2024 SSFL Girls Premiership League Thread.

[Flex]

Inaugural SSFL girls' premiership pushed back to 2023.
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday).

THE INAUGURAL Secondary Schools’ Football League (SSFL) Girls’ Premiership Division will be hosted in 2023.

The new inter-school tourney was initially scheduled to kick off in 2020 but the pandemic continues to be the primary reason for its lengthy delay.

However, the 2022 SSFL season will resume in full, with the boys’ premiership and boys’ and girls’ championship divisions, in September.

SSFL president Merere Gonzales confirmed the postponement of this venture, which he said falls in line with FIFA's vision for more emphasis to be placed on women’s football in the country.

“Due to some immediate constraints, the premiership division girls’ will unfortunately not be able to materialise this year. But certainly, for 2023, we would be embarking on it.

“This is an initiative on the front burner for the SSFL, but because of different scenarios which have unfolded within recent times, along with the pandemic, we are certain to get under way in 2023. In the interim, they resume regular championship competition,” he said.

On Monday, the Ministry of Education confirmed that all school sporting/extra-curricular activity and inter-school competitions could resume, thanks to the government’s recent roll-back of covid19 restrictions.

Gonzales welcomed the return to nationwide inter-school sports and competitions.

The SSFL has already started contacting schools to find out which competitions they would be interested in participating in from September.

“I’m also reminding principals to apply to play in the lower divisions such as Under-14, Under-15 and Under-16 competitions.

“Based on the responses we get from these various schools, only then we’d be able to know which of the divisions we’d be able to accommodate, based on the numbers,” he added.

Gonzales anticipates favourable responses.

“Most likely, there will be a high demand and great need to get back on to the field of play with these student-athletes. I am optimistic most, if not all divisions, would resume in the 2022/2023 term," he said.

From now until the season starts, the SSFL will host some off-season activities such as a ball-dribbling competition; either online or physical, among others. It also  plans a pilot project for an inter-school futsal competition and even a beach soccer programme, by 2023.

Additionally, the board will host several educational webinars for coaches and students on the many aspects of the game, both on and off the field.

[Tallman]

FIFA, TTFA to expand girls schools' league
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)

FIFA has partnered with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) normalisation committee and Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) to host a pilot project for girls aged 13 and under.

Merere Gonzales, SSFL president, made this announcement at Wednesday’s launch of the 2022 season at Ato Boldon Stadium Training Centre in Balmain, Couva.

FIFA wants T&T to host a short football tournament, in November, for girls 13 and under, to help promote the sport’s growth among young female players.

“It is a FIFA initiative. It is within this time of the calendar in FIFA and their main concern is about promoting.

“They have set aside a particular budget to facilitate for girls 13 and under age group football. They are working alongside our member associations to have such an event materialise,” he said.

It is their intention to use this mini-tournament as a platform to construct a fully-functional U13 girls division for the 2023 SSFL season.

It’s a work-in progress, Gonzales said. The initiative is being led by TTFA’s director for women’s football Jinelle James.

“We have a 13 and under form one boys division but none for girls. So we’re heartened by that and we’re going along with them working in collaboration to facilitate and accommodate for the first time in the SSFL for all girls who are desirous of playing football who are coming into secondary school,” he added.

The girls however, will not be limited to form one only, and will be open to all players within the age group.

Gonzales continued, “Seeing that it’s a pilot project, FIFA will sponsor two kits for 12 teams. The 12 teams are being shortlisted from the various five zones including Tobago.

“Because this is in the embryonic stages, in a school that is unable to provide a full team of 18-20 players then we have created a concession so they can merge; so two, three and four schools can make up a team.”

Gonzales confirmed they have welcomed the idea and are very much involved in student-athletes football, particularly in this age bracket for girls, to further advance and promote girls football.

[Tallman]

Schoolgirl footballers to get premier league in 2024
By Jelani Beckles (T&T Newsday)

AS THE Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL)'s 60th anniversary is fast approaching there are major plans to grow the league by giving more girls the opportunity to play football. Those plans will include the start of a premiership girls football league in 2024, which copies the premiership boys competition.

Plans for the 2023 SSFL season and next year's 60th anniversary were announced at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Thursday. Minister in the Ministry of Education Lisa Morris-Julian, president of the SSFL Merere Gonzales and representatives of sponsors were among those who attended the launch.

The league will kick off on September 8 with an exhibition match between last year's premiership boys league champions St Benedict's College and Intercol champions Fatima College at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo at 4 pm.

Girls now play within their respective zones including Central, East, North, South and Tobago. The premiership boys competition has been around for approximately ten years involving schools from throughout TT playing in a league format.

Speaking about this season's plan to grow the girls game, Gonzales said, "We will be embarking on another age group which is the 13 and Under girls to start in September. It is always about ensuring that both the boys and the girls are carried at the same time and none is left behind."

Discussing the 2024 plans, he said, "We will like to also embark on something we have had on the front burner for a very long time. However, due to the covid19 we were affected by it and that is to embark on, hopefully God's willing, for 2024 to have the premiership girls competition as we look forward to 2023 and 2024."

Morris-Julian, who was a goalkeeper in her school days, said, "I must say, Mr President, I will always put in a plug for young women to be part of this football culture. Women in football should not be a thing, it should be an actual reality because we have some young women that could beat you young men here."

Morris-Julian said schools football was an exciting part of her childhood. "The SSFL has a long legacy of fierce competition and friendly rivalry. I grew up in a time with the Blue Thunder (El Dorado East Secondary) and the Green Machine (St Augustine Secondary). It has maintained a strong following from not only the students, but the communities of these schools. To this day everyone could say their favourite football team."

The SSFL can be the start of successful sport careers for many, said Morris-Julian. "I grew up (in a time of TT footballers) Stern John, Dwight Yorke, Jason Scotland (and) Kenwyne Jones. It is not impossible that Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar is among us today."

TV channel SportsMax has been a sponsor of the SSFL for years, showing live matches.

CEO of SportsMax Nicholas Matthews said, "We are not just investing for this year. We have happily signed a three-year deal with the association, so we will be here for the next three years continuing this partnership with the SSFL."

He asked for more SSFL support. "I call on all stakeholders, corporate TT, the Government, friends of the league, to put your support behind the administrators and the young athletes of this league. An investment in the SSFL is an investment in the future of TT."

Sponsors of the league who attended the launch were Coca-Cola senior brand specialist Anthony Lovelace, National Gas Company head, communications and brand, Nicola Ghouralal and Shell regulatory and P&A adviser Leston Davis. Kerry Gibbons of SportsMax and Ministry of Sport and Community Development physical education sport officer I Ronson Hackshaw also spoke at the launch.