The following letter to the editor was sent to Wired868 by former Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team coach Randy Waldrum, who was officially relieved of his duties today by Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams:
To the fans of women’s football in Trinidad and Tobago,
It’s with deep sadness that I must report that I am no longer the coach of the Women’s Soca Warriors.
I was notified this morning by the President of his decision to not retain me moving forward. It’s very disappointing personally, as I had a four year plan to continue the growth and development of women’s football for the next cycle building on all we accomplished during the last World Cup qualifiers.
I have volunteered my time and was willing to continue to do so in order to see the players get the opportunity they so dearly deserve.
Since this decision came this morning, I have been reflecting on some of the great strides this team made over the past year. In spite of all that was not given to us to compete and prepare properly, this group of young women showed heart and character that not many teams have.
Through the CONCACAF WC qualifiers where we played an amazing game against the eventual World Champions USA, to close matches versus Costa Rica and Mexico, this team fought as hard as any team I’ve ever been associated with.
We went in with no preparation or funding compared to the Concacaf powers that have everything they need to win, and we gave them every reason to fear Trinidad and Tobago.
I am still amazed and get teary eyed when I think about the drive to Hasely Crawford only to see people lined up along the streets waving and cheering as we drove by. Then to step on the field and see 20,000 plus people in the stands was incredible for women’s football!
We played a very attractive brand, and we saw our support grow from just 3,500 people who watched us win the CFU only several months earlier. We jumped 75 places in the FIFA rankings, which was the largest jump in history for any team!
We were clearly on the right path.
I want to take this time to personally thank all the people of Trinidad and Tobago for your unwavering support of me and Ben. We both fell in love with your country and you took us in with open arms, and for that I am so appreciative.
I cannot count how many of you have written to me personally, friended me on Facebook, and reached out to me personally after that game versus Ecuador. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I also want to thank Mr Raymond Tim Kee and Sheldon Phillips for the opportunity they presented me with. I think they saw the vision of where we could go with women’s football, so a sincere thank you to both.
Lastly and most importantly I want to thank the staff there in Trinidad and Tobago that I worked alongside, and to the staff here in the States that helped us in trying to reach our goals.
To the players who have given both Ben and I a lifetime of great memories, I thank you the most.
We all went through some difficult times, but in spite of it all you guys remained committed to the dream of qualifying for a major tournament, and growing the women’s game.
I’m so proud of each and every one of you, and I hope you all continue to grow the game in some way there in Trinidad and Tobago.
I will always be here for you, you remain deep in my heart and my thoughts, and I’ll be in Houston cheering you on from the stands as you all attempt to qualify for the Olympics in Rio. Ben will be alongside me as well, and just know that you made us very proud to be the national team coaches of the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Soca Warriors!
Women’s Soca Warriors Always,
Randy Waldrum
RELATED NEWS
TTFA axed Waldrum over slow paperwork; Hood tipped for W/Warriors post.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams confirmed this evening that the local football body decided to replace Randy Waldrum as Women’s National Senior Team head coach, due to the latter’s failure to meet a deadline for proposals for his plans with the team and the players he wanted for the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying series.
Waldrum, who is also the head coach of US professional women’s team Houston Dash, was informed this morning, by John-Williams, that the TTFA had decided to go in another direction.
The 54-year-old Texan coach, who was popular with the national players, took charge of the “Women Soca Warriors” in mid-2014 and led the team to the inaugural 2014 Caribbean title and the 2014 CONCACAF Championship semifinals before falling to Ecuador in a two-legged play off for a Canada 2015 World Cup berth.
Waldrum had pleaded for a chance to develop the local women’s game over the next four years, leading up to the France 2019 World Cup. However, his hopes were dashed this morning.
“Mr Williams let me know this morning that he will not use me again,” Waldrum told Wired868. “So I guess I am finished. I just want to say a big thank to you all the players and fans who have supported me ever since I got there…”
Waldrum said he was disappointed by the TTFA President’s decision but not surprised. John-Williams, according to the Texan, told him that he was considering bringing in a local coach from their first conversation, just hours after his appointment on Sunday November 29.
“I wasn’t really surprised (by my dismissal) because the very first time he took office he indicated he was thinking about changing things and going to a local coach,” said Waldrum. “But he said his mind wasn’t made up yet. This was even before the (international) games in Hawaii and San Antonio…
“And I was catching wind from people back in Trinidad, since then, that he was going in that direction.
