WINTER PARK, Florida — A dispute involving a three-year-old soccer player in Florida has drawn widespread attention after a youth sports league official called police during a disagreement with the boy’s parents over his participation in a game. The child, Nevada Neymar Pierre, was playing in an i9 Sports youth soccer program at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park, near Orlando, on October 24 when the dispute occurred.
The incident gained national attention after videos of the young player’s soccer skills circulated on social media and police released body-camera footage and audio of the 911 call. The controversy has centered on why the boy was taken out of the game and why the league official asked his parents to leave.
According to police body-camera footage and reporting by ABC News and local station News 6, the league’s athletic director told officers that Nevada was an advanced player who scored frequently but had also allegedly pushed other children during play. The official said he had tried to manage the situation by asking the boy to stop pushing and by substituting him to give other children more opportunities to participate.
He told police that tensions escalated after the parents challenged his decision and that he called 911 because he believed a parent was disrupting the event. The official asked police to help communicate that the family should leave the program and said the family would be offered a refund.
Nevada’s mother, Martasia Griffin, disputed the official’s account and said she believed her son was being sidelined because of his soccer ability. Griffin told ABC News that her son had repeatedly been taken out of games and that she objected when the league decided to substitute him again. She said the family had enrolled him to play soccer and questioned why his performance had become a source of conflict.
Videos shared by the family show Nevada dribbling past older children and scoring goals. His mother has said he was playing in a league with children around five years old, despite being only three. The family’s account and the league official’s allegations differ. The available footage and statements do not establish that the police call was made because the child was too talented.
The Winter Park Police Department said officers responded on October 24 after a youth sports director requested assistance with a dispute involving a player’s parents. In a public statement, the department said the parents were already preparing to leave when officers arrived. Police described the family as cooperative and said the incident was a civil matter between the league and the parents, not a criminal case.
The department also clarified that no one was arrested, issued a trespass notice or forced to leave the public park. Officers helped facilitate communication about the proposed refund. The police statement directly addressed online claims that the call had been prompted by the child’s soccer ability, saying there had been no indication that his performance was the reason for the call.
The i9 Sports program involved in the dispute said it was aware of concerns about the incident and had contacted the family. The organization said it was reviewing the matter and speaking with those involved. The league emphasized that the respectful treatment and well-being of children and families were important, adding that it would not speculate while the review was underway.
The incident has prompted broader discussion on social media about how youth sports programs balance individual talent, equal playing time, sportsmanship and the treatment of families. For now, the central facts are that a league official called police during a disagreement with the child’s parents, the family disputed the official’s explanation, and police classified the matter as civil rather than criminal.
