Professional and college football coaches from the United States of America are in Trinidad scouting for local talent, and the search culminates with the final “Pro & College Combine” session tomorrow at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Female footballers from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean have been invited to attend the Combine, at which USA Olympic Gold Medalist Staci Wilson will use the opportunity to look closely at them in action.
The Pro & College Combine involves three days of activities for teams and individuals in T&T; it started yesterday and ends tomorrow. The organisers have invited several reputable institutions, all of who will be on the look-out for female and male talent from the two-island Republic.
The event kicked off yesterday with an International Symposium at the Kapok Hotel, followed by an All-Star Tournament and Pro & Combine showcase at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Today’s activity will take the form of a mini tournament for both boys and girls teams, competing in for cash prizes. Girls teams involved include InterCol champions St Augustine Secondary, St Joseph’s Convent, Diego Martin Central and St James Secondary. The boys tournament will feature the likes of St Benedict’s College, St Augustine Secondary, Crown Trace United and others. On the final day tomorrow, individual players will be scouted.
Among those in the hunt for local talent is Staci Wilson, a life fitness instructor, strength and conditioning coach and highly-respected head-coach of Girl’s Soccer at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida. With women’s football making exceptional strides in the last decade, Colleges Invitational wants to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago —and the Caribbean—maximises on crucial opportunities, such as Wilson’s visit. “There are some great opportunities for Trinbagonian athletes at the college level, and generally speaking, the Caribbean is known for producing athletes with great character,” explained Wilson.
The Virginia-Washington D.C. Soccer Hall of Fame inductee has been a long-time ambassador of improving the performances of athletes, as well as a dedicated advocate for promoting opportunities for women in football. One of the highlights of Wilson’s career has been winning the Olympic Gold Medal along with the US Women’s National Team in Atlanta in 1996. She sees great things in store with Colleges Invitational.
“I think to continue to build on what’s been established in Trinidad and Tobago, it’s important to understand how the pieces are put together—that’s the sports science of it all, knowing how to get the most out of your athletes with techniques in areas such as injury prevention and strength and conditioning.”