“I am disappointed because I think we made a lot of strides in the first year that I came there. And I had ideas in mind to revamp all the national programmes over the next three year cycle.”
However, John-Williams said that the decision to change the Women Warriors coach was made over the last week, due to Waldrum’s failure to submit plans for his post. The proposal was supposedly meant to encompass the team’s programme for the next four years.
“I contacted Randy Waldrum (on Saturday January 2) and I asked him for a proposal by the Monday (January 4) on (his plans as coach) and the list of players he wanted to use,” John-Williams told Wired868. “We decided that he needed more time to check the schedules before he could be sure about the availability of the players. So I gave him until Wednesday (January 6) for that since it was the more difficult of the two.
“Neither deadline was met.”
The TTFA president said he met with his Executive Committee—which comprises of vice-presidents Ewing Davis, Joanne Salazar and Allan Warner—on Wednesday and they decided to relieve Waldrum of his post. This was relayed to the national women players in a meeting that same evening.
“The decision was based on his failure to submit documentation,” said John-Williams, who is also the former president and chairman of Pro League club, DIRECTV W Connection.
John-Williams said Waldrum emailed him the requested paperwork at 12.59 am on Thursday January 7, just hours after the TTFA told the Women Warriors that they would choose a new coach.
“On January 7 at 12.59 am, he (wrote) to me,” said John-Williams. “I responded to him at 2.54 am and said: Dear Randy. Thank you for your email which I received at 1 am this morning on the 7th of January 2016.
“I am disappointed to receive it so late…”
The TTFA President informed Waldrum that he would pass his proposal on to his Executive Committee and get back to him.
But the Executive Committee, according to Williams, decided to stick to its initial position and informed Waldrum today that it felt a local coach gave the Women Warriors the best chance of qualifying for the France 2019 World Cup.
Williams suggested that finances was one consideration in the TTFA’s decision. Although Waldrum was unpaid, he preferred to prepare the team in training camps near to his home in Houston.
It was a preference the coach justified in the past by pointing to the inadequate training facilities and conditions where they were previously housed in Trinidad.
Waldrum, according to the TTFA president, also indicated that he would miss national team practice to attend the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) draft on behalf of the Houston Dash on Friday January 15.
Last November, the coach had also ruled himself out of the Caribbean stage of the Women Warriors’ Olympic qualifiers and the responsibility fell to then assistant coach Anthony Creece. And Ross Russell deputised for Waldrum at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games last July.
John-Williams said those incidents were also taken into account by the TTFA Executive Committee before its final decision.
Waldrum declined comment on his late paperwork or the various reasons given for his dismissal.
John-Williams refused to officially reveal the new Women Warriors coach. But Wired868 understands that Police FC coach Richard Hood, a former national women’s coach who led Fuego to the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) title last year, is favoured to replace Waldrum.
Ironically, four years ago, Hood was in charge of the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team for the London 2012 Olympic qualifying series. They were eliminated in the Caribbean phase, after a 1-0 loss to the Dominican Republic.
However, his unfancied Police FC team are second in the Pro League at the moment ahead of former title winners like defending champions Central FC, W Connection and San Juan Jabloteh.
Prior to taking office, John-Williams vowed that he would not get involved in the hiring and firing of coaches but will leave such duties to the appropriately appointed TTFA committees.
The TTFA does not have a Technical Committee in place at present but John-Williams said it will officially announce the members for that committee tomorrow.
So, should John-Williams and his ExCo have waited another day or two and allowed the TTFA Technical Committee to decide who it wanted as Women Warriors coach?
“I do not think so,” said John-Williams. “I was under pressure to make a decision and I didn’t have time to wait…
“The women have to be in training. They (should) start training on Thursday (January 14) but I had wanted them to start training on Monday (January 10).”
Trinidad and Tobago opens the CONCACAF leg of its Olympic qualifying series on February 11 against Guatemala. The Women Warriors will then face Canada and Guyana on February 14 and 16 respectively.
The top two Group B nations will advance to the semifinal round with just two CONCACAF nations advancing to Rio. Group A comprises of Mexico, Costa Rica and World Cup champions and host nation, the United States.