Police Respond After 3-Year-Old Removed From Florida Soccer Game
Body camera footage from Winter Park shows officers mediating a dispute where a league coach asked a family to leave because their son was outperforming peers.
By Sakura Novak ·
Parents in Winter Park, Florida, say police were called to a soccer field because their 3-year-old son, Nevada, played too well. The incident occurred during a game with the i9 Sports league. The family posted a video on Instagram showing Nevada dribbling and scoring goals. In the clip, the boy’s father states that officers arrived because the child was “too good.” The parents later claimed the league kicked Nevada out for the same reason. The post received thousands of comments from users questioning why police responded to the situation.
Body camera video obtained by Gray News provides additional context. Responding officers are seen speaking with a coach who stated the parents were causing a disturbance. The coach said Nevada was advanced for his age group and scored many goals. He explained that he substituted the boy out so other players could take turns. The coach claimed the parents told him he was “ignorant” and demanded they leave immediately. The officer told the parents the coach called because he believed the family was interfering with gameplay.
The boy’s mother disputed the coach’s account during the exchange. She said the league was upset that her son actually played soccer. She stated she was baffled because she signed him up to play, not to be removed for being good. An officer noted that the coach specifically mentioned the son was very good but did not like how the parents became aggressive. The parents agreed to leave the park with their son after speaking with the officers.
A police event report stated the parents left the field without issue. It noted they were cooperative with the request from league personnel. The report added that the parents were upset their child was being removed for playing too well. One officer was heard laughing at the end of the video and said he wanted to see the boy play. He guessed the child was good.
A news release from the Winter Park Police Department confirmed the league official requested a response to a disturbance. The league asked the family to leave and offered to refund the league cost. The release stated the officers were asked to communicate with the family to prevent further conflict. The family said the game was over and they were leaving. The department classified the incident as a civil matter, not a criminal one. No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.
The release confirmed that the officers’ body-worn cameras verified the events. The department provided an event number to the family at their request. The league official did not want to further the disturbance. The family was cooperative throughout the interaction. The video has since gained widespread attention on social media.
