Building An Academy In Trinidad

[amwood]

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9cu3AVfMsY

[amwood]

Didn't mention in the video that we hope to be a principally sponsored by Nike, a rep will be here in one week's time to check things out. Fingers crossed! And happy new year to all men on the forum, may we all experience some great T&T football this year! Bless!!

[congo]

I want in on this. Anything to do with Arsenal I there. Even if is to just pick up cones.

[amwood]

I think that any young players who is good enough from T&T being sent to Arsenal will have to be prepared to go there - technically (lots of functional type sessions before they leave), must be supremely fit, and most of all - psychologically ready (you only get one week to make an impression). Most kids at 14, 15 are just not psychologically ready to jump off a plane and be at their very best within a day or two. There are so many adjustments to unfamiliar conditions that will need to be made in a very short space of time, most kids are just simply too nervous! It's allot for a any 14, 15 year old to come to terms with. It's really why so much advance preparation is need to simply be ready for one week of football. I think that this is what may have affected WooLing. What is impressive about Arsenal is that the boss himself makes the time to look over the player, he handles them himself - its not an academy, or youth coach (they do the sessions, but the boss interacts with the player and his family). 

[congo]

Not only that. He also ensures that the player gets an education. Jermaine Pennant became literate at Arsenal. The philosophy is one that encourages holistic development. I believe that the environment creates the player. I have seen some players in secondary school who come from tough areas and they have a natural fight about them but they lack in the technical and intelligent areas. I have also seen players who come from affluent backgrounds who  have accessed top quality coaching and possess tremendous technical ability but they lack courage and fight. If we could get the right balance then I'm sure you will have a player who is able to withstand the scrutiny. Our youth development is too far behind to ask so much of a player. In the USA they are accustom to travelling across states for youth tournaments etc.

[amwood]

You've hit the nail on the head man, its not easy to have kids sometime endure a 4 hours drive to play a game, jump out the car and begin a warm up 1 hour before kick off - and they are expected to perform. They don't know it - but mental toughness is being developed. Playing a game at 7:45 am in the morning in December where the field has frost on it, or at 2:00 pm in the middle of summer. Again, psychologically challenging situations that all leads to a mentally stronger player....that's part of the edge that exist as it relates to American players compared to Trinidadians. But there are people who have now bought into the philosophy that these things can change, and are willing to put their money into creating an environment that will facilitate these changes (with total financial transparency provided of-course.) And this is really encouraging!       

[congo]

I think our culture also allows the game to be played for "fun" up to a very late age. That could explain why our players seem to be less combative and competitive. Overseas each year another group of players "bite the dust" and need to find another academy or some other place to play football. Football is their bread and butter and is the difference between living a council estate and a flat in Kensington. Alot of our youth players are not exposed to professional footballers to really see how they are revered  by the surrounding community and then national community. It really is a different culture when it comes to producing players. Have you thought about expanding the search to England as well, maybe players who have trini blood but are not "mainstream" so to speak. They may not be good enough for Arsenal or Tottenham but getting them in Trinidad for a summer or winter break to interact with those down here could do both parties good. Not to mention if they actually get exposure in the national colours then it'll probably be easier for them to get trials etc and they should be able to adapt quickly to the conditions in comparison to the local ones.

[morvant]

meh pores raise

amoungst other things

[amwood]

 

[ZANDOLIE]

its not easy to have kids sometime endure a 4 hours drive to play a game, jump out the car and begin a warm up 1 hour before kick off - and they are expected to perform. They don't know it - but mental toughness is being developed. Playing a game at 7:45 am in the morning in December where the field has frost on it, or at 2:00 pm in the middle of summer. Again, psychologically challenging situations that all leads to a mentally stronger player....that's part of the edge that exist as it relates to American players compared to Trinidadians.

I think our culture also allows the game to be played for "fun" up to a very late age. That could explain why our players seem to be less combative and competitive. Overseas each year another group of players "bite the dust" and need to find another academy or some other place to play football. Football is their bread and butter and is the difference between living a council estate and a flat in Kensington.


congo and amwood: excellent discussion!

[Observer]

When you are in an environment that has strong rewards at the end of it, providing you make the sacrifices, have the talent and luck. Then it is likely that you will be willing to endure. Once involved, you realize or learn the competition is fierce, you are conditioned towards it. You learn the need to have an edge mentally, physically, technically, it is survival. In T&T it is a game we play & enjoy, those that make it are an exception (fluke) rather than the rule. Quite frankly this is true for all our sports.

