RON LA FOREST and Michael Mc Commie have been recommended as possible coaches for the T&T Under-23 team (Olympic).
The pair was recommended by a committee headed by Lincoln Phillips, technical director of the Football Federation.
Contacted yesterday, Phillips a former national goalkeeper stated that both La Forest, a former national player and coach of the Under-20 and senior teams and Mc Commie, an ex-national goalkeeper and current manager of Super League champions Joe Public will be two of the local coaches involved in a three-day exercise for T&T youth players who are based in the USA.
Anton Corneal, who was appointed to the Soca Warriors coaching staff as an assistant coach earlier this month, fellow Soca Warriors goalkeeping coach Michael Maurice and Phillips will also serve as coaches/scouts during the camp which will take place at both the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya and the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
On Wednesday, the players will undergo two sessions at the Macoya venue from 9 am to noon and 2 pm to 4 pm while on Thursday and Friday, the camp will be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 9 am to noon and 2 pm to 4 pm.
Over the three days of the camp, it is expected that 20 local players will be joined by 19 US-based footballers in the first-ever “winter break” training camp organised by the T&TFF. The camp is catered for players born on or after January 1, 1985.
In a media release earlier in the week, Phillips noted T&T has a number of good players attending colleges in the US who return home for the holiday break which presents a wonderful opportunity to identify, evaluate, and track the progress of the players who the Federation feels can represent the country in the qualifying phases of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and eventually the Olympics themselves.”
The Under-21 training camp is part of the GOAL 2014 Project, Phillips’ initiative, which aims to have every T&T national football team qualify for every Fifa tournament by the year 2014.
Phillips emphasised the important role of establishing a world-wide network that can assist the T&TFF in identifying youth and senior players.
Another dimension of the camp will see well known Sports Psychologist Dr Margaret Ottley conducting sessions with the players.
Phillips added: “We have some guys who are already in Universities abroad while there are some other players who are on the verge of picking up scholarships, so getting them prepared for college life will be an ideal thing.
Phillips also felt that if there was one aspect of the way T&T gets its players ready for what lies ahead, whether is was on or off the field of play, it was the psychological aspects. “It’s a weight bearing factor we have failed to address,” he ended.
Senior local players to get fair chance
LINCOLN PHILLIPS, technical director of the T&T Football Federation has made it clear that the proposed camps for local players hoping to catch the eye of Soca Warriors coach Leo Beenhakker will not be one day.
Phillips said: “I doubt it will be a one day thing because the coaches would like to give everybody a fair chance.
“There are several ways coaches can identify talent and we will be able to have a clearer idea of how that will be done when the new assistant coach arrives on January 2 to start work with Anton Corneal.”
Asked if the T&TFF was aware of any particular coach being sought by Beenhakker to work as one of his assistants, Phillips replied: “No!, But I’m sure whoever he appoints will be someone of great quality, most likely someone who is as good as he is.
“At the World Cup level you need all the help you can get in trying to grow and I’m sure whoever he gets to work with him will be well received,” ended Phillips.