TTFF Technical Department Announces -
U21 National Team Training Camp.19 US-based players to participate in first-ever winter break training camp.The TTFF Technical Department has announced plans to have a training camp for U21 players (born on or after January 1, 1985) from December 27-29.
According to TTFF Technical Director, Lincoln Phillips, “we have a number of good players attending colleges in the US who return home for the holiday break. Their return presents a wonderful opportunity to identify, evaluate, and track the progress of players based in T&T and abroad who can represent Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifying phases of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and eventually the Olympics themselves.”
Approximately 20 players based in Trinidad and Tobago will join the US-based players in the training camp. The three-day camp will open at the Joao Havelange Center of Excellence. Games and training sessions will take place at both the Center of Excellence and Ato Boldon Stadium.
The U21 training camp is part of the
GOAL 2014 Project, an initiative from TTFF Technical Director, Lincoln Phillips, which aims to have every Trinidad and Tobago national football team qualify for every FIFA tournament by the year 2014. Phillips also stated the important role of establishing a worldwide network that can assist the TTFF in identifying youth and senior players. “I received a substantial list of college players from the website, socawarriors.net and our ex-pat communities in the US and Europe are excellent resources that can help us achieve the mission stated in the GOAL 2014 Project.”
Contact information:TTFF Technical Department:
1-868-625-8607 or 1-868-789-9366.
All players must register at:www.trinsport.comTTFF U-21 TEAM COMBINE:[/u]
Event:Combine for U21 players.
Date:December 27-29.
Locations:A. Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence
B. Ato Boldon Stadium
Participants:US-based college players and local-based players born after January 1, 1985.
Purpose of Event:Identification, evaluation, and tracking of players for the purpose of supplementing and preparing U23 National team for the 2006 CAC games, 2007 Pan American Games, and 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Event Access:1) Players - Invitation only. Players will be contacted directly and through their college and club coaches.
2) Press- Open. Player programs and web-based material on the participating players will be provided.
3) Public- Open (Ato Boldon Stadium sessions only).
Program Patron:The TTFF Technical Department, as a component of the Technical Department Player Development Program.
Attending US- Based T&T Players.Defenders:Kegan Mills (Missouri Baptist University).
Wacey Benjamin (St Benedict's College/University of South Carolina Aiken).
Makan Hislop (Signal Hill Senior Comp/University of South Carolina Columbia).
Yohance Marshall (St Anthony's College/University of South Florida).
Midfields:Jack Weedon (St Mary's College/North Carolina State University).
Durell Johnson (St Benedict's College/University of South Carolina Aiken).
Kevon Neaves (St Anthony's College/University of South Florida).
Christian Cabral (St Anthony's College/University of West Florida).
Justin Hay (University of Toronto).
Kyle Hall (University of Ontario).
Kern Gardiner (Fatima College/University of Richmond).
Delano Pierre (Queen's Royal College/University of Richmond).
Nikhil Dolly (University of Bridgeport).
Stephen De Las (St Benedict's/Birmingham City Football Academy).
Forwards:Abiola Sandy (St Anthony's College/Bowling Green State University).
Simba Aberdeen (Queen's Royal College/Canisius College).
Kevin Crooks (Signal Hill Senior Comp/Clayton College & State University).
Keon Phillip (Woodbrook Government Secondary/Lafayette College).
Kedan Crosby (Fatima College/University of Rhode Island).
TTFF hunt for young goalkeepers.
By Nigel Simon (Guardian).Lincoln Phillips, technical director of the T&T Football Federation, has invited young goalkeepers to make themselves available for future national selection, by attending the three-day camp at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya and the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
The camp starts tomorrow with two sessions at the Macoya venue from 9am to 12 noon and 2pm to 4pm. On Thursday and Friday, the camp will be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium, from 9am to 12 noon and 2pm to 4pm.
Phillips was busy yesterday finalising plans for the three-day camp involving 19 US-based national Under-23 players and 20 home based. He said:
“The camp will only be an invitation for young goalkeepers because we are intent on making a conservative effort to improve the level of goalkeeping in the country.
“However, we have already stated that apart from the goalkeeping department, the camp will not be an open invitation, but has been arranged to check the progress of some young players based at colleges in the USA who have been invited personally.
“There are also the local players who were recommended to us from the Secondary Schools Football League and those who were part of the previous national Under-20 team, who we will be looking at.”
During the camp, Ron La Forest and Michael Mc Commie, who have been recommended to be coaches of the T&T Under-23 team (Olympic), will also have a chance to work with the players.
La Forest is a former national player and coach of the Under-20 and senior teams and Mc Commie, an ex-national goalkeeper, is current manager of Super League champion club Joe Public.
The other local coaches at the camp will be Anton Corneal, recently appointed to the Soca Warriors coaching staff as an assistant coach, and Soca Warriors’ goalkeeping coach, Michael Maurice. Phillips will also serve as coach/scout during the camp.
It is the first “winter break” training camp organised by the T&TFF and caters for players born on, or after January 1, 1985.
Phillips noted that T&T has a number of good players attending colleges in the US who return home for the holiday break, which presents a wonderful opportunity to identify, evaluate, and track the progress of the players who can represent the country in the qualifiers for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Phillips said that the main purpose of the camp was to identify, evaluate and link with players towards preparing the Under-23 team for the 2006 Central American Caribbean Games and 2007 Pan American Games.
The Under-21 training camp is part of the GOAL 2014 Project, Phillips’ initiative, which aims to have every T&T national football team qualify for every Fifa tournament by the year 2014.
Phillips emphasised the important role of establishing a world-wide network that can assist the T&TFF in identifying youth and senior players. Another area of the camp will see well-known sports psychologist, Dr Margaret Ottley,conducting sessions with the players.
