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Author Topic: How to improve the SSFL.  (Read 2978 times)

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Offline Sam

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How to improve the SSFL.
« on: September 26, 2014, 10:21:04 AM »
They need to have an age limit for SSFL players, maybe for players 16 and under only?

Players who are eligible to play in the SSFL need to have a certain academic score to play in the league as well.

And maybe a Caribbean tournament where 2 All-Star SSFL teams from each countries play each other.

And once players sign Pro contracts they cannot play in de SSFL.

Allyuh add some more good ideas here, leh we sen it to de SSFL.

« Last Edit: September 26, 2014, 10:22:47 AM by Sam »
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Offline Football supporter

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2014, 11:24:14 AM »
They need to have an age limit for SSFL players, maybe for players 16 and under only?

Players who are eligible to play in the SSFL need to have a certain academic score to play in the league as well.

And maybe a Caribbean tournament where 2 All-Star SSFL teams from each countries play each other.

And once players sign Pro contracts they cannot play in de SSFL.

Allyuh add some more good ideas here, leh we sen it to de SSFL.



I agree with most of this except the academic score. Let's be honest here, for some kids who are not too bright, football is their only way out. But, they should be made to attend at least 80% of classes to allow them to play. Problem being is that as soon as the football season finishes, they will drop out of school only to return next season. Therefore, if you drop out, you cannot rejoin the football programme.

Also better liaison between Pro League and SSFL. Let's work together. A player training with a coach like Vranes or Fervier 5 times a week will be a benefit to a school team. So, maybe the SSFL rules could allow two professionals under 18 per team, providing they take at least 6 hours per week of classes?

Offline Insider

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2014, 01:39:22 PM »
Nice discussion on school football.

Standard has dropped drastically & even the crowds no longer exist. Fatima vs St Mary's for example less than 100 people.

The schools do not care about anything but winning. They are simply not about development, school football is a COMPETITION plain and simple. Imagine players not attending school and playing. Some drop out of school last December after the season & return now and playing. Its complete chaos and the coaches & Principles encouraging this. Only a few schools have standards, players must maintain certain grades to continue in School Sport.

On another note: Check out Dominica Republic Football. Several of their players are in very good leagues. About 4 are with big teams in Spain, yes its B teams but that is still a decent level. They have 3 in Switzerland. Tell why you think they getting this kind of development opportunity & our players not. We had a lively discussion here about this fact, most believe it is the greed of the pro clubs not allowing players to expand their development.

PS: Total Chaos here in all football. Check the twitter post by the Women's coach.


Offline Tiresais

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2014, 03:19:16 PM »
School attendance is absolutely necessary - these are children, soon to be human beings, and football is no true education. That they're allowed to skip school should be a disgrace.

We need a hard age-limit here - the 20-somethings should be out either doing a job or in professional football -  that they massage their ego with school football is embarrassing for T&T football and themselves - if they're so good then prove it in the Professional Game, not some quasi-fete match. There should be no conflict between professional and school-amateur - if they receive professional training then they have no business playing in school for two reasons;

1) conflict of schedules - they can't meaningfully combine the two without the curriculum suffering

2) They should be playing at a level above the SSFL, otherwise why are they being trained? Moreover, if they get injured during school games, how does the club deal with this? If they're paying for their training, the least that should be returned is a professional attitude.

There's a reason kids like Brent Sam score a couple goals and think they're above the rest - there's a corrosive effect on the attitude of kids in relation to their ego - they have a couple thousand adults trying to relive their younger days and living vicariously through them. Then they think they're the bee's knees and become untrainable.

Offline amwood

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2014, 01:48:41 PM »
I've tossed around the idea of a yearly/ bi yearly football symposium/ convention but there's not too much traction for it...the idea is that all football stakeholders - schools, youth clubs, pro league, everybody who has an interest in the game comes together and discussions take place regard the betterment of the game, an exchanging of ideas with the common goal being improving the game locally. It's done in the states with NSCAA national convention. Would give everyone a chance to come together and trash it out...TTFA would benefit great, most importantly it would provide a voice to everyone who has an interest in game...