This is fantastic news, lets hope it becomes a reality.

[amwood]

Well said gentlemen! The academy is definitely a reality - the facility (which is always the biggest challenge in T&T), financial backing is there, and of-course, the determination of the people involved to make sure that the kids succeed. It will be a be success God willing.

[amwood]

Nike in town on Thrusday, we are hoping for the best, it would be massive to actually have them establish something here in Trinidad...

[congo]

Good luck. I'm really hoping this works out. I was watching a video featuring Arsenal u11 vs Barca's u11. These kids are incredible. The way they understand the game and play the game is remarkable. Would be nice to get our youths up to that standard. We have so much talent in every sector here and we should seek to maximize that potential to the fullest.

[amwood]

Appreciate that man! Actually, not really that interested in creating an affiliation as it pertains to Nike gear and uniforms and so forth - you can acquire that stuff on your own. However, what we are hoping to explore is Nike's global influence as it relates to the possibility of bringing to Trinidad - youth teams the likes of an Arsenal, Man U, maybe one day a Barcelona, all playing a quadrangular tournament against our local kids. Opportunity to expose our Academy Kids to the manner in which these guys operate. Expose local coaches, to maybe - a week long opportunity to see what types of things these guys focus on in their approach to preparing their teams for competition. I think that's where everyone could benefit, not just our guys...

[just cool]

This has been ah long time coming, i hope it does materialize and become trend on the island.

[elan]

You've hit the nail on the head man, its not easy to have kids sometime endure a 4 hours drive to play a game, jump out the car and begin a warm up 1 hour before kick off - and they are expected to perform. They don't know it - but mental toughness is being developed. Playing a game at 7:45 am in the morning in December where the field has frost on it, or at 2:00 pm in the middle of summer. Again, psychologically challenging situations that all leads to a mentally stronger player....that's part of the edge that exist as it relates to American players compared to Trinidadians. But there are people who have now bought into the philosophy that these things can change, and are willing to put their money into creating an environment that will facilitate these changes (with total financial transparency provided of-course.) And this is really encouraging!       

I've said it before on the board here. The USA is and will be ahead of us for those reasons. By the time a US youth player make it to the NT, s/he has had so many experience in different places, against different players and teams. So many players wake up in a hotel on a Saturday morning or Sunday morning and go out and play that the newness to going somewhere to play is behind them.

You even see it in the videos that Fuentes post that the travel is still a major event for our administrators and players. This is something that we need to figure out and make the game the focus of the players and administrators. These players in the US play so much and winning is at the forefront of everything that by the time we figure out how to win these players have been knowing how to win from U11 -12. Now they even starting to allow U8 in tournaments, just not to keep scores. By the time these players are U16, they are mentally way ahead of us by years.

We, even on this board still saying a 25 year old player is a youth. That say so much about how we view, interpret and understand the modern game.

[amwood]

Great points!

[King Deese]

The late great Vince Lombardi once said "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing". But don't misunderstand the man, he knew what went into making a winning team and the preparation and people behind such a winning organization. After all the NFL Super Bowl trophy is named after him.

[Observer]

Good luck. I'm really hoping this works out. I was watching a video featuring Arsenal u11 vs Barca's u11. These kids are incredible. The way they understand the game and play the game is remarkable. Would be nice to get our youths up to that standard. We have so much talent in every sector here and we should seek to maximize that potential to the fullest.

Interesting Congo! I watched those games and I rather like the philosophy behind the youths (not to mention the brand). Teach them to play football properly, maximize and encourage their talents, encourage them to be good individuals away from football and the rest will come.

[amwood]

Good luck. I'm really hoping this works out. I was watching a video featuring Arsenal u11 vs Barca's u11. These kids are incredible. The way they understand the game and play the game is remarkable. Would be nice to get our youths up to that standard. We have so much talent in every sector here and we should seek to maximize that potential to the fullest.

Interesting Congo! I watched those games and I rather like the philosophy behind the youths (not to mention the brand). Teach them to play football properly, maximize and encourage their talents, encourage them to be good individuals away from football and the rest will come.

That video got allot of attention outside, allot of people questioned the level of the Arsenal team but what stood out for me was the level of understanding those young kids demonstrated. They knew when to go forward and seemed to understand the concept of patience - very rare at that age. That alproach can be taught, but it takes real commitment of the part of the coaches to be educators as opposed to results seekers...the results will come after...

