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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #30 on: December 06, 2019, 07:51:09 AM »
The national U-15s, huh?  :) Hold tight.

Offline Tiresais

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #31 on: December 06, 2019, 03:53:16 PM »
Least shocking announcement ever

Offline Flex

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #32 on: January 30, 2020, 04:21:12 PM »
TTFA League of Champions back on.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).


De­fence Force, Guaya Unit­ed and Moru­ga FC are three of 11 teams that are yet to re­ceived their first-tranche of $25, 600 for their par­tic­i­pa­tion in the T&T Foot­ball As­so­ci­a­tion- sanc­tioned League of Cham­pi­ons.

Yes­ter­day Randy Ha­gley, the Guaya Unit­ed boss said his cheque was can­celled by some­one from the foot­ball as­so­ci­a­tion af­ter he re­fused to re­turn it up­on a re­quest by the TTFA.

The League was ini­tial­ly giv­en the go-ahead by the then David John-Williams-led foot­ball as­so­ci­a­tion to run for two years, be­fore the William Wal­lace-led ad­min­is­tra­tion stopped it up­on their suc­cess­ful elec­tion as the sports new ad­min­is­tra­tors, cit­ing a lack of funds.

But the TTFA Board re­verse its de­ci­sion up­on con­sul­ta­tion with the world gov­ern­ing body for foot­ball - FI­FA.

Ha­gley said monies from the FI­FA For­ward Project was ap­proved for it.

How­ev­er, on Wednes­day, a vice pres­i­dent from the TTFA, who spoke on con­di­tion of anonymi­ty, said the TTFA sought ad­vice from the world gov­ern­ing body for foot­ball (FI­FA) re­gard­ing the al­leged wrong­ful use of the FI­FA For­ward funds for a pur­pose it was not orig­i­nal­ly giv­en.

He told Guardian Me­dia Sports the FI­FA For­ward funds were giv­en for the FI­FA/UE­FA-rec­om­mend­ed T-League, which was set to be the pre­mier foot­ball com­pe­ti­tion in T&T. It was al­so ex­pect­ed to be on par with some of the top Eu­ro­pean Leagues, such as in Eng­land, Spain, Italy and France etc.

Ac­cord­ing to the TTFA ex­ec­u­tive, "David John-Williams used it for the wrong pur­pose, and there­fore we were told that no more mon­ey would have been forth­com­ing for the League of Cham­pi­ons. It is up to the TTFA to sanc­tion the LOC or not, but if it is not sanc­tioned, then the foot­ball as­so­ci­a­tion will have to take back the monies giv­en to the clubs," the source said.

He added, "Now if the League is sanc­tioned, then the TTFA will have to source its funds to pay the clubs. How­ev­er, we at the TTFA have de­cid­ed that the tour­na­ment will go on­ly for one round."

Al­though the T&TFA of­fi­cial said the clubs would run its own com­pe­ti­tion, a fix­ture of the fi­nal round showed it was made up by the foot­ball as­so­ci­a­tion.

Up­on be­ing giv­en the first tranche of $25,600, the clubs are to re­ceive an­oth­er pay­ment of $12,250 and the re­main­ing amount of an over­all to­tal of $51,000, at the end of the sec­ond round.

Ha­gley said a meet­ing of the foot­ball as­so­ci­a­tion, the T&T Pro League clubs and the T&T Su­per League was sched­uled to be held yes­ter­day to de­ter­mine if the LOC will have a sec­ond round.

The fi­nal round of match­es in the first round be­gan yes­ter­day with Youth Stars of To­ba­go hold­ing De­fence Force to a 1-1 tie at Bethel Grounds in the lone fix­ture.

The oth­er match­es will be held on Sun­day. They in­clude Guaya Unit­ed com­ing up against Po­lice at New Lands Ground, Guayagua­yare: Mis­cel­la­neous Laven­tille ver­sus Cen­tral Soc­cer World at St Mary's Ground, St Mary's: Moru­ga FC com­ing up against 1976 Phoenix at Caanan Recre­ation Ground: and Matu­ra Re­Unit­ed up against Harlem Strik­ers at St Mary's Ground, St Mary's.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #33 on: January 30, 2020, 04:52:10 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #34 on: January 30, 2020, 06:23:48 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.

