The job of all responsible parents is to teach, guide and help their children through the process of making decisions, in childhood, that would keep them in good stead through adulthood.
For the past year we have had to make tough decisions with respect to Aaron’s future. Whether to play in this world-cup qualifier for T&T or the US, is only the latest in a long list. At this point in time, it is very important for Aaron’s future that a balance is maintained between the demands of football and his education . All actions taken so far are a reflection of our desire to have Aaron complete his schooling in the shortest possible time.
The only way that Aaron can continue with school and play football at this level is to play for the US Under-20 Men’s National Team. We exhausted all other possibilities ; a waiver from the NCAA (to preserve his eligibility to play for his University); time off from school (to play for Trinidad would mean a whole year living here , remember he is an American kid ).
It should also be taken into consideration that he is on scholarship at the University of Notre Dame, and all of this time off from school would certainly not be in the schools best interest as he is required to play Soccer for them. If he jeopardizes his scholarship, who is going to replace those funds so that he could continue his education next year? The TTFF? We are not wealthy people, and as such, need all the help we can get to secure a good education for our children.
So lets clear up some important points. After starting all three preliminary matches for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World cup in South Korea, there were no TTFF-initiated communications with our family, until December 2008, AFTER AARON HAD ALREADY BEEN INVITED TO THE FIRST US TRAINING CAMP. Previous to this, last summer, we called our previous contacts with the team and discovered there was new management and coaching for this particular group of guys. After contacting the new people involved, we tried to find ways to have the new coach take a look at some of Aaron’s games (even via the internet ) but to no avail. On the other hand the new US U-20 coach Tom Rongen , using his own initiative, called the Notre Dame coach and made arrangements to see him play and did so, obviously liking what he saw. Leading up to this sequence of events no information was shared with us by the management of the Trinidad Team, as to what was going on.
The impressions left by articles in the press, and posts on the various blogs, suggesting abuse of Trinidad football on our part, is grossly misleading. Because of the way things were handled in the 2007 World Cup, I, as a Trinidadian who loves his country, was placed in a position of having to “sell” the Trinidad football program to my own son and I could not bring myself to do it . There were too few advantages for me to point to, so the result is the circumstance we have today.
I personally give my son a lot of respect for having the strength, and confidence in his own abilities, to put himself in the precarious position of going through three or four camps to vie for a place in a new team, knowing quite well that it would probably be easier to stay with the previous group. He should be commended not denigrated, for his intestinal fortitude.
Finally, we would like express our thanks to the TTFF for allowing Aaron the opportunity to come to Trinidad, during the summer of 2007, to try-out, and get a chance to show what he could do on the field. It was a great experience for him and gave him a taste of what the International game is like at the highest level, for that we will be eternally grateful and we wish the Team all the best in the future.
Video of Aaron Maund and Sheanon Williams in Trinidad.
RELATED NEWS
Maund still opts for T&T over the USA.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
FLASHBACK (07-Sept-2007) - United States-born National Under 17 player Aaron Maund says he would choose Trinidad and Tobago over the country of birth if he had to make that selection any time in the future.
And why? Not only because he’s now represented T&T at a FIFA Under 17 World Championship but because he prefers the feeling he experiences when wearing the red, white and black. In other words, he prefers the vibes of the “Soca Warriors”.
Maund, a 16-year old was in the final pool in the US team before being cut prior to the team’s final qualifying campaign in April. His father being Trinidadian allowed him to play for T&T while another player- Sheannon Williams, who was once attached to Joe Public FC went on to play for the US as a defender at the World Championship. Both Maund and Williams grew up playing in Dorchester. Both players were also part of the Greater Boston Bolts club which won a US National Under 16 title a couple years back.
“The results of the U17 World Cup could go far in determining the futures of its participants. Most of the starting players in this event are either with professional clubs or destined for them soon. The emergence of Maund and Williams also symbolizes the progress of local players, dozens of whom have forged professional careers from Major League Soccer to Eastern Europe,” the Boston Globe newspaper stated.
Maund meantime took everything he could with him from the Korea experience. He started all three matches against Ghana, Colombia and Germany and managed two of T&T’s better chances on goal against the Germans.
“It’s been a really good experience. Coming from the US meant I didn’t know a lot of the guys here at first. But the team welcomed me into the family and that helped the transition. My level of play has grown over the experience and that’s been the benefit of it,” Maund told TTFF Media. He added that he didn’t see any major differences between the T&T and US camps.
“When I first came here I felt the only difference was the accent. It’s a lot of the same… the same stuff in training, the guys are very similar. Some of the off the field things may be different but it’s really isn’t that big of a difference. I think everyone wants to succeed and work hard at trying to achieve that. We need to do more though.”
So which country would he choose tomorrow if the option to represent either country came up again.
“It’s easy! I would be with the Trinidad and Tobago team because I enjoy playing with this team… the coaching staff and all… it’s more of a family unit as opposed to the US where it’s like each player for himself which is the feeling I got. The (T&T team) staff cares about you and the players as well and that’s the kind of unit I want to be in. I want to go on trials possibly outside but next year is the Under 20s and I’ll be back for that definitely. I’m working towards playing for the Trinidad and Tobago Senior team in the future,” Maund concluded.