Mom of 3-year-old speaks out after police called over dispute at youth soccer game
Police released body camera footage of officers responding to the incident.
Police in Winter Park, Florida, released body camera footage of officers responding to an i9 youth soccer game on Saturday amid a dispute over 3-year-old soccer player Nevada Pierre, who dominated the field, prompting concerns over other children getting to play.
Body camera video released on Monday shows the league's athletic director telling police, who responded to the incident, that he decided to call 911 after a female parent began livestreaming their interaction on social media.
He explained that the dispute with the parent, who identified herself to ABC News as Nevada's mother Martasia Griffin, began after the 3-year-old's parents disagreed with his decision to "swap out" Nevada to give other children a chance to play.
"What happened is he's very advanced compared to the other ones. So he scored a lot of goals, but he pushes the kids to do all that stuff. So I try to tell him, 'Hey, stop! Don't [push]. You want to play with that person, right?'"[The parents] don't like that. They tell me I'm ignorant. I'm this. I'm that," he said.
In the 911 audio of the call, which was released by police, the athletic director tells the dispatcher that he is calling to report an alleged "unruly parent" who is live-streaming their interaction on social media.
"There's a parent here that's really really disruptive ... following me around and calling me names and in front of this whole bunch of people that's here," he said in the call. "I want [her] to be gone ... Can you have someone quickly get here?"
Griffin told ABC News that she was standing up for her son after she learned that he was going to be benched, after being sidelined multiple times in previous games, to give other children the chance to play amid complaints from other parents.
"I was only walking behind him because he said that he's the director. So I'm trying to figure out what are you gonna do? Like my son should play," she said of her interaction with the athletic director.
Griffin acknowledged that when her son plays, he dominates the field.
"It's just his movement. How he's moving around with the ball. Nobody can't touch the ball," she said.
Griffin said that people were "yelling" at her son to "pass the ball," and when he saw the police, he "was scared as if he did something wrong." She said the experience damaged "his spirit."
"At some point, Nevada's feelings has to ... matter too," Griffin said. "Everybody's worrying about their kids' feelings. Their kid want playing time. Their kid want to kick the ball. My kid do too. He don't know why he's sitting down. Why everybody else is playing?"
Griffin also claimed that she heard other parents tell their children to push her 3-year-old son on the field. Nevada plays in a league with 5-year-olds, according to his mother.
In a statement, the i9 sports program said that they are "aware of concerns" regarding this incident and "take them very seriously."
"The respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to us. We have reached out to the family and have begun a review that includes speaking with those involved," the statement said. "While we work to understand the circumstances, we will not speculate or share unverified information. We appreciate everyone who has brought their concerns to our attention."
The Winter Park league's athletic director didn't respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Griffin said that her son trains for three hours a day with his father and is advanced for his age, so he excels on the field, regardless of playing with children older than him.
According to the league's ethos, as outlined in the i9 Sports Experience, there is a "focus on fun" and they are committed to giving the children the opportunity at "equal playing time regardless of talent level."
The league's "sportsmanship values" include "being a team player" and "inclusion" -- "to ensure everyone is treated equally and fairly," and "giving everyone a chance to play regardless of differences," the i9 website says.
Police said during their interaction with the director in the body camera video that this is a "civil" matter and "not criminal" and while they couldn't force Nevada's family out of the park because it's a public space, they could tell them that they couldn't participate in the program anymore.
Griffin is seen in the video asking for a "refund," and the director said he would fully refund what they paid.
The officers are seen having a conversation with Nevada's parents and told them that the youth sports league would get in contact with them about refunding their money in a week or two. The family then left the field on their own accord, the video shows.
She noted that the i9 league offered Nevada a chance to join another league for free, but it was three hours away, so the family declined.