
Parents claim police were called because their 3-year-old was “too good” at soccer. Now Ms. Rachel is involved.
A 3-year-old soccer phenom and his parents from Winter Park, Fla., went viral after posting a video in which the family claims they were asked to leave the field during a soccer game because the child was playing too well.
In the video taken on Saturday, we see Nevada, the young footballer, repeatedly scoring goals against children from the opposing team. His parents, Martasia and Don, can be heard cheering him on before the video cuts to their conversation with officers from the Winter Park Police Department, who were called to the field.
“They called the police on a 3-year-old because he’s too good,” Don is heard saying in the clip. “They called the police on a 3-year-old because he had the ball too long.”
However, body camera video released by Winter Park police showed an official with the youth football league, i9 Sports, telling officers that Nevada is a good player but pushes too much. He alleged that the Nevada parents “created a big scene by arguing with the parents” after he tried to intervene. He also alleged that his parents had called him “ignorant” a few weeks earlier for removing their son from the game to let other children play.
In a call to 911 Posted by Winter Park Police, the i9 Sports manager could also be heard saying that while it was “not really an emergency,” he wanted to report an “unruly parent” who was “really disruptive.” The official said the relative followed him onto the field and insulted him.
After the incident, i9 Sports removed Nevada from the league and issued a refund for their fall registration.
The viral video caught the attention of Rachel Griffin-Accurso, the YouTuber, activist and child educator better known as Ms. Rachel, who posted an Instagram post on Monday calling on “famous football players” to show up for Nevada and “shower it with love and awesome experiences.”
In the caption of her post, Ms Rachel condemned the incident as “racist, sick, traumatic and disgusting”, writing: “I’m LIVID! Please sports people give him all the experiences and all the love. @nevadaney10 We would love to have her on our show to share her incredible skills. I need some athletes to show up for him.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III also supported Nevada, writing on Instagram: “Punishing a 3 year old for being too good at a sport is RIDICULOUS.” Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, also voiced her support on the social media platform, urging Nevada not to let anyone “darken that beautiful light within you.”
In a statement obtained by News 6local Orlando news channel i9 Sports said it was “aware of the concerns being shared regarding an incident that occurred on a local i9 Sports program” and was taking them “very seriously.”
“The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family is deeply important to us,” the statement said. “We have contacted the family and have begun a review that includes discussions with those involved. While we work to understand the circumstances, we will not speculate or share unverified information. We appreciate everyone who brought their concerns to our attention.”
The Winter Park Police Department released its own statement describing her response to the dispute, including stating that she was “contacted by a football league official” following “a dispute between league officials and a player’s parents.”
“The league requested family leave and offered to reimburse the family for the league’s expenses. Shortly after their arrival, the league manager asked the officers to communicate with the family because he did not want to cause a disturbance. The family said the game was over and they were leaving,” the statement said. “The family cooperated with officers. … No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park. Officers’ body-worn cameras confirm the above information.”
In an interview with HuffPostMartasia said the incident “really traumatized” Nevada. Although he wants to continue playing football, he “doesn’t want to go back to that place.”
“I don’t think that’s the way he should think, that at the age of 3 he did something wrong,” Martasia said.
Nevada, who played in the league with 5-year-olds, was subjected to unfair treatment on the field, his mother claimed. Martasia said he saw other parents, the league director and some coaches gathering in a circle on the field and suggested they were trying to find a way to tell him that Nevada “can’t play so other kids can play.”
When Martasia approached the group, she said the director told her that “everyone pays money, so everyone should play.” She said police were called after that, once she started defending Nevada.
“It’s heartbreaking because now Nevada is saying they don’t want to go there,” Martasia told HuffPost. “He’s afraid he’s done something wrong.”
Nevada is expected to join a youth football training program in January. The program, based in Orlando, is run by Eddie Johnsona former professional football player who heard about what happened in Winter Park.
The family started a GoFundMe to support Nevada’s football adventure, which raised more than $20,500 as of Tuesday. On the page, the family explains that donations will cover “registration fees, training, equipment, uniforms, travel expenses and other opportunities” to allow Nevada to “continue to develop its talent.”
Gn sports