Offline Football supporter

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2014, 02:07:55 PM »
I've tossed around the idea of a yearly/ bi yearly football symposium/ convention but there's not too much traction for it...the idea is that all football stakeholders - schools, youth clubs, pro league, everybody who has an interest in the game comes together and discussions take place regard the betterment of the game, an exchanging of ideas with the common goal being improving the game locally. It's done in the states with NSCAA national convention. Would give everyone a chance to come together and trash it out...TTFA would benefit great, most importantly it would provide a voice to everyone who has an interest in game...

That's a good idea.....providing that it's not a free for all. A chairman to control the meeting, written questions to be discussed and a strict time limit per speaker. Have a speaker from TTFA, SSFL, Pro League, Super League all giving suggestions and answering questions. :beermug:

Offline weary1969

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2014, 03:23:55 PM »
When Clive Pantin became Minister of Education he stopped the repeating till yuh 21. He was the only Min of Education that even touched the issue. I will say it again the best govt this country has ever seen.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline palos

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2014, 05:52:35 PM »
Pair a PFL team with a SSFL team so that the SSFL team is a feeder team for the PFL

Problem is, there aren't nearly enough PFL teams.  How for example does one handle the Tobago teams?


It would also be interesting to determine what the purpose of the SSFL is.  Is it just a competition for high schoolers?  If so, how come 20 year olds in high school?

What's the incentive for the players?  Back in the day it was one of the few places where you could get big crowds to come out and see you.  Also, girls was a big factor too. 

from what I hearing, these days both crowds and girls significantly reduced.  So what's the incentive now for players?  I hearing the standard is worse than horrible yet people/coaches who should know better still encouraging the dotishness.

Let's say a young player going on trial abroad.  What impact will "I play fuh St Anthonys, Gustine, or QRC" have on that foreign club?
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Offline elan

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2014, 07:42:11 PM »
I playing for Gustine, Naps, St. Anthony, and winning CFU having grown men over the moon (much less for school gyul). Some of these same players on the verge of getting they full international cap with the MNT, why play in a Pro set up where yuh have to train 4 and 5  times a week, where yuh eh sure tuh play, where it have bigger fish than you and nobody coming tuh watch yuh play.

Alyuh joking yes, Maximum exposure with minimum effort. Them yute smarter than alyuh.

Watch how alyuh going and big them up just now.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/blUSVALW_Z4</a>

Offline Football supporter

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2014, 10:35:43 PM »
I playing for Gustine, Naps, St. Anthony, and winning CFU having grown men over the moon (much less for school gyul). Some of these same players on the verge of getting they full international cap with the MNT, why play in a Pro set up where yuh have to train 4 and 5  times a week, where yuh eh sure tuh play, where it have bigger fish than you and nobody coming tuh watch yuh play.

Alyuh joking yes, Maximum exposure with minimum effort. Them yute smarter than alyuh.

Watch how alyuh going and big them up just now.

Them yute may find their careers are over before they even begin.

Offline weary1969

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2014, 10:42:04 PM »
I playing for Gustine, Naps, St. Anthony, and winning CFU having grown men over the moon (much less for school gyul). Some of these same players on the verge of getting they full international cap with the MNT, why play in a Pro set up where yuh have to train 4 and 5  times a week, where yuh eh sure tuh play, where it have bigger fish than you and nobody coming tuh watch yuh play.

Alyuh joking yes, Maximum exposure with minimum effort. Them yute smarter than alyuh.

Watch how alyuh going and big them up just now.

Them yute may find their careers are over before they even begin.

