A 3-year-old soccer player in Florida has gone viral after his parents claimed a youth league kicked him out for being too good. Somehow, the whole thing even ended up involving the police.
The boy, Nevada, has become an internet sensation thanks to his impressive soccer skills, with videos of his feats regularly shared by his parents on Instagram and TikTok. Nevada’s Instagram account, @nevadaney10, has over 399,000 followers, and his TikTok account has over 400,000.
Despite being just 3-years-old, Nevada competes against 5-year-olds in an i9 Sports youth soccer league in Winter Park, Florida. Apparently, some parents aren’t particularly thrilled about that.
Parents Claim Their 3-Year-Old Was Kicked Out For Dominating Soccer Games
Videos posted online show Nevada dribbling around older children and scoring goals repeatedly. According to The Shadow League, Nevada’s parents say other families complained because their children couldn’t take the ball away from him.
“They called the police on a three-year-old because he’s too good,” Nevada’s father said. “They called the police on a three-year-old because he had the ball for too long and nobody else can get the ball, So, they called the police on him.”
The family claims that they were also notified that their child would no longer be allowed to play in the league.
However, a 911 call from the multi-sport i9 Sports league director, Thomas Hayes, hears him tell the operator “there is a parent here that’s really, really disruptive.”
“Like following me around, calling me names in front of the whole bunch of people that are here. I want to be done,” he said in the audio the New York Post obtained from the Winter Park Police Department.
Police Explain Why Officers Responded To Soccer Game
WFTV News reported that a league official contacted police after a disagreement involving Nevada’s parents. The official said the parents were upset about their son’s playing time. The family, however, said Nevada was being criticized for playing well.
Police said in a news release that the incident was a civil dispute and confirmed that nobody was arrested and no one was forced to leave the park. The family cooperated with officers and left after the game.
Meanwhile, i9 Sports said it had contacted the family and was reviewing the incident. Hayes said the league would issue a refund later to the family. They claim the league already did.
“The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us,” the organization said.
Viral Youth Soccer Controversy Draws Outrage From Celebrities
The situation has sparked considerable online backlash. Former pro soccer player Eddie Johnson criticized the incident, calling it unacceptable in youth sports.
Popular children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel also weighed in, offering to feature Nevada on her show. “I’m LIVID!” she wrote on Instagram.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III also chimed in on X, writing, “Punishing a 3-year-old child for being too good at a sport is RIDICULOUS.”
Whatever ultimately caused the disagreement, having police show up at a soccer game involving a 3-year-old certainly isn’t something anyone expects to see.