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