'I'm LIVID': Ms. Rachel Invites Soccer Star, 3, on Her Show After Mum Says He Was Benched for Being 'Too Good'
Nevada's family alleges unfair treatment while police describe a dispute between parents and local league officials
Ms. Rachel invited a three-year-old boy onto her show on Monday after his mother alleged he was benched for playing too well at a football match in Winter Park, Florida.
Nevada's parents claimed officials repeatedly removed him from matches after he scored. They maintained that he was frequently benched despite his ability, including during Saturday's game, when a dispute prompted a police response.
Winter Park Police Department described a disturbance between league officials and the parents. Officers confirmed that nobody was arrested or forced to leave the park.
Ms. Rachel Calls on Athletes To Support Nevada
The children's entertainer, whose name is Rachel Griffin-Accurso, appealed on Instagram for sports figures to support Nevada after his parents' video attracted widespread attention.
'I'm LIVID!' she wrote. 'We'd love to have him on our show to share his amazing skills. I need sports people to show up for him.'
Ms. Rachel also characterised the incident as 'racist, sick, traumatizing and disgusting'.
The video depicts Nevada dribbling past other children and scoring, before cutting to the family's encounter with officers. The video had attracted more than one million views on TikTok by Monday.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III also criticised the incident on X, writing that 'punishing a 3 year old child for being too good at a sport is RIDICULOUS.'
The Dispute Behind Ms. Rachel's Response
Nevada's mother, Martasia Griffin, told The Breakfast Club that her son had faced unfair treatment throughout the season because of his talent. She alleged that other parents complained nobody else could get the ball.
'I cannot explain to my three year old son that he cannot play today because he's so good.'
She maintained that she continued letting Nevada play until officers arrived.
In her interview with HuffPost, Griffin described Nevada playing alongside five-year-olds. She alleged that the league director told her other families were paying for their children to play too.
A league official offered a different account to responding officers. He described Nevada as a good player but alleged that the boy pushed other children and that his parents argued with other parents after he intervened.
Police stated that the league requested the family's departure and offered a refund. Officers were then requested to relay that message because the official did not want to prolong the disturbance.
The family told officers the game had finished and they were leaving. Police described them as co-operative.
League Addresses Incident Criticised By Ms. Rachel
The i9 Sports Maitland/Winter Park league said in a statement on Monday that it took the concerns seriously.
'We have reached out to the family and have begun a review that includes speaking with those involved,' the league stated.
Griffin told HuffPost that Nevada was 'traumatized' by the experience.
'He still wants to play soccer. He just doesn't want to go back to that place. I don't think that's how he should be thinking, that as a 3-year-old he did something wrong.'
Nevada's mother said he would join an Orlando-based youth football training programme run by former professional footballer Eddie Johnson in January 2027.
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