A 3-year-old soccer player, identified as Nevada, has been left feeling "traumatized" after police were summoned to his youth soccer game in Winter Park, Florida. The incident, captured in a viral video, occurred during a game where Nevada, playing in a league for 5-year-olds, was reportedly removed from play due to his advanced abilities.
Nevada's parents stated that league officials and other parents expressed concern about the young player's dominance, with some suggesting he was preventing other children from getting playing time. According to Nevada's mother, Martasia, league organizers attempted to find a reason to exclude him from the game before calling the police when she began to advocate for her son.
The Winter Park Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a call from a league official regarding a disturbance between the official and parents of a player. Authorities determined the issue to be a civil matter and departed without further incident.
"It really traumatized Nevada," Martasia said. "He still wants to play soccer. He just doesn’t want to go back to that place. I don’t think that’s how he should be thinking, that as a 3-year-old he did something wrong."
Nevada, who has been playing soccer since he was 10 months old and trains extensively with his father, has gained a following on social media for his ball-handling skills. Following the incident, the i9 Sports league refunded the family for Nevada's registration and issued a statement.
"We are aware of concerns being shared regarding an incident at a local i9 Sports program, and we take them very seriously," a spokesperson for the youth sports league said. "The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us. We have reached out to the family and have begun a review that includes speaking with those involved."
Former professional soccer player Eddie Johnson has taken notice of the young player's talent and plans to bring Nevada into his Orlando-based youth soccer training program in January.