Parents say police were called because their 3-year-old was 'too good' at soccer. Now Ms. Rachel is involved.
The parents of a 3-year-old soccer phenom who went viral say his youth league called police on them because their son is "too good." But a league official to...
A 3-year-old soccer phenom and his parents in Winter Park, Fla., have gone viral after posting a video in which the family says they were asked to leave the field during a soccer game because the child was playing too well.
In the video taken Saturday, Nevada, the young soccer player, is seen repeatedly scoring goals against children on the opposing team. His parents, Martasia and Don, are heard cheering for him before the video cuts to their conversation with officers from the Winter Park Police Department, who were called to the field.
"They called the police on a 3-year-old because he's too good," Don is heard saying in the clip. "They called the police on a 3-year-old because he had the ball for too long."
However, body-camera video released by Winter Park police showed an official with the youth soccer league, i9 Sports, telling officers that Nevada is a good player but that he pushes too much. He alleged that Nevada's parents "created a big scene, arguing with parents" after he tried to intervene. He also alleged that the parents called him "ignorant" a few weeks earlier for taking their son out of the game to let other kids play.
In a 911 call released by Winter Park police, the i9 Sports official could also be heard saying that while it's "not really an emergency," he wanted to report an "unruly parent" who was being "really disruptive." The official said the parent was following him around the field and calling him names.
After the incident, i9 Sports removed Nevada from the league and issued a refund for his fall registration.
The viral video caught the attention of Rachel Griffin-Accurso, the YouTuber, activist and children's educator better known as Ms. Rachel, who made an Instagram post on Monday calling for "famous soccer players" to show up for Nevada and "shower him with love and awesome experiences."
In the caption of her post, Ms. Rachel condemned the incident as "racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting," writing, "I'm LIVID! Please sports people give him all the experiences and love. @nevadaney10 We'd love to have him on our show to share his amazing skills. I need sports people to show up for him."
In a statement obtained by News 6 , a local news station in Orlando, i9 Sports said it was "aware of concerns being shared regarding an incident at a local i9 Sports program" and that it's taking them "very seriously."
"The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us," the statement read. "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."
The Winter Park Police Department issued its own statement outlining its response to the dispute, including that it was "contacted by a soccer league official" following "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. The family stated the game was over and they were leaving," the statement said. "The family was cooperative with the officers. … No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park. The Officers body worn cameras confirm the above information."
In an interview with HuffPost , Martasia said the incident "really traumatized" Nevada. While he wants to continue playing soccer, he "doesn't want to go back to that place."
"I don't think that's how he should be thinking, that as a 3-year-old he did something wrong," Martasia said.
Nevada, who had been playing in the league with 5-year-olds, was subjected to unfair treatment on the field, his mother claimed. Martasia said she saw other parents, the league's director and some coaches convene in a circle on the field and suggested that they were trying to figure out how to tell her that Nevada "can't play so other kids could play."
When Martasia approached the group, she said the director told her that "everybody is paying money, so everybody should play." She said the police were called after that, once she started speaking up for Nevada.
"It's heartbreaking because now Nevada's saying he doesn't wanna go over there," Martasia told HuffPost. "He's scared that he did something wrong."
Nevada is set to join a youth soccer training program in January. The program, based in Orlando, is run by Eddie Johnson , a former professional soccer player who heard about what happened in Winter Park.
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