“GALLY” CUMMINGS was recently back doing what he loves most these days. That is, coaching.
But this time, the former Trinidad and Tobago national footballer, who also coached the 1989 national team to within a point of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, chose to pass his knowledge onto kids.
Cummings formed the Gally’s Football Finishing School, which took him from the St Mary’s College Grounds in Port of Spain, where they launched on July 11, to Lange Park, Chaguanas; to the Eddie Hart Grounds, Tacarigua; and finally to Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre. And he is not finished yet.
“We are looking at Tobago right now. We have sent proposals out there and we are waiting for Tobago to tell us when to come over. Whether we do it in the Christmas holiday or whatever,” he said. “We can’t do all of Trinidad, and not Tobago.”
Cummings’ programme was short and focused on goal-scoring, his forte as a player.
“It was a ten-day programme. All we were trying to do was get the kids for ten days, not taking away anybody from anywhere. It was just about showing them how to score goals.”
Gally’s programme was organised by his son and former St Mary’s College striker, Gabre Cummings, managing director of Gally’s Football Finishing School.
“Gabre was the man who really put everything together, and my wife, she was the secretary-treasurer,” revealed Cummings. “So I had a lot of people around me who knew what I wanted.
“I also had good coaches with me. I had Ron La Forest, Selris Figaro, Curtis Orr, Raymond Romano. I had Desiree Sarjeant as the female coach,” Cummings said. “It ran good, because all we were focusing on is finishing. That seems to be a problem in football in Trinidad and Tobago.”
Cummings used mostly coaches he played with on the national team. It is his philosophy that before a coach gets in front of kids to train them, the coach must have some positive story about himself to tell.
“That’s why I ensured most of the coaches had national team background. I was able to bring out “Buggy” Haynes and I had Michael Grayson assist me (in Tacarigua),” Cummings said.
“So what I did is that in every different area, I went too; I brought out coaches from those areas to work with me, so the kids could understand and know who they are. I made the kids understand that “Buggy” and me played with the national team. Also Grayson.”
For Cummings, the coaching camps were memorable experiences and he wants to start early next year.
“We achieved the goals we wanted to. Everybody now knows about the Gally’s Football Finishing School. We have a very good website. We are on Facebook,” he said.
“It was really nice. Perfect. I really enjoyed myself, especially at Guaracara Park. I hadn’t been down there for quite some time.”