WINTER PARK, Florida. —
Law enforcement was called to a football game after a dispute broke out between league officials and a player’s parents, according to Winter Park police.
League officials from the i9 Sports program contacted police for assistance regarding a disturbance involving the family.
League officials asked the family to leave and offered a refund.
The agents arrived shortly after and league officials asked them to manage communication with the family to avoid further escalation.
According to the report, the family said the game was over and they were leaving.
Police said the family was cooperative throughout the interaction and requested an event number for the incident, which was provided.
Authorities determined that this was a civil dispute between the parties involved and not a criminal matter.
Police said no arrests were made and no one was forced to leave the park or issued trespassing warnings.
Officials with the i9 Sports program shared the following statement:
“We are aware of the concerns raised regarding an incident that occurred on a local i9 Sports program, and we take them very seriously. The respectful treatment and well-being of each child and family is deeply important to us. 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.”
New details from WPPD bodycam video
The police department released body camera video showing separate interactions with the family and football league officials.
Upon arrival, police encountered someone from the football league who called police to request that the family be asked to leave the area in which the football matches were taking place.
The man in the video can be heard saying: “The kid is good, he’s great, really good, so what happened is he’s way ahead of the rest.”
But he said the 3-year-old allegedly pushed other players, so he told the child and parents that no pushing was allowed.
The man said the child’s parents became irritated and caused a “big scene, arguing with the other parents,” according to the body camera video.
“I just want them out immediately,” he said.
Police said that because the matches were being held in a public park, they could not be forced to leave, but would meet with the family to figure out what was happening.
The league official said the mother was live streaming their interactions and that’s why he distanced himself from the family. The officers headed to the other side of the field where the family was located.
When police made contact with the family, the mother said they were just confused and didn’t understand why her child was removed from soccer games and why they were asked to leave the park.
She went on to say that the game was over and they were going to leave the park anyway, but would like to arrange a way to get their refund. Otherwise, they would sue the football league.
Gn sports