What's elite about the League of Champions? Square hole,  round peg.

Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #35 on: January 30, 2020, 07:30:03 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.

What's elite about the League of Champions? Square hole,  round peg.

Does it have to be elite? Perhaps this might be a useful initial step to introduce them to a more physical environment than the colleges league they are used to. Might be an insightful gauge as to who can elevate their game understanding, aggression, speed, and risk taking,. The same qualities the Tech stated it wants the T&T player defined by, at every level.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2020, 07:31:43 PM by ZANDOLIE »
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Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #36 on: January 30, 2020, 07:36:01 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.



Correct.We supposedly have a player and tactical template now. Let them test it in the fire of competition.
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #37 on: January 30, 2020, 08:18:58 PM »
Disagree totally. The theory being subscribed to by those in favour of placing them in the League of Champions is the Theory of Big Man Football. What they need as a team is structured development not unstructured physicality against haphazard opposition. None of their colleagues in a systemic U15 NT environment are being tossed to the wolves on the off chance that they learn football the hard way. While some individual players find uninhibited  benefit in that rudimentary environment, it is not the appropriate venue  for the full NT squad.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2020, 08:22:39 PM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #38 on: January 30, 2020, 08:21:15 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.



Correct.We supposedly have a player and tactical template now. Let them test it in the fire of competition.

The word missing is "appropriate". Insert it between "of" and "competition" and yuh in business.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #39 on: January 30, 2020, 08:36:33 PM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.

What's elite about the League of Champions? Square hole,  round peg.

Does it have to be elite? Perhaps this might be a useful initial step to introduce them to a more physical environment than the colleges league they are used to. Might be an insightful gauge as to who can elevate their game understanding, aggression, speed, and risk taking,. The same qualities the Tech stated it wants the T&T player defined by, at every level.

Well,  much of what you want to achieve could be achieved by playing against the U17s who would have a mutual stake in the tactical benefit of that match-up. From there there are a variety of ways to progress the challenge without leaving the NT environment.

Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #40 on: January 31, 2020, 04:56:40 AM »
Disagree totally. The theory being subscribed to by those in favour of placing them in the League of Champions is the Theory of Big Man Football. What they need as a team is structured development not unstructured physicality against haphazard opposition. None of their colleagues in a systemic U15 NT environment are being tossed to the wolves on the off chance that they learn football the hard way. While some individual players find uninhibited  benefit in that rudimentary environment, it is not the appropriate venue  for the full NT squad.

How is it unstructured physicality? And how is that any different from wild running SSFL opposition that these guys often have to face? They are supposed to be taking the lead of the coach, not from the opposition.  Its up to a coach to communicate what he or she wants and see who can fulfill instructions under pressure. I take your point. However we have a long history of over-estimating and coddling young players. With obvious results.

This is certainly not an ideal environment, but its not necessarily an inappropriate one.. Our cultural/natural inclination is not to support but to stand out on the pitch. T&T players simply need a LOT more time together than other national set-ups. We are not the same as Costa Rica, the U S. or Honduras. We must play to our strengths AND address our weaknesses. If we just continue the usual of mimicking what others used to do 10 years ago we might as well pack it in. If this league is not ideal we better find another quick time to address the challenge of teamwork

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Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #41 on: January 31, 2020, 05:14:22 AM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.

What's elite about the League of Champions? Square hole,  round peg.

Does it have to be elite? Perhaps this might be a useful initial step to introduce them to a more physical environment than the colleges league they are used to. Might be an insightful gauge as to who can elevate their game understanding, aggression, speed, and risk taking,. The same qualities the Tech stated it wants the T&T player defined by, at every level.

Well,  much of what you want to achieve could be achieved by playing against the U17s who would have a mutual stake in the tactical benefit of that match-up. From there there are a variety of ways to progress the challenge without leaving the NT environment.

