A budding soccer star in Florida was escorted off the field by police after his family said opposing parents complained that he dominated the game and held onto the ball too long.
The viral footage begins with 3-year-old Nevada using elite footwork to breeze by defenders and scoring consecutive goals. In the beginning of the video, the youth scores several coast-to-coast goals. He even scores with a backheel while facing away from the goal.
The video takes a turn at the end and shows the game halted as police speak with Nevada's family and tell them they need to leave the field.
"They called the police on a 3-year-old because he is too good," the cameraman said. "They called the police on a 3-year-old because he has the ball for too long. And nobody else can get the ball. So, they called the police on him."
That explanation comes from Nevada's family. Neither police nor i9 Sports has publicly confirmed why officers were called or what prompted the league to remove the family.
Viral footage shows an officer informing the child's family that they need to leave and that the league office should reach out to them in "about a week."
Nevada's family says the league removed him because opposing parents complained that other children could not take the ball from him. The family also says Nevada, who is 3, had been playing against children around 5 years old.
According to multiple reports, the family was issued a trespass notice and later received a refund for Nevada's fall registration. i9 Sports has not publicly commented on the incident, and police have not released an account establishing who requested their response or why.
Elite scorers are often deemed selfish because of their low assist totals. However, Los Angeles Lakers alum Kobe Bryant previously explained his reluctance to pass to certain teammates to NBA assistant coach Phil Handy, essentially stating that passing to a lesser player whose work ethic he didn't trust was not in the best interest of the team.
"I see dudes walk into practice 10 minutes before practice. They leave right after. Why the f*** am I gonna pass them the basketball? I don't respect their work ethic," said Handy on the All The Smoke podcast, recalling a conversation with the late NBA star. "I'm in here busting my ass every day trying to perfect my craft. These dudes don't want to work on their game. I don't trust them. So I'm not gonna pass them the basketball. I'm gonna ride them hard every day.'"
In the case of the youth soccer star, his family believes his ability to dominate possession played a role in his removal from the league, although that explanation has not been independently verified.
What the 3-year-old lacked in passing he more than made up for in scoring. Hopefully, the next time he dominates the competition, he can do so without police intervention.
