I attended this seminar and must say it was an enjoyable experience, but as I would later remark, how IMPACTFUL could it be when NO ONE from the TTFF were present (I DID ask, and the Secretary/coordinator informed me that the TTFF were invited IN WRITING).
The Head table consisted of Clayton Morris,Larry Romany and David John Williams, later joined by the Institute representative, Gregorie Maguire, who served as facilitator. As far as participants, it was a small group, numbering about 20 at most. Some of the folks I recognized were Alison Ayres(FPATT), Peter O'Connor,Norris Ferguson, Rubadiri Victor, Lasana Liburd and the wife of Gally Cummings. I would later meet Pardners and Brown Sugar.
David John Williams got things rolling with his perspective on Youth Development in football. He noted that despite hosting the 2001 Under-17 WC here, T&T STILL did NOT reap the benefits in terms of player development, as evidenced by the presence of just two players from that youth team in our current squad. As opposed to names like Carlos Tevez of Argentina (My note -Robinho and Diego (Brazil), He also noted that we are no longer seeing teenagers breaking into the SENIOR national set-up a la Dwight Yorke (MY note -or even Clint Marcelle, with the LAST person to do it being a certain "Hardest). Part of the problem he felt lay with the Colleges League as currently exists. Even team 2001, he said when the player profiles were read out, had players coming from Naparima, St Anthony's etc. while the other countries' players were already attached to PROFESSIONAL clubs. He lamented that despite numerous efforts to try and INTEGRATE the Colleges League into the Professional Football Youth league, the two groups appeared to be pulling in different directions. He revealed that as a result, the Under 17 and Under 20 Pro League competitions had to FINISH their seasons by July to accommodate the SSFL competition. This he noted was a bad thing because the Schools were focussed on WINNING titles, NOT player development. He also stated that in his opinion, the best Youth Coaches were NOT being allowed to coach. He also spent some time identifying how W Connection managed to develop a successful Youth player development program, by doing things like integrating the Parents into the program via monthly meetings/updates and progress reports;he pays Maxis to collect youth players AND return them home after training sessions; the same philosophy and strategy is used at youth level AND senior team, thereby allowing for easier transition upwards; youth players attend senior team games, so that they can see where their future lies, and wear the same uniform as their senior counterparts. DJW stressed that sports in general and football in particular must be seen as Professional and NOT simply recreational.
The Facilitator entered at this point and drew reference to the decline in both Netball where we competed with distinction against some the world's best in 1989, and the decline in WI cricket of late. This he said was what prompted the Institute to hold the seminar in an effort to stave off a similar occurrence in football.
Larry Romany, Pro League Chairman then gave his presentation, identifying the lack of Education in ALL area as a key stumbling block to Football development in the country.At the administrative level he felt if the powers that be continue to administrate with a 30 year old model, then we can only see results that reflect same. On coaching he noted that he was certain the current coaches if asked what were the MEASURABLE fitness levels of the players under their charge, they wouldn't have a clue! Yet, he stated these same coaches would be matching wits with counterparts for whom such data was not only readily available, but would form part of strategies for optimum team selection as well as against opponents. He believed that even the current Under-17 team contained SIGNIFICANT deficiencies which would eventually be exposed at the World Cup in August. He lamented that "Volunteerism" was killing sports generally and football in particular, citing that as long as people did work for "free' they could not be held accountable! He then went on to make a VERY interesting statement, indicting ALL stakeholders in football since he said the power lay in their hands. He used the example that if ALL footballers united and decided that they would NOT play football for a year, they could bring FIFA to their knees (MY note here...perhaps HINTING that locally such a move could end the current impasse for the benefit of all if a United body {FPATT?} existed) and force the administrators of the game to listen, since football without players was impossible! For things to change, the MEMBER associations needed to become active and INVOLVED. When meetings are called, it is the zones who elect representatives who vote accordingly,so they can change the current administration. The power he said lies with the clubs, but if they DON'T attend meetings, don't vote and simply complain, then the status quo would remain. THIS he felt was terrible, because once someone stayed in the same position for an extended period they eventually became redundant. Yet he said sitting as Olympic Chairman, he saw in virtually ALL sporting bodies, a game of musical chairs being played as the SAME people simply exchanged positions like Chairman, Secretary,Treasurer etc term after term. So basically, it's up to us all to decide if we want real, meaningful, change or are just "cry babies".
Clayton Morris was the final presenter, and he proceeded to list a litany of woes for players, including no fixed accommodations for player training, lack of coaching development particularly at youth level, absence of financial support for programs, poor choice of Youth coaches to national teams, Poor media coverage, bad officiating, VICTIMIZATION of players, absence of continuity at all levels. He revealed that SINCE competing at the World Cup last year, T&T has dropped 12 spots in the World rankings!
The floor was then left open for comments and questions, and i will have to edit this portion in as much as i was involved myself, and so would have missed certain things. Topics raised include -
Why was there no representation by the TTFF? A reply was that despite being in existence for 99 years, the TTFF still did not own "a parrot on a stick". Someone commented that they DID however have a Parrot AND a stick.
A former player said that he felt people in general looked down on sportsmen, citing his own experience where when he mentioned his ambition was to represent his school team, he was told " You come from a good family, going to THAT school and the best you could look to do is go and play football there??". He said that as long as society held onto the old-school view that the "best" students excelled at academics, while the "dumb' ones learned a "trade" or played sports, and for that the whole education system needed to be revamped! He also pointed out that where once existed playing fields, were now housing developments/schools etc.
Justin Latapy who came late made the point that he could talk from personal experience that once a player (as in his case) did NOT make it at senior international level, he would have to leave and find something elsewhere - so now he is making a living abroad.
The facilitator said that based on all he had heard, it seems that T&T qualified for the WC by accident (Someone said yes, an accident named "Beenhaker")
The seminar ended around 8:05 PM