youth football

[mcaw]

Who will be the next dwight and latapy of T &T

[login]

The best yougth footballer in t&t has to be Craig he is a player who has alot of vision and alot of driblling skills .he contols the center of the midfield for his club rangers

[login]

The youth i T&T needs to be more developed u _17 footballers in england and spain and all over the world are already linked with professional clubs,while our boys play with schools for a third of the year

[Observer]

The youth i T&T needs to be more developed u _17 footballers in england and spain and all over the world are already linked with professional clubs,while our boys play with schools for a third of the year

Very good point!!! Both Gally and DeLeon mentioned this in the past. Plus not many of them are given a chance to cut their teeth with the National Team. Gally, Archibal, DeLeon, Latas, Yorke all were introduced at a young age.

[pops]

T&t yongsters are at this age supposed to be in camps and soocer acadamies .The are our next future off football

[JDB]

Who will be the next dwight and latapy of T &T

If none of those youths are playnig senior club football or in the U-23 picture then none of them will be Dwight or Latas. At age 16 them men was that good, phenoms that could ball with big men.

The fact is that we don't need to find one Dwight or one Latapy but need to develop a quality crop of players. In that respect we are not doing too bad at present but we are getting good players more by luck than by design.

Club academies is probably th ebest solution as the other alternative, a national academy, just can't/won't be funded.

[login]

The youth i T&T needs to be more developed u _17 footballers in england and spain and all over the world are already linked with professional clubs,while our boys play with schools for a third of the year


this point is very good !!we need to get our youth out dere .so many youths i see who have talant and dont use it and waste there life .While children of the same age in forgien countries have forgien contracts with the worlds bigggest clubs they are being molded for the future .we need to start a simalar program on our twin island .That also runs all year round pre seaon off season and in season

[mcaw]

another intresting yongster to look at is chad de fraitas of fatima

[truetrini]

Ah think mad man KND was first to say we youth ballers should play a longer season.

We also need to have better prepared coaches who can teach the fundamentals.

Proper nutrition must be taught and yout players must have the proper equipment and playing surfaces.

[pops]

Proper nutrition must be taught and yout players must have the proper equipment and playing surfaces.

 
very interstin statement u cant really play good quality football in the savannah ............and without proper equipment...............................coaches need to attend coarses to learn to coach

[truetrini]

is true. de doubles and solo and de chubby and roti ting cyar wuk.

I even hear bout ah youth who pass out duing training for de Youth team because he was hungry.

Ah eh lying.  dat come from very reliable soures.

Odders cyar even pay to come to train..what a damn shame.  if man keeping dey money fuh travel and ent eating.
steups

[mcaw]

for reel but wa can we do to help this boss

[truetrini]

I am not sure what can be done.  One time I suggested that we start some sort of foundation (not for profut) but it seems too difficult a atask maybe!

[mcaw]

scene ,i think we should invite more scouts to come down here to take our talkented youths to a better football environment

[Bally]

Notice some thing three of those players mention came up the rangers youth system

[mcaw]

that is a very good observation, i did not even realise

[mcaw]

Tand T cup is goin on the stadium now rangers beat a trinpro side 23-0 today
.........................................................and also drew to a la fucad side 1-1

[Observer]

Every year in T&T they should select a North South East West and Tobago youth team's, U16 & U18. Train them for one month and Play home and away. Invite scouts from pro clubs and American universities.
This will form a base for National Youth teams. Its inexpensive and has potential to be of high quality. Certainly better than watching players win 23-0

[FF]

Every year in T&T they should select a North South East West and Tobago youth team's, U16 & U18. Train them for one month and Play home and away. Invite scouts from pro clubs and American universities.
This will form a base for National Youth teams. Its inexpensive and has potential to be of high quality. Certainly better than watching players win 23-0

As far as I know... this has always been done... never publicised though. It was how all national youth teams got picked. Each zone would have a screening and then they will eventually get down to about 22 players each. There would then be a zonal all star tournament. The national coaches would call players from these teams. I was on the North Zone u-14 through u-16 in 94,95 and 96. Was also fortunate to be selected for the National u-17's for qualifying for the 97 WC in Egypt. (didn't make the final cut though) The coaches was Grayson and LaFoucade. The training was once a week in Presentation grounds, Chaguanas. The only bad thing I could say bout the then  coaching staff... was that we take too long to get a settled squad. We was together for bout a year and men was always coming in and out. We hardly play practice games. We play a Tobago 11 and an American high school had come down and we play them. About 6months or less b4 qualifiers start the side finally get clearance to do weight training in the stadium. I think the staff heart was in de right place but the preparations was not enough.
Players to come out of this team: Cornell Glen, Scott Sealey, Kerry Baptiste, Kerwyn Jack (anybody know where this man gone?), Akudu Goodridge, Kester Cornwall, Isa Ar-Razi, Gary Gibbings, Josh Johnson, and several others

