The youth league that called police during toddler soccer star Nevada’s game in Winter Park, Florida, says its local owners and staff are now receiving threats.
In a statement to Baller Alert on Tuesday, i9 Sports said the response to the incident “has been intense” and called the threats unacceptable. The organization asked people to stop sharing the names and photos of anyone involved and said the focus should stay on supporting kids through sports.
The statement is the league’s most detailed response since the video took off over the weekend. Nevada’s parents, Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, posted footage from Saturday’s game showing their 3 year old son dribbling past players a year or two older than him and scoring goal after goal. The clip then cuts to Winter Park police officers on the field, with Nevada’s father saying the cops were called on his son for being too good. The video has racked up more than 4 million views.
i9 Sports now says it reviewed what happened, including interviews with people who were at the game and information from police. According to the league, the official who called police described Nevada’s parents as disruptive. i9 also said it has no video of the confrontation itself and will not characterize the family beyond what was reported to police.
The league confirmed the family asked for a refund, which it says was processed immediately, with confirmation sent October 24, the same day as the game. i9 Sports also said it asked the adults involved not to continue in the program.
Police body camera footage released Monday shows the other side of the story. In it, the i9 Sports organizer tells officers Nevada is a great player but has been pushing other kids, and that the parents made a scene when he tried to address it. “I just want him out. Immediately,” the organizer told police, adding that he would get their names so the league could issue a refund. In the 911 call, he said it was “not really an emergency” but that he wanted to report an “unruly parent” who was following him around the field and calling him names. He also told officers the family had argued with him a few weeks earlier when he took Nevada out of a game to give other kids a chance to play.
Nevada’s mother tells a different story. On the bodycam, she told officers the league was kicking her son out because he is good at soccer. She has since said the coach told Nevada he could stay in the game if he passed the ball, and that other parents, coaches and the director huddled up to talk about him before police were called. ESPN noted that the family’s video does not show Nevada making physical contact with other players. Neither account of what happened before the camera started rolling has been independently verified.
Winter Park police described the situation as a civil matter, not a criminal one. Officers said no one was arrested, no one was trespassed and no one was forced to leave the park. The family told officers they had paid nearly $300 for the season.
His mother says the experience has stayed with him. “He still wants to play soccer,” she said. “He just doesn’t want to go back to that place.” She also spoke with Lauren LaRosa of The Breakfast Club about the incident.
Nevada has picked up some big supporters along the way. Ms. Rachel, the children’s educator and YouTube star, posted on Instagram Monday calling on famous soccer players to show up for Nevada and shower him with love and great experiences.
