Oct. 28: A youth soccer organizer in Florida called the police last weekend on the family of a three-year-old boy. His offense, according to his parents, was being too good.
Body camera footage released Monday by Winter Park police shows an organizer for national youth sports operator i9 Sports telling officers the boy’s family had caused a disturbance. The organizer was clear about the problem.
“The kid is good. He’s great. Very good,” said the organizer. “He’s very advanced compared to the others, so he’s scoring a lot of goals. But he’s pushing the kids.”
Video posted by his parents, Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, shows their son, Nevada, dribbling past opponents and scoring repeatedly. It doesn’t show that it pushes anyone. It shows a boy looking confused as officers ask his family to leave a public park.
According to the organizer, things escalated when the parents argued after Nevada was benched. “I just want him out. Immediately,” the organizer told police. “Just give me their names so I can refund them.”
His mother had another explanation. “They’re mad at my son because he actually plays football. They’re literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at football,” she said. “First, they said it wasn’t passing, but nobody was catching the ball when it was passing.”
This is a familiar complaint for any striker, at any age.
Parents said the league cost nearly $300. Officers told the organizer they had no authority to remove the family from a public park. “No one was arrested, entered or forced to leave the park,” the department said, adding that the family cooperated and left after the game.
An official might have summed it up better at the end of the encounter: “I can’t wait to see him play. I bet he’s good.”
Somewhere, a scout is taking notes.
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