Station Art
Loading Title...
Loading Artist...
Loading...
Loading Tagline...

 

A three-year-old soccer prodigy is heading to Spain to train — backed by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation — just weeks after a Winter Park youth league director called 911 on his family during a game.

Nevada Pierre’s mother, Martasia Griffin, confirmed the Roc Nation deal to CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz. Griffin said she has a meeting scheduled with the president of Roc Nation, and the company is sending Nevada to train in Spain next month.

“Does this even make sense to you right now?” Diaz asked.

“No!” Griffin laughed.

In the days since, a GoFundMe connected to the family has gained widespread support. Griffin told News 6 the fundraiser has raised more than $40,000.

In the News 6 interview, Griffin also addressed criticism online from people questioning whether the family is trying to benefit financially from the viral moment.

[WATCH: Original interview with News 6]

“I’m not because eventually we’re going to get him overseas to play with people that appreciate his talent,” she said.

What happened at the game

Griffin says Nevada scored a goal — fast — and the game stopped. What happened next left her blindsided.

“He made his one goal that was so fast and they stopped the game and parents, director, coaches all got in one circle without me and his father,” Griffin said. When she approached the group to ask what was happening, she said she was shut out. “So when I approached them about like is this conversation about my son, or y’all stopping the game about my son, I should be included.”

After that, the league’s director called 911.

“There’s a parent here just really disruptive,” the director told the 911 dispatcher, according to audio from the call.

[Listen to 911 call]

Griffin disputes that characterization. “No, no, I’m just trying to talk to him about what can we do to fix it,” she told Diaz.

Body camera footage from the responding officers captured the director saying Nevada “scores a lot of goals, but he’s pushing the kids,” and demanding the family be removed: “I just want them out immediately out.”

Griffin had a simpler way of looking at it. “I signed my kid up for soccer,” she said in the body camera footage. “So they literally kicking him out of this place because he’s good at soccer.”

In a statement, the league said “the respectful treatment of every child and family matter deeply.”

Race and rivalry

Diaz pressed Griffin on whether race played a role in the confrontation. Griffin noted that the director is Black, and many of the other families at the game appeared to be white.

“Do you think race played a role?” Diaz asked.

“Not too much more of jealousy,” Griffin replied.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and an outpouring of support online.

A prodigy from the start

Nevada’s skills were apparent before he was even born. Griffin says he was kicking constantly in the womb. “When he was like 1, he kicked everything — he kicked a lot when I was pregnant and things like that. Non stop, non-stop.”

His father, Don, taught him the game. Nevada is three years old and already managing business calls — Griffin handles his emails and deal inquiries for several hours every day.

“Your 3-year-old has business calls?” Diaz asked.

“Yea, yea,” Griffin said.

Nevada now trains at the EJ E7 Soccer Academy, run by former U.S. Men’s National Team striker Eddie Johnson. Even Johnson — a professional — is at a loss for words.

“Literally it’s like a great, a former great player, like reincarnated into his body,” Johnson said. He added that Nevada picks up new moves after watching them only once. “He shouldn’t be dribbling and running with the ball with that type of control and with that type of coordination at that age.”

Moving forward

Griffin told CBS News the family is not suing the league. They want to move forward.

His parents say Nevada loves the game and they are not pushing him. His one-year-old brother, Vegas, is already following in his footsteps.

Share the Post: