Police Called On 3-Year-Old Black Boy In Florida For Being Too Good At Football
Drama ensued at a youth football tournament in Winter Park, Florida, after police were called on a 3-year-old black boy, Nevada, for being too good at football.
The black boy, who wore a blue and red No.10 shirt, was competing in an i9 Sports tournament against white children as old as five and was outclassing them with exceptional dribbling and goalscoring skills.
His mother, Martasia Griffin, said organizers benched her black son repeatedly throughout the 30-minute game and later kicked him out after other parents complained their children could not keep up with him.
In a viral video, Griffin told responding officers in shock: “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.”
Speaking to ABC News, she added: “I don’t see the issue of him not playing. He is playing like every other kid and it’s more of an embarrassment thing, like he wanted to embarrass me and my little family.”
Organizers Say He Was Pushing
i9 Sports organizers, however, claimed Nevada was pushing other kids.
“The kid is good. He’s great. Really good. 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 organizer told police, according to ESPN.
The organizer alleged Nevada’s parents became argumentative after he was benched, prompting a police call.
But ESPN reported the viral footage did not show the 3-year-old black boy making physical contact with other players.
Winter Park police clarified that officers were called over a disagreement between league officials and parents, not the boy’s performance. Police confirmed the black family cooperated and no one was arrested or issued trespassing notice. The league offered to refund registration fees.
The incident has sparked debate online about whether a 3-year-old black prodigy should be punished for being too talented, with many questioning if the treatment would have been same if he was not black.
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