scored a lot of goals, but he pushes the kids to do all that stuff. So I try to tell him, 'Hey, stop! Don't [push]. You want to play with that person, right?' [The parents] don't like that. They tell me I'm ignorant. I'm this. I'm that," the coach said in interviews this week.

3-year-old nevada pierre soccer
The fundraiser adds that the incident at the park left the boy upset and the family distressed -Credit:GoFundMe

The coach went on to say that the parents began arguing with him as he swapped out Nevada for another child, so that all members of the team get a chance to play, according to him. “They [the parents] don’t like that. They tell me I’m ignorant, I’m this, I’m that, blah blah blah. I just want them out. Immediately,” the coach said.

The Winter Park Police Department said in a statement they were “contacted by a soccer league official who requested response to a disturbance between league officials and the parents of a player. The league requested the family leave and offered to refund the league cost to family. Shortly after arrival, the officers were requested by the league official to communicate with the family as he did not want to further a disturbance.”

Bodycam footage related to Nevada Pierre
The boy's mother told police, “They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer" -Credit:Winter Park Police Department

In the video footage, one of the officers tells the parents, “I guess he was calling because I guess he believes that you guys were causing a disturbance that was interfering with the gameplay.”

The boy’s mother replies, “They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer. So I’m a little confused and I’m a little baffled because I signed my kid up for soccer. So they’re literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at soccer.”

“He specifically mentioned that your son is very good, but he doesn’t like how the parents become aggressive,” the officer stated back to them. After speaking to police, the parents agreed to leave the park and pulled their son from the soccer league.

Bodycam footage related to Nevada Pierre
The family eventually left the park and the league vowed to refund them -Credit:Winter Park Police Department

“The family stated the game was over and they were leaving. The family was cooperative with the officers and were provided with an event number for the incident at their request. The incident was a civil matter between those parties and not criminal. No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park. The officers' body-worn cameras confirm the above information,” the police statement adds.

Since then, the family created a GoFundMe account, where they say the funds will support 3-year-old Nevada Pierre as he continues to play soccer, “which he has loved since he was 1.”

The fundraiser adds that the incident at the park left the boy upset and the family distressed. The fundraiser aims to help Nevada move past the incident and pursue soccer in a more supportive environment by covering costs such as registration, training, equipment, uniforms and travel.

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