Police called to Florida park after 3-year-old scores too well
Parents claim their son was removed from a Winter Park match because he outperformed the other players.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
Winter Park police responded to a youth soccer match this past weekend after an organizer called for help removing a family from the field. Body camera footage released Monday shows officers interacting with Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, who are the parents of three-year-old Nevada. The parents stated that the league expelled their son due to his skill level.
The dispute centers on a match with i9 Sports, a nationwide youth organization. The league organizer told responding officers that Nevada was disrupting the game. The organizer described the child as highly advanced compared to his peers. "The kid is good. He's great. Really good," the organizer told police. "He's very advanced compared to the other ones, so he's scoring a lot of goals. But he's pushing the kids." The organizer requested that the family leave immediately and asked for their names to process a refund.
The parents posted social media video showing Nevada dribbling past opponents and scoring multiple goals. In that clip, the boy appears confused as officers approach his family. The parents said the league charged them nearly $300 for the season. They claimed the boy was benched because he was playing too well for the age group.
Griffin spoke to the officers about the removal. "They're mad at my son because he actually plays soccer. They're literally kicking him out of this place because he's good at soccer," she said. She added that officials initially claimed he was not passing, but noted that no other players were catching the ball.
The organizer alleged that the parents became argumentative when Nevada was benched. The organizer stated the family created a disturbance at the public park. Representatives for i9 Sports did not respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.
Officers did not cite the family for trespassing. They explained to the organizer that police did not have the authority to eject the family from the park. The Winter Park Police Department issued a statement saying the league offered a refund to the parents. The department noted that the family was cooperative and left on their own. No one was arrested or forced to leave.
One officer told another at the end of the interaction, "I kind of want to see him play. I bet he's good."
