Outrage after cops are called for 3-year-old who is ‘too good at soccer’

A pair of Florida parents say their 3-year-old son had the police called on him — and was later kicked out of his kiddie soccer league — for being “too good” at the sport. In an Instagram post, the parents of 3-year-old Nevada shared a montage of their soccer-loving son dribbling circles around other children and scoring goals — before the camera pans over to police officers on the Winter Park soccer field. “They called the police on the 3-year-old ‘cause he’s too good,” Nevada’s father can be heard saying in the clip. “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.”However, police body cam footage of the officers who responded to the soccer field paints a slightly different picture. In the footage, officers can be heard telling the parents that the coach said they were causing a disturbance. “So, the kid is good, right? He’s great. Real good. So, what happened is, he’s very advanced compared to the other ones. So, he scores a lot of goals, but he’s pushing the other kids…so I try to tell him, play without pushing, right?” the coach tells police. A Florida boy’s parents say he was booted from his kiddie soccer league because he was ‘too good,’ but police body cam footage tells a different story of why he was asked to leave (GoFundMe)The coach went on to explain that he swaps the kids in and out of the game so that everyone gets a chance to play — but that Nevada’s parents have an issue with that.“They [the parents] don’t like that. They tell me I’m ignorant, I’m this, I’m that, blah blah blah,” the coach says, adding that they made “a big scene” after he told the ref to tell their son not to push. “I just want them out. Immediately,” the coach said. The video then shows the officers speaking with the boy’s parents, who dispute the coach’s account, claiming that the cops were called because their son is too good at the game. “I guess he was calling because I guess he believes that you guys were causing a disturbance that was interfering with the gameplay,” one of the officers tells the parents. 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 responded. After speaking with police, the parents agreed to leave the park — and pull their son from the soccer league. At the end of the footage, one officer can be heard laughing and saying, “I kinda want to see him play. I bet he’s good.” Body cam footage captured police talking with the boy’s parents about the soccer coach’s claims (Winter Park Police Department)Winter Park police note in an incident report that the officers were requested “by the league official to communicate with the family as he did not want to further a disturbance.” “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,” police said. No arrests were made, authorities added. The boy’s parents have since made a GoFundMe to support his pursuing of soccer, writing on the fundraiser, “Soccer is more than an activity for him. It is something that brings him joy and excitement and gives him a chance to learn and be part of a team.” The fundraiser had received over $23,000 in donations as of Tuesday morning. Nevada has also received support from Robert Griffin III, who wrote on Instagram, “Punishing a 3 year old child for being too good at a sport is RIDICULOUS.” YouTuber Ms. Rachel also addressed the incident, writing on Instagram, “I’m LIVID! Please sports people give him all the experiences and love,” and inviting Nevada to appear on her show. The Independent has contacted the boy’s parents for comment. In a statement to WESH, the youth sports league said, “We are aware of concerns being shared regarding an incident at a local i9 Sports program, and we take them very seriously.” “The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us,” they said. “We have reached out to the family and have begun a review that includes speaking with those involved. While we work to understand the circumstances, we will not speculate or share unverified information. We appreciate everyone who has brought their concerns to our attention.”