CONCLUSION
Coming out of the National consultation and all recommendations received, it has been deduced that the immediate focus be placed on establishing a Football technical committee. This committee, governed by the Ministry of Sport, will allocate the remainder of monies to those national teams currently active in competition, and those with impending qualifications; Men’s U23, Girls and Boys U17. This committee will make decisions on marketing initiatives for football, on addressing social responsibility, and demanding accountability and transparency.
Taking the example set by our neighbours in Mexico (see appendix); there should be a greater emphasis on the development and sustainability of our Pro teams. These teams should be representative of some limited area (Regional Corporations, Boroughs, or Counties); this helps breed competition amongst clubs (and areas), and provides for the development of a fan base, a consistent player pool, and involvement from community businesses and all other stakeholders.
Emphasis needs to be placed on developing the pro-league youth system, especially at the U17 and U20 levels. If we can make the Pro-clubs and their dedicated facilities the central pillars of these communities, we can guarantee continued success at this level, creating a larger more talented pool of athletes for national selection.
The Trinidad and Tobago National Development Programme would need to be well funded, but also very accountable to all stakeholders. The sustained creation of teams at the U13 level, the maintenance and development of these teams all the way to U23 and Senior levels, provides for immense success at all national team levels. A system of nationwide scouting has to be implemented to ensure that we are selecting the best players. These players have to be registered and a database must be kept; we need to constantly track players’ movement and growth. The use of sports science (and sports performance) technology should be given top priority; allowing for greater physical (and mental) competitiveness of our national outfits Intertwined with the youth development of footballers, should be the development of suitable careers in sports: Sports doctors, lawyers, psychologist, physiotherapist, coaches and managers. There needs to be greater access to international certification for local coaches and managers; coaches should be at an international education level. Our referees should also be certified up to international levels.
The Ministry of Sport needs to take a hands-on approach to changing football; enhancing its youth programmes and providing a sustainable source of developed athletes, marketing the sport to the nation and fostering opportunities for football to become financially viable. The ministry needs to demand accountability and transparency of all financial matters; re-gaining the trust of athletes and the national community. It is the view of this committee, that given the timely implementation of some major structural changes, T&T football will once again become a force to be reckoned with amongst the CONCAF region. We will see success in the near future at our youth levels (men’s and women’s), and in due course that success will translate into triumphs at the senior levels.
APPENDIX 2: Regional Examples of Success
We can look to our Regional Neighbours, Mexico and their success during 2011. They achieved within the space of a few months, ultimate success at the Fifa U17 World Cup (Boy’s) and third place at the Fifa U20 World Cup. Mexico was also triumphant at the 2006 Fifa U17 World Cup.
According to Jose Enrique Varca, Mexico’s Youth system programme coordinator, their success was not a sudden thing, and was as a result of the emphasis placed on administration and organization:
1. The setting up of a nationwide system of scouting
2. Ensuring the Collaboration of the country’s pro-clubs
3. Holding of National Camps (about 10-12 per year, each about 10 days long)
4. Pro-clubs persuaded to play youth football alongside pro fixtures.
5. Meetings with the Federation and club coaches are held every three months
6. Introduction of nutrition and psychology programmes
7. Change in Mentality; before the focus was on simply qualifying; now it’s entirely on winning the competition.
8. Player education; Proper etiquette, improvements in players behaviour at hotels, how to speak at press conferences etc.
Varca says that the idea of dedicated youth academies is only now being visited; hinting that academies will not necessarily bring success and the lack of them doesn’t mean failure.28
APPENDIX 1: Youth Academy Catchment Areas National Football Academies of Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain City Corporation 49031
Diego Martin Regional Corporation 105720
San Juan-Laventille Regional Corporation 157295
Market Size (catchment area #1) 312,046
Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation 203975
Arima Borough Corporation 32278
Sangre Grande Regional Corporation 64343
Market Size(catchment area #2) 300,596
Chaguanas Burough Corporation 67433
Couva-Tabaquite-Talparo Regional Corporation 162779
San Fernando City Corporation 55419
Market Size (catchment area #3) 285,631
Penal-Debe Regional Corporation 83609
Princess town Regional Corporation 91947
Rio claro-Mayaro Regional Corporation 33480
Point fortin Borough Corporation 19056
Siparia Regional Corporation 81917
Market Size (catchment area #4) 310,009
Tobago (Market Size) (catchment area #5) 54,084