U think they thinking so far. Up  to the SSFL season this year is all they are concern about.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline diamondtrim

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2014, 04:49:39 AM »
I've always said the pull of the SSFL is far greater than even the pull of the ProLeague and the national team. Over the weekend I heard some incredible nonsense that underlined how our youth (even the more talented ones) think....TRUE STORY!:

There's a 14 year old kid, close to 6 feet tall, strong, good technique, good at doing the basics, has a very high football IQ and runs hard all game. He was invited to the UK in October, for a 'trial for a trial' is how I can best describe it. A couple of UK Club coaches wanted to have a look at him to determine if he could be placed in an academy. The kid is also very academically intelligent. He's in form 5 and is being looked at as national scholarship material.

The kid's school isn't competing in the premier division of the SSFL this season. The kid isn't particularly concerned about his 'trial for a trial', or his academic potential. He literally said that if his school doesn't get promoted to the premier division of the SSFL next season, he will seek a transfer to a school that is in the premier division. That is his focus...

Youth is really wasted on the young......


Offline asylumseeker

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2014, 07:42:17 AM »
I've always said the pull of the SSFL is far greater than even the pull of the ProLeague and the national team. Over the weekend I heard some incredible nonsense that underlined how our youth (even the more talented ones) think....TRUE STORY!:

There's a 14 year old kid, close to 6 feet tall, strong, good technique, good at doing the basics, has a very high football IQ and runs hard all game. He was invited to the UK in October, for a 'trial for a trial' is how I can best describe it. A couple of UK Club coaches wanted to have a look at him to determine if he could be placed in an academy. The kid is also very academically intelligent. He's in form 5 and is being looked at as national scholarship material.

The kid's school isn't competing in the premier division of the SSFL this season. The kid isn't particularly concerned about his 'trial for a trial', or his academic potential. He literally said that if his school doesn't get promoted to the premier division of the SSFL next season, he will seek a transfer to a school that is in the premier division. That is his focus...

Youth is really wasted on the young......


At the end of the day, much of this issue centers on an inherited legacy. It won't be possible to stamp out, in a day, what decades of young ballers viewed as aspirational. It's interesting that in most arenas "we" tend to value foreign over local. Here, it's local over foreign ... and it not wukkin.

Offline Deeks

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2014, 11:55:11 AM »
When Clive Pantin became Minister of Education he stopped the repeating till yuh 21. He was the only Min of Education that even touched the issue. I will say it again the best govt this country has ever seen.

How could that be. SSFL is U-19 as far I know. That issue was settle in 66(I think) with Deleon and Archie's Benedicts team. As far as I know Sando Tech and John D were U 19. What was bugging some of the other schools was the practice of people who played for the non-tech. schools, when they finished at the non-tech. schools, going to Sando and JohnD to play. That is how Sando and John D. started to dominate. The traditional CFL/SSFL powers resented that.

Offline Deeks

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2014, 12:01:55 PM »
I've always said the pull of the SSFL is far greater than even the pull of the ProLeague and the national team. Over the weekend I heard some incredible nonsense that underlined how our youth (even the more talented ones) think....TRUE STORY!:

There's a 14 year old kid, close to 6 feet tall, strong, good technique, good at doing the basics, has a very high football IQ and runs hard all game. He was invited to the UK in October, for a 'trial for a trial' is how I can best describe it. A couple of UK Club coaches wanted to have a look at him to determine if he could be placed in an academy. The kid is also very academically intelligent. He's in form 5 and is being looked at as national scholarship material.

The kid's school isn't competing in the premier division of the SSFL this season. The kid isn't particularly concerned about his 'trial for a trial', or his academic potential. He literally said that if his school doesn't get promoted to the premier division of the SSFL next season, he will seek a transfer to a school that is in the premier division. That is his focus...

