American-born Ralph Lundy seems to be enjoying his time in Trinidad after arriving a few weeks ago to join local Pro League club Caledonia AIA.
Lundy, son of veteran US College coach, also named Ralph Lundy, was a participant at the TTFA/Dutch “C” License Coaching course which took place at the Hasely Crawford and Larry Gomes Stadium last week.
And Lundy was most pleased to be among his peers from T&T and St Vincent/Grenadines.
“It’s been very nice, especially getting a little taste of another Caribbean heritage from the St Vincent boys. It’s been a good experience just to learn another side and to experience people coming together trying to figure out ways of how we can approach the game and take it forward in the Caribbean,” said Lundy.
“We had a great time with our coach, Anton Corneal and the lecturers who did a great job breaking down the game and showing us the Dutch philosophy.”
Lundy believes the Pro League has what it takes to attract more players like himself from North America.
“It’s been a good experience. I joined a great club in Caledonia AIA and they have been really welcoming. I’d like to help the Pro League out in any way I can but of course, Caledonia is my main priority right now. We are trying to climb the table and put some pressure on W Connection.”
Lundy, formerly of College of Charleston, spoke about his days alongside Densill Theobald in the Caledonia setup and he also thinks that the Pro League is a good avenue for more overseas born players.
“It’s great to be among a player like Densill Theobald. He’s a great player and I pick up things from him everyday. He is somebody that keeps the team in check always and makes sure that there is always a high level of training and professionalism. He will never let that slip which I think is very important especially down here in Trinidad,” Lundy said.
“I do think there is a revenue now for North American players, or South American and European players to come in here and try to put their spin on the game and change it up a little bit. A lot of T&T players are similar so I think it’s a good idea to bring in some other players to get a little different insight into the game and see if it can change the league for better.”
TTFA clinics good for youth progress says Isa
Former national coach Muhammad Isa has been one of the local coaches serving at the ongoing TTFA youth football community clinics since the campaign started last month and he is certain it will lead to increasing an appetite for the game in youngsters aged 6-12.
Isa was at the Manzanilla Recreation Ground on Saturday where some 160 children from eight schools in the North Eastern District participated in the coaching clinic which is partnered by OneWorldFutbol, Lifestyle Motors, Coca Cola and TSTT.
“This is very encouraging for local football and the direction we want to see it heading,” Isa said.
“We have some 160 children here today, some of them getting the opportunity to work with coaches for the first time or to do drills with the ball and you can see how excited they are with the whole exercise. This augurs well for the development of the game and I think it’s an excellent initiative by the T&T Football Association.”
A former St Benedict’s College head coach, Isa said the 6-12 age group was not a target in the past.
“We’ve neglected this age group where other countries have been working with them from that young age. This is crucial as it allows the youngster to fall in love with the game and also pick up a few things that will be beneficial later down the road and it’s also about us as coaches helping them develop good habits that will benefit them healthwise and in terms of interpersonal skills,” Isa said.