I don't think we can overcome certain obstacles by just playing 2-3 games against the U-17s..... That has been done over and over for at least a decade now.  Playing the U-17s will teach them...how to play the U-17s. Playing as a team against multiple teams with multiple variables/unknowns  in a league format would be far more beneficial. Game understanding and ability to adapt would be accelerated. And they can still play the U-17s. The U15s and U-17s in transition to the next age cohort should be both be playing in such a league instead of SSFL if we weren't jokers. No serious nation in CONCACAF has their youth playing schoolboy football. Again,  The "Big man" football in this league may not be ideal but its a rough SIMULATION of what the best nations of CONCACAF and the world do.  And its what WE need. We have to remove these football diapers from these youths and stop wiping they backsides for them.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2020, 05:30:25 AM by ZANDOLIE »
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Offline Bianconeri

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #42 on: January 31, 2020, 08:04:11 AM »
I thought this would have been a good time to have reinstated the National Elite Under 15 Team to this competition.



Dont believe this weill be suitable at all

The lvl of this league is not a good idea to throw u15 children into an adult league

If they do it for some reason, i hope the players are properly insured

They better off without this league totally

Offline Tiresais

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #43 on: January 31, 2020, 11:16:55 AM »
It's wildly inappropriate to put U15s up against adults - where else would we feel it appropriate to have adults play sports against a child? We having a spelling bee with 14 year old Timmy vs a truck driver from Sando? What about wrestling between Justin in fourth form and 32 year-old Gary from San Juan?

They won't learn anything useful - this type of thinking is what killed youth development in England for so long. The only kids able to compete are physically more developed, which leads to a bias towards fast, strong players, to the great detriment of technically proficient players. How are they going to compete on corners? Free Kicks?

Just to put this into perspective, I'm an U14's coach - we play 30 minute halves, for a total of 60 minutes, on a smaller pitch. This is what is developmentally appropriate. Throwing kids onto a full-sized pitch for 90 minutes will not benefit their development.

Offline soccerman

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #44 on: January 31, 2020, 11:51:50 AM »
Disagree totally. The theory being subscribed to by those in favour of placing them in the League of Champions is the Theory of Big Man Football. What they need as a team is structured development not unstructured physicality against haphazard opposition. None of their colleagues in a systemic U15 NT environment are being tossed to the wolves on the off chance that they learn football the hard way. While some individual players find uninhibited  benefit in that rudimentary environment, it is not the appropriate venue  for the full NT squad.
Agreed. Placing the U15's in a league with adults is not suitable for their development, it can actually do more damage than good just based on the physicality. I also second the notion that they need a more structured environment for their long-term development.

Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #45 on: January 31, 2020, 03:11:49 PM »
The U-15s should now be transitioning to U-17, for the purposes of FIFA. Likeise U-17 to U-20. At what age should they be introduced to league play? Should they be allowed to play in domestic competitions at all?

At what age should they be allowed to play 1st team or 2nd tier football for their professional clubs?
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Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #46 on: January 31, 2020, 03:41:55 PM »
It's wildly inappropriate to put U15s up against adults - where else would we feel it appropriate to have adults play sports against a child? We having a spelling bee with 14 year old Timmy vs a truck driver from Sando? What about wrestling between Justin in fourth form and 32 year-old Gary from San Juan?

They won't learn anything useful - this type of thinking is what killed youth development in England for so long. The only kids able to compete are physically more developed, which leads to a bias towards fast, strong players, to the great detriment of technically proficient players. How are they going to compete on corners? Free Kicks?

Just to put this into perspective, I'm an U14's coach - we play 30 minute halves, for a total of 60 minutes, on a smaller pitch. This is what is developmentally appropriate. Throwing kids onto a full-sized pitch for 90 minutes will not benefit their development.

Are the kids you coach national level athletes, some of who may realistically play in a FIFA youth world cup?

It is irresponsible to throw children into an adult sporting environment with no thought given to their care and development. Having won several national championships as an athlete, and later as coach to both adults and youth, I have first hand experience with this.

