Key Takeaways
- Bodycam footage of a youth soccer coach in Winter Park, Florida shows him asking police to escort a 3-year-old and his parents off the premises after the family allegedly became argumentative with him.
- The coach claimed that while the child, Nevada Pierre, is a talented player, he was pushing other children on the field.
- The 3-year-old's parents claim their son was targeted for being more advanced at soccer than his peers.
A bodycam video released by police officials shows a youth soccer coach complaining about a 3-year-old player to Winter Park police.
According to People, the exchange occurred shortly after police were called to Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Winter Park, Florida, where 3-year-old Nevada Pierre was being supported by his parents Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre during a game. The parents have since claimed that their son was targeted for being a strong player, which the coach corroborates in his discussion with police, although he alleged that the child was pushing other players.
"So, the kid is good, right? He's great. Real good," the coach told the responding officers. "So, what happened is, he's very advanced compared to the other ones. So, he scores a lot of goals, but he's pushing the other kids so I try to tell him, play without pushing, right?"
The coach went on to claim that Nevada’s parents were being defensive despite him wanting to give an equal amount of playing time to other children.
"There was like six kids on the team. I swap the kids out, because he's so good I take him out, everyone deserves their time," he said. "They don't like that. They tell me I'm ignorant, I'm this, I'm that, blah blah blah. I just want them out. Immediately. Just give me their names so I can give them their refund.”
The parents were refunded after Nevada was taken off the i9 Sports team, but during an interview with The Breakfast Club, Griffin claimed her son was “targeted throughout the season because of his talent.”
Winter Park police officials provided a statement after the civil incident, ensuring the public that the family was not “arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park.”