[mcaw]

Every year in T&T they should select a North South East West and Tobago youth team's, U16 & U18. Train them for one month and Play home and away. Invite scouts from pro clubs and American universities.
This will form a base for National Youth teams. Its inexpensive and has potential to be of high quality. Certainly better than watching players win 23-0

As far as I know... this has always been done... never publicised though. It was how all national youth teams got picked. Each zone would have a screening and then they will eventually get down to about 22 players each. There would then be a zonal all star tournament. The national coaches would call players from these teams. I was on the North Zone u-14 through u-16 in 94,95 and 96. Was also fortunate to be selected for the National u-17's for qualifying for the 97 WC in Egypt. (didn't make the final cut though) The coaches was Grayson and LaFoucade. The training was once a week in Presentation grounds, Chaguanas. The only bad thing I could say bout the then coaching staff... was that we take too long to get a settled squad. We was together for bout a year and men was always coming in and out. We hardly play practice games. We play a Tobago 11 and an American high school had come down and we play them. About 6months or less b4 qualifiers start the side finally get clearance to do weight training in the stadium. I think the staff heart was in de right place but the preparations was not enough.
Players to come out of this team: Cornell Glen, Scott Sealey, Kerry Baptiste, Kerwyn Jack (anybody know where this man gone?), Akudu Goodridge, Kester Cornwall, Isa Ar-Razi, Gary Gibbings, Josh Johnson, and several others





where have these players really gonee they should have been developed to come directly into the senior team

[FF]

Well, ah call de first three because they currently in de national pool. Several other men went away to study. Others overs de football scene all together. But it have a good few who in de pfl now

[maxg]

I seriously think people placing to much emphasis on development of youth thru football acadamies and major financial programs for the youth to win a scholarship /contract in foreign and move away.
Nutrition aand training education should not be for football development, as much as it should be for community/Public health systems, especially where we have KFC, McDonalds type fast food outlets today.

You cannot compare our youth system to a England/South america youth system, the economic culture is entirely different. Anybody have any idea how many people in these countries do not make it. What is in place tho, is oppurtunity that have they don't make it in football, or cricket, or whatever sport they choose..they can still get training to make it in some other profession...whether construction, medicine, or marketing to accounting, engineering, or industry (sponsors), but they all contribute in some way....we can develop kids to go away and help them contribute to building their system....

Let us invest in developing the Country, that would be the big picture...
If 20000 youths are developed, how many kids would actually make it...

If we educate most of the population, most of the kids, parents and grands will benefit..

nb. I am not proposing boycotting the KFC's of the Country, but becoming aware of things like, Obesity, Oncology, respiratory and lIver deseases etc..etc...Many athletes here, cannot afford to eat fast food, they live on homemade sandwiches, milks, salads, carbo, ...the proper food groups etc...

No Oak, Carib, Toke, Party,fast-foods,liksin someting, limin and chillin etc...So when people shout to dem youths how Trini sweet, careful what yuh really advising them to do...

Football development (and everything else) of dem youths start with we.
Not just dey parents. That is National

[truetrini]

Maxg exactly why yuh need ah academy!

Not just for fooball but for a national referendum!

We need to educate the population in T&T.  Too many times is jes pure kicks and nbutten else going on in the lives of people.

The government but ensure that civics are taught properly from ABC to University!

Malnutrition must be addressed but what is wrong with a football academy?

This is a football forum so naturally we want to see the football level rise and one way to address that is to put the brightest stars in an academy to foster their development.

If we want health to improve in T&T we need to start with the children and hope that it takes root in them and tranfers to action as young people and then adults...same with football

[Observer]

maxg I think there is some confusion here. When people talk about an Academy, they are speaking about elitism in sport. Placing the best potential athletes in an environment that will further enhance their abilities, with an aim of improving the base and overall foundation of football. Football at an International level.
What I think you are getting at is a Nation wide program, geared towards a general education of health through nutrition as a life style, active living etc. This I agree with by the way, I think young people must be made aware of the global movement to change traditional eating habits. fresh foods, greens, fruits, fish etc. have been replaced by fast food & snacks and marketed in a manner that is really a reeducation of eating habits. Nothing short of brain washing.
Football at a grass roots level is there to stay in T&T, the game can be seen all over. What many are talking about is raising the standard towards professionalism making the Nation competitiveon a World stage.