These kids are at a transitional stage.  At national level we have to start introducing youth to the rigors of the adult game at this very age group. IMO the most challenging aspect of this transition is not physical; its a shift in mindset that needs to be managed with a maximum of care and consideration for the athletes. But it must be done.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2020, 03:45:16 PM by ZANDOLIE »
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #47 on: January 31, 2020, 04:42:55 PM »
Dont believe this weill be suitable at all

The lvl of this league is not a good idea to throw u15 children into an adult league

If they do it for some reason, i hope the players are properly insured

They better off without this league totally

If I was the parent or guardian of a U15 NT player and he got hurt playing in a glorified adult bush league, to say that I would be pissed is to put it mildly. We have to be mindful of the mission at hand. Anyway, I have no doubt that the U15s playing in this league went out the door with DJW's welfare programme for SCF.  It ain't happening this rounds.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2020, 04:45:09 PM by asylumseeker »

Offline Tiresais

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #48 on: February 02, 2020, 02:43:07 PM »
It's wildly inappropriate to put U15s up against adults - where else would we feel it appropriate to have adults play sports against a child? We having a spelling bee with 14 year old Timmy vs a truck driver from Sando? What about wrestling between Justin in fourth form and 32 year-old Gary from San Juan?

They won't learn anything useful - this type of thinking is what killed youth development in England for so long. The only kids able to compete are physically more developed, which leads to a bias towards fast, strong players, to the great detriment of technically proficient players. How are they going to compete on corners? Free Kicks?

Just to put this into perspective, I'm an U14's coach - we play 30 minute halves, for a total of 60 minutes, on a smaller pitch. This is what is developmentally appropriate. Throwing kids onto a full-sized pitch for 90 minutes will not benefit their development.

Are the kids you coach national level athletes, some of who may realistically play in a FIFA youth world cup?

It is irresponsible to throw children into an adult sporting environment with no thought given to their care and development. Having won several national championships as an athlete, and later as coach to both adults and youth, I have first hand experience with this.

These kids are at a transitional stage.  At national level we have to start introducing youth to the rigors of the adult game at this very age group. IMO the most challenging aspect of this transition is not physical; its a shift in mindset that needs to be managed with a maximum of care and consideration for the athletes. But it must be done.

15 year old keepers? Maybe, 15 year old outfield players? Exceptional to the extreme. 15 year olds have another foot to grow and a lot more muscle to pile on. They are often going through or just hit puberty, with fragile egos and conflicting emotions.

The most challenging aspect is definitely the physical - technicality doesn't matter when someone can (fairly) muscle you off the ball with ease. The mindset can be achieved with small changes in year groups, specifically managed. Youth leagues generally forbids moving someone more than 2 year groups up, for example.

Offline Rastaman

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #49 on: February 03, 2020, 08:00:38 AM »
As a coach I was part of a program that took 2nd and 3rd formers that were part of a club program and played then in an adult 'village league'. the results over the 2 years that they participated were exceptional. The first year they lost heavily and the learning curve was steep. At the end of the first year they were miles ahead of their peers. By the end of the 2nd year one boy was training with the National U17 with the likes of Shanon Gomez and levi Garcia. Another eventually left on football scholarship.

You do the math.

Offline FF

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2020, 09:20:26 AM »
The math works out as 2 boys.

Hardly a peer reviewed study
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #51 on: February 03, 2020, 10:25:30 AM »
As a coach I was part of a program that took 2nd and 3rd formers that were part of a club program and played then in an adult 'village league'. the results over the 2 years that they participated were exceptional. The first year they lost heavily and the learning curve was steep. At the end of the first year they were miles ahead of their peers. By the end of the 2nd year one boy was training with the National U17 with the likes of Shanon Gomez and levi Garcia. Another eventually left on football scholarship.

You do the math.

None of this is inconsistent with my post and hardly a template for NT development.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2020, 11:24:44 AM »
Those players are over 18 now, right? (Based on the scholarship). What are the rest doing?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2020, 11:26:27 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline Tiresais

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #53 on: February 03, 2020, 12:57:19 PM »
As a coach I was part of a program that took 2nd and 3rd formers that were part of a club program and played then in an adult 'village league'. the results over the 2 years that they participated were exceptional. The first year they lost heavily and the learning curve was steep. At the end of the first year they were miles ahead of their peers. By the end of the 2nd year one boy was training with the National U17 with the likes of Shanon Gomez and levi Garcia. Another eventually left on football scholarship.

You do the math.

The math is irrelevant. Were they the biggest kids by chance? It's hard to tell who succeeded and who failed because of that decision. We tend to have confirmation bias when considering these things.

There's a reason FIFA maintain the emphasis in younger years should be on technical developments rather than physical/athleticism - https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/youth-football-training-manual-2866317.pdf?cloudid=mxpozhvr2gjshmxrilpf


Offline maxg

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #54 on: February 03, 2020, 02:07:20 PM »
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.

Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #55 on: February 03, 2020, 06:02:28 PM »
As a coach I was part of a program that took 2nd and 3rd formers that were part of a club program and played then in an adult 'village league'. the results over the 2 years that they participated were exceptional. The first year they lost heavily and the learning curve was steep. At the end of the first year they were miles ahead of their peers. By the end of the 2nd year one boy was training with the National U17 with the likes of Shanon Gomez and levi Garcia. Another eventually left on football scholarship.

You do the math.

I think these kind of results are possible with CAREFUL planning, and taking into account physiological and psychological challenges that might be faced.
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Offline ZANDOLIE

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #56 on: February 03, 2020, 07:37:46 PM »
It's wildly inappropriate to put U15s up against adults - where else would we feel it appropriate to have adults play sports against a child? We having a spelling bee with 14 year old Timmy vs a truck driver from Sando? What about wrestling between Justin in fourth form and 32 year-old Gary from San Juan?

They won't learn anything useful - this type of thinking is what killed youth development in England for so long. The only kids able to compete are physically more developed, which leads to a bias towards fast, strong players, to the great detriment of technically proficient players. How are they going to compete on corners? Free Kicks?

Just to put this into perspective, I'm an U14's coach - we play 30 minute halves, for a total of 60 minutes, on a smaller pitch. This is what is developmentally appropriate. Throwing kids onto a full-sized pitch for 90 minutes will not benefit their development.

Are the kids you coach national level athletes, some of who may realistically play in a FIFA youth world cup?

It is irresponsible to throw children into an adult sporting environment with no thought given to their care and development. Having won several national championships as an athlete, and later as coach to both adults and youth, I have first hand experience with this.

These kids are at a transitional stage.  At national level we have to start introducing youth to the rigors of the adult game at this very age group. IMO the most challenging aspect of this transition is not physical; its a shift in mindset that needs to be managed with a maximum of care and consideration for the athletes. But it must be done.

15 year old keepers? Maybe, 15 year old outfield players? Exceptional to the extreme. 15 year olds have another foot to grow and a lot more muscle to pile on. They are often going through or just hit puberty, with fragile egos and conflicting emotions.

The most challenging aspect is definitely the physical - technicality doesn't matter when someone can (fairly) muscle you off the ball with ease. The mindset can be achieved with small changes in year groups, specifically managed. Youth leagues generally forbids moving someone more than 2 year groups up, for example.


Perhaps this particular league was not suited to their needs. Regardless, we are well behind the CONCACAF curve in introducing young players into more serious environments. The last U-15s were reportedly together for almost two years. Yet they were as sub-par on a relative basis as past teams that did not have the benefit of staying together. What could be at the root of this performance issue?


Saying we have a tendency to 'baby' our young men and women may have been a bit harsh. To rephrase....Has the football fraternity in Trinidad and Tobago been more comfortable sustaining an amateur sporting culture, and as a corollary showed reluctance to introduce some elements of a more professional culture for our youth?

IMO the physical challenge of playing up can be surmountable by most young athletes. Many opposing CA coaches commend our physicality. Yet T&T youngsters are invariably the first to be winded on the pitch. They often concede heavily during the final moments of games. Over and over again we hear respected national coaches single out the fact that their Central American peers are exposed to more demanding playing environments at an earlier age, as that 'edge' separating those squads from ours.

I'm clearly no football pundit, but this 'edge' seems based on mindset strengths acquired by earlier exposure to serious environments where they learn to adapt to greater physical and and mental performance benchmarks.  Compare those environments to the persistence of the SSFL as a primary benchmark of Trinidad and Tobago players.

Lets be honest. That the SSFL is a STILL an important performance benchmark is very much a reflection of outdated views toward the game/social conventions. Due to our social attitudes, have we been reluctant to embrace professional football as a career path for youth? Are we effectively delaying their entry into the professional ranks to a certain extent? How detrimental has this been to their development?  Part of an effective platform to move forward football should include building on structures that promote professionalism, and give youth greater choice, and responsibility, for their own development.

