Nevada Pierre is 3 years old and already has a training offer most young players can only dream about. Former U.S. men's national team striker Eddie Johnson says the toddler is welcome at his soccer academy in Orlando, with sessions set to begin in January.

The offer arrives after a rough week for the little guy. Videos his parents posted show Nevada weaving past bigger kids and knocking in goals like he has been doing it for years. Then a youth game in Winter Park, Florida, ended with police at the field on Oct. 24 after a dispute between his family and the league over playing time. Officers called it a civil matter. Nobody was arrested.

His parents, Martasia Griffin and Don Pierre, said their son was singled out for one reason: he is really good. On police bodycam video his mom tells officers that people were upset because her son "actually plays soccer." A league official told police the boy was advanced for his age and claimed he had pushed other players. The company that runs the program said it reached out to the family and is reviewing what happened.

A pro steps in

Johnson, who played in Major League Soccer and the Premier League, posted about Nevada on Instagram. He said the episode showed problems that still linger in youth soccer. He named entitlement, jealousy, gatekeeping and profiling, especially against kids of color.

Then he made it personal. Johnson said Nevada's family first contacted his academy when the boy was just 2. Back then he felt the child was too young to join. Now he says it is time. Nevada has a spot.

Clips everyone is talking about

The story spread far beyond Florida this week as clips of his footwork made the rounds. Plenty of grown-ups watching had to admit a 3-year-old was dribbling better than they ever did.

For Nevada the details are simple. He loves the ball, he loves to score and come January he gets to do it with a former national team striker in his corner. After the week his family had, that is a pretty sweet next chapter.