Police called to remove 3-year-old, family from Florida soccer tourney

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  Robert KlemkoOct 26, 2026, 06:14 PM ET

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  Robert Klemko is a senior investigative reporter. Reach him on Signal @klemko.84.

A Florida youth soccer organizer called police last weekend to remove the family of a 3-year-old boy he said was pushing other players. But in body camera footage of the police response released Monday, the boy's parents are seen telling officers that the boy was kicked out of the league because he's too good at soccer.

The child's parents posted video on several social media channels of their son playing soccer against children before the police interaction. In the viral video, the boy, Nevada, can be seen dribbling past other children on his way to scoring several goals, then looking on in confusion as Winter Park Police Department officers ask his family to leave the park. The parents told officers the league cost them nearly $300.

In the body camera footage, an organizer for i9 Sports, a nationwide youth sports organization, tells officers the boy's parents created a disturbance at the park.

"The kid is good. He's great. Really good," the organizer tells responding officers. "He's very advanced compared to the other ones, so he's scoring a lot of goals, but he's pushing the kids ... So I try to tell him, don't push, we want to play without pushing, right?"

The video posted by the boy's parents does not depict physical contact between their son and other players. Organizers for i9 Sports did not respond to requests from ESPN for comment.

The organizer explained to police that the parents became argumentative when their son was benched.

"I just want him out. Immediately," the organizer told police. "Just give me their names so I can give them their refund."

When police approached a woman who identified herself as Nevada's mother, she explained that parents were upset that Nevada was too advanced for the league.

"They're mad at my son because he actually plays soccer. They're literally kicking him out of this place because he's good at soccer," she said. "First they said he's not passing, but nobody's catching the ball when he's passing."

Officers did not cite the family for trespassing or eject them from the public park, explaining to the organizer they did not have the authority to do so. In a statement posted to their website, the Winter Park Police Department said the league offered a refund to the parents, who were not named in the report.

"The family stated the game was over and they were leaving. The family was cooperative with the officers," the department wrote. "No one was arrested, trespassed, or forced to leave the park."

"I kind of want to see him play," one officer told another at the end of the interaction. "I bet he's good."