We also have to be cognizant of deep-seated attitudes that over-emphasize theoretical development at the expense of playing competitive games. This 'Practice champ' national team training over the last 2 years at U-15 has been  an utter failure.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2020, 08:27:23 PM by ZANDOLIE »
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Offline Tiresais

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #57 on: February 04, 2020, 02:57:22 AM »

Perhaps this particular league was not suited to their needs. Regardless, we are well behind the CONCACAF curve in introducing young players into more serious environments. The last U-15s were reportedly together for almost two years. Yet they were as sub-par on a relative basis as past teams that did not have the benefit of staying together. What could be at the root of this performance issue?


Saying we have a tendency to 'baby' our young men and women may have been a bit harsh. To rephrase....Has the football fraternity in Trinidad and Tobago been more comfortable sustaining an amateur sporting culture, and as a corollary showed reluctance to introduce some elements of a more professional culture for our youth?

IMO the physical challenge of playing up can be surmountable by most young athletes. Many opposing CA coaches commend our physicality. Yet T&T youngsters are invariably the first to be winded on the pitch. They often concede heavily during the final moments of games. Over and over again we hear respected national coaches single out the fact that their Central American peers are exposed to more demanding playing environments at an earlier age, as that 'edge' separating those squads from ours.

I'm clearly no football pundit, but this 'edge' seems based on mindset strengths acquired by earlier exposure to serious environments where they learn to adapt to greater physical and and mental performance benchmarks.  Compare those environments to the persistence of the SSFL as a primary benchmark of Trinidad and Tobago players.

Lets be honest. That the SSFL is a STILL an important performance benchmark is very much a reflection of outdated views toward the game/social conventions. Due to our social attitudes, have we been reluctant to embrace professional football as a career path for youth? Are we effectively delaying their entry into the professional ranks to a certain extent? How detrimental has this been to their development?  Part of an effective platform to move forward football should include building on structures that promote professionalism, and give youth greater choice, and responsibility, for their own development.

We also have to be cognizant of deep-seated attitudes that over-emphasize theoretical development at the expense of playing competitive games. This 'Practice champ' national team training over the last 2 years at U-15 has been  an utter failure.

Great points. The SSFL helps to some degree getting our young players used to a competitive, challenging environment and would clearly be more appropriate than a full-blooded adult league, but even that has problems with the lack of overall professionalism and the short period of play, on top of 20(!) year olds playing along-side 16 year olds.

The SSFL could work better if players were supported by and attached to clubs - if it was a pathway towards meaningful professional development as a youth player. The emphasis on winning might not be as helpful in some regards - coaches are sacked based on winning or losing and as a consequence pick their best players, rather than the players who have the greatest potential and/or in greatest need of match practice, which would be a primary driver for youth football.

Overall though, the new document produced by the TTFA emphasises a player-centred individual development rather than a team focus, similar to Clairfontaine in France. This could definitely work with Trinbagonian culture, but would require more significant investment in our coaches to bring their standards up across the board. If we invest in those most invested in our youth sports we can get back to serious WC qualification.

Offline Rastaman

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #58 on: February 05, 2020, 07:18:41 AM »
Those players are over 18 now, right? (Based on the scholarship). What are the rest doing?
23 actually....some are playing TFA football right now. On teams challenging for the title each year.

Offline Rastaman

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Re: TTFA League of Champions
« Reply #59 on: February 05, 2020, 07:26:42 AM »
As a coach I was part of a program that took 2nd and 3rd formers that were part of a club program and played then in an adult 'village league'. the results over the 2 years that they participated were exceptional. The first year they lost heavily and the learning curve was steep. At the end of the first year they were miles ahead of their peers. By the end of the 2nd year one boy was training with the National U17 with the likes of Shanon Gomez and levi Garcia. Another eventually left on football scholarship.

You do the math.

The math is irrelevant. Were they the biggest kids by chance? It's hard to tell who succeeded and who failed because of that decision. We tend to have confirmation bias when considering these things.

There's a reason FIFA maintain the emphasis in younger years should be on technical developments rather than physical/athleticism - https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/youth-football-training-manual-2866317.pdf?cloudid=mxpozhvr2gjshmxrilpf


These boys were trained properly,,,,technically and tactically and most went on to playing at higher levels including
winning the National Intercol(in 3rd form)
Super League
National Team Training squad
US Scholarship
..and no...they were not the biggest kids.

 

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