[Observer]

Another example of teach them right and its amazing what can be achieved. In this case Greece.
Not connected to a professional Academy

Made more impressive by what looks like a poor field

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/jan/07/greek-children-goal-video

[amwood]

Another example of teach them right and its amazing what can be achieved. In this case Greece.
Not connected to a professional Academy

Made more impressive by what looks like a poor field

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/video/2013/jan/07/greek-children-goal-video

It can be done with the really young one in Trini, but it must be an environment where kids are rewarded initially for
their ability to consistently pass the ball, as opposed to how many goals the team scores. Victory for us at nine and 10 must be 10, 12 passes at speed with pressure on the ball. Success in front of goal, we worry about after.

[Flex]

Sherwood launches Football Academy in Gulf View.
T&T Newsday Reports.

FORMER Presentation College and Trinidad and Tobago youth team player Anthony Sherwood has returned to Trinidad and Tobago to launch an elite football academy based in Gulf View, La Romain. The Academy will begin on February 1.

Sherwood has represented Trinidad and Tobago at every age group, beginning with the national Under-14 team. He was a member of the first team in Trinidad and Tobago’s history to qualify for an Under-20 World Cup in Portugal in 1991 — a team that included captain Dwight Yorke, Angus Eve, Clayton Ince, Jerren Nixon and Michael McComie.

For the past 15 years, Sherwood has been based in the United States where he attended Virginia Commonwealth University on a full athletic scholarship and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business.

He became an elite youth football coach with the Richmond Strikers, a Nike Premier youth soccer club which is affiliated with Arsenal FC.

Read More

[Controversial]

great idea  wish you all the best with it and i hope to see some great players come out of this, as i know tt is full of untapped talent

[Sam]

Like Sherwood only catering for f00cking rich white people or wha, Gulf View (Please nigga)...., why he eh come in de ghetto up Arima and run ah piece.

Them local whites real racial yuh know, who remember Brad Boyce, ah hate that f00cker...

But them indian and creole doh stick up for each other...

Glad for Sherwood, atleast he making a better effort than Yorke, Lara, Hislop and Latapy (de rich boys),,,,,, just be fair, thas all.

[Dumplingdinho]

Like Sherwood only catering for f00cking rich white people or wha, Gulf View (Please nigga)...., why he eh come in de ghetto up Arima and run ah piece.

Them local whites real racial yuh know, who remember Brad Boyce, ah hate that f00cker...

But them indian and creole doh stick up for each other...

Glad for Sherwood, atleast he making a better effort than Yorke, Lara, Hislop and Latapy (de rich boys),,,,,, just be fair, thas all.

sam yuh like shit....gulf view have black ppl....gulf view right de corner from la romaine and embacadere (walking distance) so the niggas are close by if they want to attent the academy.

he from south so he set up his academy in south...why yuh get vex with east men like demmin who eh come back home and set up one in arima.

cyah please blasted trinis at all.

as for brad boyce that is another story....i eh know how u could mention his name in the same sentence with sherwood...that is equivalent to talking about great football talent and mentioning messi and maurice alibey in the same sentence.

[Tallman]

Glad for Sherwood, atleast he making a better effort than Yorke, Lara, Hislop and Latapy (de rich boys),,,,,, just be fair, thas all.

The announcement came at the launch of the ACE programme, chaired by former national goalkeeper and ESPN football commentator Shaka Hislop, at the Port of Spain Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Trinidad hotel yesterday.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Atlantic_invests_in_youth_coaching-186568701.html

[grskywalker]

amwood you are on the right track as most people would agree, the stumbling blocks to making a legacy unfrotunately remain. You remain in my mind one of the best players of the 80's era along with yorke, latas , rocke, you all had one of the most solid squad of players. I wish you all the best and truly hope your idea comes to fruition. It is my wish you will do well

[amwood]

Very legitimate issues raised there fellas, one problems is that there are not too many facilities available in south Trinidad (San Fernando in particular.) And if people are willing to come forward and put forth their resources, then you have to grab that opportunity, where ever it presents itself. The concept with respect to the academy is that the rich will pay those who do not have the means. It's a very simple model to be honest, but what it ensures is that everyone will benefit. Any youth player in Trinidad with real ability will be provided for, hence the importance of the potential arrangement with Nike. The academy will seek to have kids from Cedros, to Point Fortin, anywhere for that matter and as long as they show signs that they have passion and ability- they will be provided for. The difference here however, is that they will all have to understand the value of the opportunity, so both rich and poor will be heavily involved in activities that will see them giving back to those who might need a little hand in the community. Stay tunned to what will be achieved...