Technical Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, Lincoln Phillips is preparing to kick start a new coaching development program aimed at improving the readiness of local coaches and footballers for future tournaments.
While the main focus currently is on the Senior National Team's attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the TTFF is embarking on the development scheme which will include training of both coaches and players starting from later this month.
Phillips explained that the course for coaches was originally scheduled to being in November, but by request of the Government, it was pushed back because of the interest expressed by the Ministry of Sport in assisting.
Further details on this will be discussed over the coming week.
Phillips, along with Alvin Corneal and Keith Look Loy, both FIFA instructors, will first conduct a "D" License course for physiotherapists. During the period, Phillips will also prepare with Look Loy and Corneal, for an instructors coaching course scheduled for March. Phillips explained that such a course was different to a regular coaching course as it is aimed at improving the standards of some of the top local coaches for them to be able to work with lesser qualified and lesser experienced coaches from across the country.
Some 36 coaches have been listed to take part in the course in March and after that, D license coaching courses will be held in the various zones throughout T&T. A "D" License course is expected to take 36 hours over two weekends.
"We want to invest in the development of our coaches over a three-year period. I don't want to be the only certified individual to be able to conduct courses. In five years we want to be able to have everyone who is playing football to have undergone certified experienced adult coaching," Phillips told TTFF Media on Sunday.
He also complimented the Federation, also through the support of special adviser Jack Warner, for taking up the emphasis for development.
"We must put the Federation in high regard now because as the governing body for local football, they understand that we must try our very best to qualify for the World Cup but they also realize that there must be proper preparation. There is a coach, Bertille St Clair, focusing on the World Cup and then there is my job of concentrating on development," Phillips stated.
"While it is extremely important to place heavy emphasis on the World Cup journey, it is also important to prepare for the long term. We have to be careful of what others think when we lose matches because there will be times when our results may not be on the winning note. As such we must let it be known that all is not lost when we lose matches," he added.