A family and their 3-year-old son were removed and escorted from a youth soccer game by police after other parents complained their children could not get the ball from him.
Nevada was playing in the i9 Sports Fall 2026 Soccer League run by the Seminole County/Winter Park franchise, a Saturday morning program.
According to his family’s account, he was playing against children around five years old , holding the ball for long stretches and scoring several goals. Complaints kept coming. Parents of opposing players said their children couldn’t get the ball from him and that it wasn’t fair.
The 3-year-old’s parents said the league told them Nevada was being kicked out because every week no one could take the ball from him. The family’s account also includes an allegation that opposing parents accused him of trying to put on a show.
During the encounter on the sideline, Nevada’s mother told officers the family usually stands apart from other parents but that a group had gathered to talk about her son. She asked officers:
“You’re confused too, right? Like, what is the real issue?.”
“We don’t ever stand with the other parents so we’re not getting into it with other parents, so we always stand on the other side,” She added.
Sports journalist Jemele Hill criticized the police response and the family’s reported removal from the field.
“I thought the caption was just a joke to play on this little boy being so good. No, they actually DID call the police and the family was asked to leave. Why would the police enable such stupidity?” Hill wrote. “Is that worth calling the police? And the league took their money so …”
Nevada’s family has documented Nevada’s soccer play on social media, building a following of more than 278,000 on Instagram and posting video of the 3-year-old playing with adults and fellow kids and even fixed March games on TikTok under @nevadaney10.
The league terminated Nevada from the club team, and issued a trespass notice, further refunded his registration, after police had escorted them off the field in front of other children and spectators.
“They called the police on a little Black kid for being too good at soccer.” Comedian KevOnStage criticized the decision to involve police in the incident.
“If you get whooped, you just be like, man, that team had a really good kid. And you get them babies a Capri Sun and get them some ice cream and go on about your life,” KevOnStage added.
A screenshot of an email from i9 Sports confirms a refund for his Saturday registration was processed. The email gives no reason for the refund.
The incident drew reaction beyond the family, including from former professional player Eddie Johnson, who said:
“This is sad and shouldn’t be tolerated at all in youth sports.”
Sports journalist Jemele Hill also criticized the police involvement in the matter:
“Weaponizing the police against a 3-year-old is nasty work!”
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