Youth is really wasted on the young......



diamond, your kid was not interested in your club. But seriously, if Manu, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea had given him the offer .... He gone! It is hard for me to understand the situation with the current generation. If I had gotten an invitation by sc**thorpe in 74 to go to their academy, all now so sc**thorpe in the premier league.                                              ;D
« Last Edit: September 29, 2014, 12:05:14 PM by Deeks »

Offline Deeks

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #15 on: September 29, 2014, 12:13:53 PM »
Here is another reason why football on the whole has lost its core base.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2014-09-28/caledonia-takes-15m-prize

Basketball and cricket being played in"football" season. Basketball was a Jan to June sport. But now is 365. Look at the crowd around the court. So football on the whole(PFL, SSFL, TTFA) no longer have "football season" in their pockets anymore.

Offline diamondtrim

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #16 on: September 29, 2014, 12:44:53 PM »

[/quote]

 If I had gotten an invitation by sc**thorpe in 74 to go to their academy, all now so sc**thorpe in the premier league.                                              ;D
[/quote]

No doubt Deeks...No doubt...Champions league winners too.... ;) ;D

Offline Deeks

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #17 on: September 29, 2014, 02:24:03 PM »


 If I had gotten an invitation by sc**thorpe in 74 to go to their academy, all now so sc**thorpe in the premier league.                                              ;D
[/quote]

No doubt Deeks...No doubt...Champions league winners too.... ;) ;D
[/quote]

Dude, not only champions league, allyuh woulda been watching we in Japan playing World Club championship for the Totoya Cup.   ;D

But seriously, as some of you have noted, TTFA, SSFL and the PFL, etc have to discuss this seriously. No bull !!! There is a disconnect between the fans and the official football leagues. I also don't know how to include the minor leagues. Actually the minor players used to be the core fans. But they appear to be disenchanted.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2014, 02:30:24 PM by Deeks »

Offline weary1969

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #18 on: September 29, 2014, 07:11:48 PM »
When Clive Pantin became Minister of Education he stopped the repeating till yuh 21. He was the only Min of Education that even touched the issue. I will say it again the best govt this country has ever seen.

How could that be. SSFL is U-19 as far I know. That issue was settle in 66(I think) with Deleon and Archie's Benedicts team. As far as I know Sando Tech and John D were U 19. What was bugging some of the other schools was the practice of people who played for the non-tech. schools, when they finished at the non-tech. schools, going to Sando and JohnD to play. That is how Sando and John D. started to dominate. The traditional CFL/SSFL powers resented that.

D practice was 2 let students repeat and next thing u know they in Form 4. He put a stop to that. We all knew Latas etal never really attended Sando Tech. That is why they send them school packing.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline Arimaman

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #19 on: September 30, 2014, 07:21:08 AM »
If we have a schools league, there must be an academic component tied to it.  Currently, there is very little or none in some cases.  Kids are very impressionable and will do what "they" feel is best for them.  Sadly, adults get caught up in the excitement as well.  Most people don't think objectively and will simply follow the masses.  This league needs a total revamping.  I love the idea of the Premier League division but how does one stop all of the transferring nonsense that permeated the issue with Sando Tech to begin with.  i.e. Woo Ling leaving Fatima to go to St. Anthony's?  Not blaming the kid but that undermines the integrity of the league in my opinion....  Soon you will have a top 4 and everybody else scraping just to stay up.
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Offline weary1969

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Re: How to improve the SSFL.
« Reply #20 on: September 30, 2014, 02:30:30 PM »
If we have a schools league, there must be an academic component tied to it.  Currently, there is very little or none in some cases.  Kids are very impressionable and will do what "they" feel is best for them.  Sadly, adults get caught up in the excitement as well.  Most people don't think objectively and will simply follow the masses.  This league needs a total revamping.  I love the idea of the Premier League division but how does one stop all of the transferring nonsense that permeated the issue with Sando Tech to begin with.  i.e. Woo Ling leaving Fatima to go to St. Anthony's?  Not blaming the kid but that undermines the integrity of the league in my opinion....  Soon you will have a top 4 and everybody else scraping just to stay up.

Very little more like NONE WHAT SO EVER.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

 

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