TTFF stages goalkeeping diploma course this weekend.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation will stage a Goalkeeping Diploma 1 Coaching course at the Hasely Crawford Stadium starting this Friday and running until Sunday.
The course which will be conducted by Technical Director Lincoln Phillips is a follow up of two FIFA/CONCACAF Goalkeeping courses which were conducted in T&T in 1996 and 2002 by Phillips in his capacity as a FIFA instructor. Candidates from all of the CONCACAF countries, including Michael Maurice and Ross Russell were exposed to the modern methods of goalkeeper coaching.
“The T&T goalkeeping initiative is designed to identify and develop the best goalkeeping coaches in the country,” Phillips told TTFF Media. Three Goalkeeping Diploma Courses have been developed by the “Legendary” Phillips.
Top candidates will be selected to the T&T National Goalkeeping Staff, Phillips mentioned. Phillips was also instrumental in National Youth team and ex-Joe Public goalkeeper Thorne Holder obtaining a full scholarship to attend Maryland University which is rated among the best in the USA. Their head coach Sasho Cirovski is a colleague of Phillips and asked him to recommend a promising youth custodian from T&T. Within a couple days, two coaches flew to Trinidad to have a look and subsequently arranged for Holder to attain the scholarship. One of the assistants, Russell Payne, was a participant at age ten at Phillips’ coaching camp “Top flight goalkeeping academy.”
Meantime, following this weekend’s course, the next goalkeeping event here will be a huge nation-wide goalkeeping ID program for boys and girls U-12 to adult. The goalkeepers will be graded on a scale of 1 - 10. Goalkeepers scoring 7-9 (there will never be a 10, will be kept in a national pool for national training purposes. The ones that score below 7 will also be monitored.
In April, and invitation only camp for goalkeepers will be set up to allow the fine tuning of the country's top male and female goalkeepers.
In 2008 the process will continue but with additional Diploma courses and camps for elite as well as beginning goalkeepers.
“We expect to see an improvement in the level of goalkeeping within two years. Professional and senior goalkeepers will be involved in the training of youth goalkeepers within all regional associations,” Phillips told TTFF Media.
The Goalkeeping Diplomas
Diploma I (three days) This is the beginning level for goalkeeper coaches (similar to the D level Coaching License). The Diploma 1 curriculum includes: proper stance (ready position), fielding low and waist-high shots, catching, diving, punching, deflecting (over the bar and around the post, distribution: throwing and kicking).
Diploma II (5 days)- The curriculum focuses on the tactical aspect of goalkeeping: Angle play, cross balls, break aways (1v1), restarts, communication with defenders. Technique is still stressed at this level but more during the course of game situations (application to game situations)
Diploma III (5 days)- This diploma is the highest level of goalkeeping certification in T&T. The curriculum includes all of the above and exposes the candidates to various methods of training the goalkeeper with the team.
CFU appoints new events coordinator.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
The Caribbean Football Union has brought on board a new events coordinator to work in its organization.
Trinidadian Angenie Kanhai began her duties on Monday following her appointment last week. Kanhai will be based at the CONCACAF/CFU offices in Port of Spain and will work along with recently appointed General Secretary Afzal Khan and his staff following full approval from CFU President Jack Warner.
Khan got his first taste of activity at the CFU level during the Digicel Caribbean Cup last month and now Kanhai will assist with organizing and staging of the CFU Congress, scheduled for Curacao from March 26-28 followed by the CFU Under 15 Championship in mid-2007.
Kanhai was last attached to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs as a Physical Education and Sport Officer and also worked at the Hasely Crawford Stadium where she served too as a translator for Latin American officials, teams and media during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers and also performed a similar role at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium during the 2001 FIFA Under 17 World Championship. Kanhai is a graduate of Holy Faith Convent, Couva and the International School of Physical Education and Sport in Havana, Cuba.
On the CFU’s latest appointment, Khan added: “We look forward to having Miss Kanhai in our organization now and we intend to utilize her in the best way possible as we seek to ensure that all our activities are of a high standard. President Warner has approved the appointment and he is anticipating a continuation of professionalism with regards to all events under the CFU.
“We have a hectic year ahead of us because football is year round. The Congress is right around the corner and that of course is a vital coming together of all the member associations. Then we have the youth tournaments and before you know it the 2010 World Cup qualifiers will be kicking off,” Khan stated. The events coordinator post was once held by Kerri-Ann Alleyne who has since began duties at the CONCACAF’s Head Office in New York.
The CFU was founded on the 28th of January 1978. Its head office is situated in T&T under the distinguished leadership of Warner as Founding Member and President of the CFU.
The union has a membership of 30 Caribbean countries. Its mandate is to develop football across the Caribbean involving various age groups from youth to senior players. Its partnership since 2004 with the exciting brand, Digicel, has significantly raised the profile and status of the Caribbean Cup and is positively developing the interest of players and fans, and expanding the growth of football in the region.
The Caribbean Football Union will continue to seek and present opportunities to its membership in order to be the catalysts of growth for Caribbean football.