Touching base with Jason Devenish.

[Flex]

Touching base with Jason Devenish.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).

Former National youth player Jason Devenish  still has ambitions of representing Trinidad and Tobago at the international level and wants to ensure that his exploits don’t go unnoticed by the T&T Football Federation as it looks towards qualification for future World tournaments.
Devenish, a former Queen’s Royal College player, who once got an invitation to play for the Canada Youth team, representing them at the Under 17 level, is among several players from T&T who have campaigned or continue to do so in the US Leagues and cannot afford to go unnoticed.
He was called back to the T&T Under 21 team in 2005 but has not returned to the national set up since. The 19-year-old midfielder is still hoping to make it big on the club stage, having been a member of the University of South Florida team. He teamed up with countrymen Kevon Neaves, Yohance Marshall and Kareem Smith at the Florida unit.
Not only are these players important members of South Florida's team, they are starters who dominate on the field and lead off the field, according to head coach George Kiefer.
"They are key players to the group," Kiefer says. "Yohance is a captain as a sophomore and right when he got here, you could tell he was a leader. He is a real vocal guy. Then, Kevon, for me, is one of the best left-sided players in the country. He is very dynamic and he can beat you off the dribble. Kareem is having his best year this year.
"And then you have Jason who we stumbled upon late last year. All four guys play good minutes. They are all key players."
An excerpt from CSTV.com a few months back added: “Devenish was the first Trinidadian player recruited by Trinidadian Ryan Anatol after he was named assistant coach. The two had a pre-existing relationship.
"I knew Jason before he got here," Anatol says. "Both coach Kiefer and I were working on recruiting Jason for here. I think partially, me being here, helped his decision to come here. I think it was easier for him and his family because they knew I was over here and they knew there would be someone looking out for him when he got here.
"I think the success we've had with Trinidadians in the past helped as well in getting them all over here."
The reasons for USF's success recruiting in Trinidad are many, but they have been built over the years through relationships.
“Kiefer attributes the origin of Trinidad recruiting to a man named Alvin Corneal, who, Kiefer says, began a soccer academy in Trinidad that paved the way for universities in the US to begin looking at Trinidadian players as possible recruits.
Current UCONN head coach Ray Reid is the man responsible for Kiefer's ties to Trinidad.
"I've been fortunate to work for coach Reid, who I also played for," Kiefer says. "At Southern Connecticut where I played, some of my better friends on the team were Trinidadian players and they were some of the better players on the team. That right there gives you a connection with some of your better friends who went back to Trinidad to keep you up to speed with what is going on over there.
"And then through working for coach Reid at UCONN we never had a team that won a national championship that didn't have at least two Trinidadian players."
“Anatol, a USF player from 1997-2000, joined the Bulls by coincidence and was not recruited by Kiefer who didn't become coach of USF until 2002.
Kiefer, already an advocate of Trinidadian players, hired Anatol back as an assistant coach in 2005 after already recruiting Smith, Marshall and Neaves and the stage became set for the Trinidadian pipeline to grow.
There is another major incentive for Trinidadians to play soccer at USF - the weather.
"Just from a geographical stand point it makes perfect sense for guys from Trinidad to come over here," Anatol explains. "The weather is the same, it's not like they are going up north where they have to play in the cold. And the culture, you look at Florida, you have so many people from the Caribbean and from South America so I think it is a little bit easier for them to come over to Florida and adjust."
Anatol continues, "Then you have the guys on the team from Trinidad, you have myself as one of the coaches, so I think for guys from Trinidad who are looking to come over to the US, it's easier for them to choose USF because they know we look out for guys from Trinidad.
"There is always an adjustment to be made, but I think it is a little bit easier for them here."

Q&A with Jason Devenish

At what age you took a real interest in the sport. Tell us a bit abut your past[/b]
I started out playing for the Dion La Foucade Soccer School at around age 6 and that is when I began the whole football obsession. I played there for the entire time until I attended Queen’s Royal College where I played from Form One until I made the first eleven team when I was in form 4 at age 15. I had a very successful year in Form Five where we won the North Zone title for the first time in a while for QRC. Following that I was invited to play with the National U20 team when I was only 16. I ended up breaking my foot in a practice game with them and not being able to play.

Who are some of the persons that inspired you, whether it be international personalities, countrymen or teammates?
Russell Latapy always inspired me. I followed him from when he first went away until he was with Glasgow Rangers and then Falkirk. I always watched him with the national team and always looked up to him and tried to emulate him. I got a chance to meet him when I was younger too which was a huge deal for me. Internationally David Beckham was always my idol. He was someone who really displayed hard work and perfectionism which I admired a lot and I of course wanted to be as famous as him one day. Another big inspiration was Coach Dion La Foucade. He coached me since I was really young and I owe so much of what I know to him. He always told me to keep my feet on the ground and be humble which up to this day I still try to do.

What has the contact been like with the TTFF. Are you still interested in playing for Trinidad? What are the possibilities. Did you support T&T at the 2006 World Cup?
The contact with the TTFF has been sporadic. The last time I had any affiliation with them was last may when I was invited to come back to Trinidad to play against Haiti and Dominican Republic. I played in only one half of one game and didn't perform too well and since then haven't really heard from them. I supported Trinidad and Tobago 100 percent in the World Cup and was very proud of how they represented us and how they performed. To represent Trinidad and Tobago in a World Cup is my ultimate goal and I am very determined to still play for the country and I definitely hope that one day I can be a part of the team again.

