Eddie Johnson Signs Winter Park Soccer Star to Orlando Academy

Eddie Johnson announced Monday that his Orlando-based EJE7 Soccer Academy will train Nevada Pierre, the 3-year-old boy who became the center of a viral dispute at a Winter Park youth soccer match.

The former U.S. men's national team forward and ex-Premier League striker said the boy's removal from the i9 Sports program illustrates specific problems in American youth soccer.

Johnson posted on Instagram that the incident reveals entitlement, jealousy, and profiling. He noted that the family sought to enroll Nevada in his academy when the child was 2 years old. Johnson told the parents at that time that the boy was too young for his program and should gain experience in local leagues.

The conflict occurred last Saturday when an i9 Sports organizer called police to the park. The organizer reported that the boy had pushed other players and that the family created a disturbance. Body camera footage released Monday shows Nevada's parents, Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, telling officers that the league kicked the boy out because he was too good at soccer.

Parents posted video of their son playing before the police arrival. The clip shows Nevada dribbling past opponents and scoring multiple goals. It does not show physical contact between the child and other players. Winter Park Police officers are seen in the video asking the family to leave the public park.

An i9 Sports representative told ESPN that police were called to de-escalate a disturbance between adults. The league stated the call was not related to the child. A league official described the parents as disruptive but said the organization does not have video of the confrontation itself.

The Winter Park Police Department confirmed that no one was arrested or forced to leave. The agency classified the matter as civil rather than criminal. i9 Sports said the parents requested a refund on Saturday. The league asked the adults not to continue participating in the program following the incident.