Mother of 3-Year-Old Soccer Player Calls Out Winter Park Police Response
Body camera footage released Monday shows officers responding to a youth soccer dispute where a 3-year-old was benched against the league's stated values.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
Martasia Griffin stood on the grass at a Winter Park, Florida, soccer field on Saturday, watching her 3-year-old son, Nevada Pierre, get pushed off the pitch. Nevada plays in the i9 Sports Experience league alongside 5-year-olds, and Griffin said his movement and ball control made him difficult for older players to dislodge. The incident escalated when the league’s athletic director decided to bench Nevada to give other children playing time, a move based on the program’s commitment to equal participation regardless of talent.
The dispute turned into a police response when the athletic director called 911. Body camera footage released on Monday shows the director telling a dispatcher that Griffin was an "unruly parent" who was "really really disruptive" and live-streaming their interaction. He asked for an officer to arrive quickly to help remove her from the public park. The footage captures the director explaining that Nevada is "very advanced compared to the other ones" and often pushes the other children to play hard, which the parents did not agree with.
Griffin told ABC News that she was standing up for her son after learning he would be sidelined again. She noted that other parents had complained about Nevada’s dominance, with some reportedly telling their own children to push him to make him pass the ball. Griffin said that when her son saw the police officers, he "was scared as if he did something wrong." She described the moment as damaging to his spirit, arguing that his feelings deserved the same consideration as the other families who were worried about their own children’s playing time.
Police officers identified the situation as a civil matter rather than a criminal one. Because the field is a public space, officers could not force the family to leave, but they explained that the league could inform the family they were no longer participating in the program. In the video, Griffin asks for a refund, and the athletic director agrees to fully refund the amount paid. The officers told the parents that the league would contact them regarding the refund within a week or two before the family left the field on their own.
The i9 Sports Experience program released a statement saying they are "aware of concerns" regarding the incident and "take them very seriously." The statement emphasized that the respectful treatment and well-being of every child and family matter deeply to the organization. The league said it has reached out to the Griffin family and begun a review that includes speaking with those involved. The program added that it would not speculate or share unverified information while working to understand the circumstances.
The league's website outlines its ethos with a "focus on fun" and a commitment to "equal playing time regardless of talent level." Its sportsmanship values include being a team player and ensuring inclusion so that everyone is treated equally and fairly. Despite these stated goals, the athletic director did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News following the release of the footage.
The i9 league offered Nevada a chance to join another program for free, but the family declined because the new location was three hours away. Griffin said Nevada trains for three hours a day with his father, which contributes to his advanced skills for his age. The family has since stepped away from the Winter Park program following the exchange with the athletic director and the police response.