What has the experience been like in the US College system?
My college experience has been an up and down one. The coaching is a lot different for me and you have to be able to adjust and learn to play different positions and different ways to suit teams. You also have to become a lot stronger mentally to survive here and to succeed. It has been a huge learning experience for me and I feel as though I have become a better played mentally and physically as a result.

What are you ambitions. 1.Short term. 2. Long term
Short Term -  I hope to improve and become a bigger influence with my current team and hopefully before I graduate win a national title and graduate with my degree.
Long Term - My goal in life has always been to play professionally and I am sticking to my goal. Hopefully I will be able to fulfill my goal and play for a huge European team in the Champions’ League.

[samo]

Good Job Flex..
A very sensible young man... I sat next to his father on the way to Germany,and I could see why he is a proud father... Good Luck ...

[Flex]

Shaun did that interview....

[samo]

Sorry Mr. Fuentes..
Thanx Flex...

[legal alien]

i remember him as a little white boy from q.rc. he was in standard one when i was, i think, in standard 5. he  was ultra skillful for his level. i was disappointed when i  hear that he moved to canada.being  happy with this news,now i'm praying that he makes the next world cup team for the socawarriors.

[Pointman]

All de best son...stay focused and learn as much as you can

T&T needs a capable midfielder

[Sando]

What has the contact been like with the TTFF. Are you still interested in playing for Trinidad? What are the possibilities. ?
The contact with the TTFF has been sporadic. The last time I had any affiliation with them was last may when I was invited to come back to Trinidad to play against Haiti and Dominican Republic. I played in only one half of one game and didn't perform too well and since then haven't really heard from them.

Go Figures.... the TTFF dont keep in contact with any of their players and this is bad. We have to keep them close and let them know we haven'r forget them.... that goes a long way.

By the way, nice work Shaun, its about time we hear news from different players and not the usual Stern's, Edwards and Yorke's.

Big Up...

Jason Devenish is a very good player, however, he needs to be more composed on the ball, but he has a very good technical ability and should make a very good central midfielder one day along with Sean De Silva, in time my youth.... good luck....

[WestCoast]

He now plays for the Victoria Highlanders
profile
http://victoriahighlandersfc.com/profile.php?pid=29

team site
http://victoriahighlandersfc.com/index.php

[NYtriniwhiteboy..]

big up jason! keep doin yuh do!

[WestCoast]

big up jason! keep doin yuh do!

The latest information on Jason Devenish

Highlanders ground Aztex
By Cleve Dheensaw   
September 16, 2009
 

Matt Pele of the Highlanders, right, and David Horst of the Aztex fight for the ball during exhibition soccer action at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford last night.
Photograph by: Darren Stone, Times ColonistThe Victoria Highlanders proved what a fine line it can be between levels in sport.

It was hard to tell the amateurs from the pros last night at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford as the Highlanders upset the Austin Aztex of the professional United Soccer League Division 1.

The Highlanders, from the USL Premier Development League, recorded a smartly executed 2-0

victory before 1,200 fans.

“The difference is not what fans might expect,” said Highlanders midfielder Matt Pele, who was outstanding on the night.

“There’s not a lot that separates us from them. Often it comes down to a coach’s opinion. We’ve got guys who can play at the pro level.”

The Aztex will miss the USL playoffs, yet that didn’t take away from the Highlanders’ achievement. The outcome was all the more impressive considering Austin, which closed out Sunday against the Whitecaps in Vancouver, is in late-season form while the Highlanders’ season ended by missing the PDL playoffs more than a month ago. Yesterday’s Victoria roster was pulled together from various Island league clubs.

“We just got off playing six games in 12 days, from Miami to Vancouver, and we were tired tonight,” said Aztex owner Phil Rawlins, also an owner and director of Stoke City of the English Premiership.

“But Victoria thoroughly deserved the victory. The set-up and crowd here is excellent. I don’t see any reason why Victoria shouldn’t step up to the USL pro division, if it wanted to.”

Victoria got on the board first when Tynan Diaz was taken down in the box at 22 minutes. Pele, a former NCAA Division 2 all-American out of Western Washington, coolly rolled the penalty kick into the corner of the net as the first whiff of an upset floated into the late-summer Langford night.

The Aztex are considering taking Highlanders Jason Devenish and Diaz on their tour of England next month to play Stoke City and Burnley of the English Premiership and both proved worthy last night in what had to be considered an audition.

“There are a few of us who really want to go on that trip and prove we can play at the next level, and I gave it my all tonight,” said Diaz.

Trinidadian Devenish missed making it 2-0 by inches on a flash-quick move down the left side.

Diaz, with blazing speed down the right side, again just rolled the ball wide at 62 minutes. Victoria’s pressure paid off at 66 minutes when a charging James Merriman was brought down in the box. Patrick Gawrys buried the ensuing penalty kick.

Pele was later stopped on a clear breakaway and Merriman robbed point blank, on a tremendous set-up by Pele, as the Highlanders continued to come in waves.

Paul VandenBoomen, a towering presence on the back line for Victoria, mused how the result might shock some people.

“It was really exciting to play in a game like this against the pros and nice to beat them, of course,” he said. “But don’t forget, while we were amped up, it was tough for them [Aztex]. They have just finished a season in which they missed the playoffs.”

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