[maxg]

to break it down simply...Forget the National awareness issue

Presently, We have some of our better players getting foreign contracts and scholarships....Dem gone...many not to be seen on a National scale again.
Now we start a football academy, increase the level of the youths from an earlier age...As they develop even better, yuh think they won't get more or earlier scholarships and foreign contracts.. They will go even faster....so the ones who don't accept these lucrative offers stay, but would they be our best, sure the overall ability will improve, but we would have lost more of our better players at an even faster rate as the system evelves into an elite supplier of cheap footballers...How will that help us produce a better National program?

This is just an opinion eh, but as I see it may lead to a faster Talent drain on the short Term, and same boat on the long term.

Nah, I think our National development, can only be improved by having stuff( jobs-professional & otherwise) to keep our better players home. Thus it may seem as if I am not talking about improving our football on a youth level, yet in fact I am.   - see previous post

[dcs]

They will go even faster....so the ones who don't accept these lucrative offers stay, but would they be our best, sure the overall ability will improve, but we would have lost more of our better players at an even faster rate as the system evelves into an elite supplier of cheap footballers...How will that help us produce a better National program?

Well you hadda step back and see what is the overall goal of football/sport in the country.  In my opinion reaching World Cups or winning tournaments is a means to an end.  It is about providing opportunities for people in the country and if all of them able to get scholarships to go abroad then it is a loss well worth it because it means the system is working.  After all, we should be trying to let people be the best they can be to make us proud.  And if you really talking about elite then they will be able to command larger salaries if they really are better in quality.
If they get to the level where they so much better than now it will be easier to pull together a squad on short notice and the ones left at home would also be better.

I rather deal with players who too hot to hold on to than keeping them at a lower level so we could keep them.

[maxg]

I guess I over simplfied.
 The bottom line is we would not be better off.

On an addtional note...Where will the finances for supporting these acadamies come from. What will be the returns to attracted investors..Don't say Government, as the Government is barely supporting as is..I imagine they can come from private investors, who may (or may not) demand certain returns. So unless an underpriviledged youth is extremely talented, who you think will be attending these acadamies.
I suspect a priviledged many, an an under-priviledged few. What can of general public action you think that selection process will generate.

Many young Trinis seem to operate on "I can think it, therefore we must have it". Reality operates on a different level..

Why are their no soccer acadamies in every 'developed' country that loves soccer? Is it they do not want to develop their youths ?

I appreciate people's desire to improve our game/competitive level at home, I am just fairly certain, that
1. It is not the answer to T&T soccer woes
2. There will be less benefits than expected
3. There are more areas that require more long term planning and our country will reap greater benefits on more differnt levels than just football

[Observer]

maxg if the standard of the footballers becomes better then its a matter of planning. Look at Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal having there camps in Europe. No its not ideal, but at least the players are together & quality opposition in guaranteed.
T&T could do the same. However, regardless of what system is in place players will still move to more lucrative markets. If T&T designs a league that is of a decent standard then it will serve the function of the Academy and you back to square one. Unless the league is like the Mexican league where it pays handsomely and there is in general no desire for players to leave. In all honestly I cannot see T&T having a football league of that nature. We also cannot expect or deny a young man the opportunity to be educated, it is a matter of choice. Personally I think we have lost most of our quality to  Universities. The players go play some ball, enjoy themselves and come away with a degree. Sadly the standard of football is not good enough for them to return home and compete at a International level.

[maxg]

Xactly. We don't have a properly organized league, we don't have a lucrative system for these youths to progress too. We seemingly don't have many opportunities -like higher education- to give to the youths, we seemingly don't have an organized federation. Therefore, what is the point in having an academy to produce who, for what.
Places that have sport scademies, have things in place for it's graduates.

What is the point of UWI offering a degree in Rocket Science, because we like to watch football on TV, and if we had a Sat. we could see more football. Will it benefit the Caribbean to invest in building a rocket?
 
If anybody bawl good idea, ah go beat dey sc**t eh 

[Observer]

Xactly. We don't have a properly organized league, we don't have a lucrative system for these youths to progress too. We seemingly don't have many opportunities -like higher education- to give to the youths, we seemingly don't have an organized federation. Therefore, what is the point in having an academy to produce who, for what.
Places that have sport scademies, have things in place for it's graduates.

What is the point of UWI offering a degree in Rocket Science, because we like to watch football on TV, and if we had a Sat. we could see more football. Will it benefit the Caribbean to invest in building a rocket?
 
If anybody bawl good idea, ah go beat dey sc**t eh 

So in other words players that have a talent for football should not be given a chance to excell through an Academy. Which in turn may increase the likelyhood of them making football a profession, even if it is in someone elses country. So less investment in resources