Feasibility study of the supportive structures for our athletes

[AB.Trini]

Constant blaming our success or lack thereof of the team's performance on the ineptitute leadership  is a bit  fallacious. The leaders are not the ones playing or performing. Again the decision are not all on one-- the coach: we do have a Technical advisor and other so called experienced fellows supporting a coach's decision. It is true that the call for decision making about the game preparation, team line up and  strategies  is upon the coach, but is there not room for consultation and advising prior to and after a game?

Let's examine our systems, our preparation, our proclivity for relying on foreign trained professionals to just create team chemistry on short notice. Let's examine how we mentally prepapre our athletes to perform. Do we have the scales of economy to support training programs which calls for a rigor and exposure to top class competitions?

We are producing athletes who are attractive on the world stage so at the grass roots level some development is happening to nurture that talent.

What is the climate like in our land to support our atlethes mentally? emotionally? physically? how does our national psyche translates to the way we approach our sporting endeavours?

To do a complete assessment on the social fabric and the athletic fabric of our programs may yield some answers as to what we believe we can accomplish. If we have a professional league, yet we have a coach/leader not putting enough faith in these local players, then what is the purpose of calling it a professioanl organization?

[AB.Trini]

The hope of a nation does not entirely rest on our football team; I would say that the team's hopes rest on the nation.

A flurry of overwhelming support may prove healthy for the teams pyche as oppose to scepticism and cynicism. This begins with the unified decision making from the "top down." When people like  Alvin Cornel  continues to publicly criticized the team's defence and players, it hinders the collaboration needed to turn that criticism into a construtive one which may benefit all.

I think  that many fans may be inclined to think that we do not have a perfect team, nor a perfect coach, nor a perfect system. But isn't part of this journey to success, about the  obstacles one has to overcome along the way. Martin Luther states,

“THE MEASUREMENT OF SUCCCESS IS NOT WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, BUT BY THE OBSTACLES YOU HAD TO OVERCOME TO GET THERE"
 If the path to qualifying to the WCQ was that easy, I would say that every nation who had a person who could kick a ball would be in the cup.

Furthermore, given the local funding or lack thereof, (I have not read of any major sponsors rallying to support our local team). the state of our economy, our commitments from our foreign based players and the effort by our locally based squads, we are managing to meet the demands of the competition. Not that these are excuses for poor performances, or lack of insightful coaching decisions.

Given all those circumstances, if one believes that we have better player resources, a better coach, and a better system, then I concur that we ought to explore what those "BETTER" would look like; who are they? and why are we not moving in that direction.

It is way too uncanny for us to bombast criticism at what we are doing with “hunches" and intuitive emotional outcries, rather than analytical, methodical data of the situation at hand.

Do we have the supportive resources in place? Could we access those human resources at our convience? Is there a level of commitment from these resources to take us to the next level? Is our nation prepared to ride through the waves of despair and to support us at any given cost?

I say the hopes of a nation should be directly proportional to how adequate that entire nation takes up the cause of our team "MAKING it THROUGH THE WCQ." Enough of the lazzire faire mentality and the criticism. Let’s get on board and let's be purposeful and focused on the ultimate goal.

[AB.Trini]

The competing tensions faced by some of our athletes are at times understandably insurmountable. At one spectrum there is the innate sense of patriotism/ nationalism and even pride to compete for one's country; at the other end is the reality of economics,  personal athletic development, personal fulfilment and  accessibility to resources.

On a larger sacle one could think of the  luring of our national athletes as a form of imperialism, exploitation, economic 'bullying' of poorer nations who are constantly seeing their athletes opting for the 'greener pastures' of nations who could buy/steal these athletes' sense of heritage, national identity and pride for a nation of birth.

The need or desire to represent one's country is overshadowed by the wanton exploitation of these colleges which offer scholarships and monetry and other rewards  to the athletes. Soon the athlete feels compelled to repay to honour and to be at the mercy of the 'hands who feeds" The cry of "what has my country done for me should be replaced for what I can do for my country."

The desire to escape the improvish background and the lack of  world class facilities cannot be denied but I do have a difficult time in seeing how a person could lose that sense of "HERITAGE" and Natitional identity.

[AB.Trini]

Is anything being done to  support and prepare our U20 for a decisive victory over Jamaica?

[AB.Trini]

Why we cyar follow up on measures to ppromote success  in we own yard is beyond me. There are enough o fus with knowledge based on other legues and countries but so few devote time to really advocating  for what is happening to our state  of football?

Wht is the 'mental mind set' which is impeding our progress? why is it that we read of the lack of  participation or movemnet to cultivate a national following for our  sport?

[fatman]

you ask some interesting questions, i would also ask you one. is trinidad and tobago a sporting nation, or do we just like sports ? if you follow most countries with any consistant success at international level you would see certain pieces of infrastructure actually being policy.we are trying to reach there but will our citizens view this investment as a worthwhile one?