Even 17 is pushing it. Only a couple great ones made it past that age and phase. Ridiculous idea. The history, science and sense says No. Just the social aspect causes issues in all manners of life. This is well documented as a detriment to growth.
So what about the 17 and 18 year olds playing across Europe. Didn't a 17 year old score 2 for Barcelona this weekend. Or even closer to home.....does anyone remember a certain Dwight Yorke.
All those Signal Hill Championship teams....who you think they used to play against before they came to Trinidad ??
Don’t think you have ever seen 15 prodigies playing together anywhere. Prodigies and special talents do exist, but you talking about a team. In coming up playing with big men, did he play all positions ? Did everyone he play with was as good as him. Could you find 23 of that ilk across the Caribbean? Especially to make a team ( different positions) ? We trying to build a future snr National team, we can’t possibly burnout and injure the best possible prospects at every position, before they get to the important phase. Just an opinion based on studies and science.
Wish it was so easy to make another Yorke, Latas , Archibald or Cummings. Until we really know, will leave that to God.
add: Still it's very few, hardly ever a full team, even on a world level.
God might 'make' Yorks or Latapys, but he not running practice. The responsibility for build a proper foundation and creating the conditions for athletes to reach their full potential is solely the responsibility of man. We must take ownership for that. So far we have not.
I'm not sure what peer-reviewed science says elite athletes should not be pushed. I'm pretty sure a decisive factor separating our youth teams from the top tier of CONCACAF is our over-reliance on practice concepts and strong reluctance to test these concepts under sustained competitive pressure. I'm pretty sure this reluctance to introduce competitive pressure at an earlier age poses a far greater threat to development than possible injury to some 'star' player.
Terry Fenwick succeeded largely by giving local teenagers key leadership responsibilities in defence and midfield of his Jabloteh and Central teams of the 2010s. These teams ran away with successive league titles and were competitive against top club teams in CONCACAF, thereby upending the anachronistic cultural idea that 'yutes cyan run wid big man'.
I think its a safe bet that Fenwick will do better than the last coach, who, ironically, selected the oldest team in CONCACAF and simultaneously compiled the worst record in Trinidad and Tobago history.
