Lincoln Phillips gets technical

Naturally a gentleman, soft spoken and well mannered, Phillips came out of character a bit and for the first time has given us a mixed review on his seven years working with the TTFF. In spite of having to give up his role as TD, as expected, nothing keeps the former Defence Force, Washington Darts, Baltimore Bays and Maple FC man down as we will soon learn in this in depth interview.

Below are the responses to 22 questions Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips was asked:

1. There is a rumour floating around that you were not offered a renewed contract as Technical Director of Trinidad and Tobago Football, is there any truth to this?

LP: Yes Flex, it is true that my contract with the TTFF will not be renewed. I had a three-year contract from 2004 through 2007 and then a series of one-year contract extensions based on mutual interest. For this year, I made the conscious decision not to seek an extension and in April of this year, the federation notified me of their decision.

2. How was your experience working with the T&T Football Federation?

LP: To be given the opportunity to advance the game in your country was an honor, particularly the first three years when my portfolio allowed me to play a key role in the areas of both player development and coaching development. To be sure, there are a number of aspects I wish could be different because I see such things as impediments to the overall advancement of the game in T&T.

However, those items are minor compared to the overwhelmingly positive personal experiences and pride I was able to feel as a result of the roles I played in qualifying for our first senior world cup, building our women’s program, building the foundation for a new coaches association, creating a player development and scouting structure for our youth national teams, building a coaching licensing system, and establishing a spirit of collaboration between various factions and interest for the betterment of the game.

3. As far as football goes, where can we expect to see you next?

LP: There are a few options I am reviewing in T&T and in the U.S.  There were preliminary discussions with SPORTT, that seemed to present opportunities to engage in establishing a comprehensive grassroots-based player development program for primary school youth and to continue the “D” License Coaching Program in a manner that would have provided the resources needed to include a continuing education structure so the licenses could not only be renewed, but also supplemented with course hours at UWI.

I’m also looking at the possibility of conducting goalkeeper-training courses across the Caribbean. With my immediate family in the U.S., I’m certainly considering some interesting proposals there as well. However, regardless of where I end up, I will always be willing to lend my support and resources to programs and coaches who are often overlooked, but play a vital role in developing our players and future coaches. I am also working on my autobiography, which should be coming out within the next couple months.

4. Do you feel the men who currently works for the TTFF, such as Oliver Camps, Anton Corneal, Keith Look Loy, Richard Groden and special advisor Jack Warner are doing a good enough job to get us to the next World Cup and beyond?

LP: This sounds like a “mash-up”-type question Flex. While I have no problem answering how I feel about the direction the federation is headed, I generally do not personalize my critiques or see the reason to question the motives of others. To answer your question bluntly, I believe our future success in international football must be less dependent on personalities and more dependent on systems and institutional collaboration.

That said; I applaud Mr. Warner for acknowledging in a recent interview his errors in handling the ’06 player dispute, because I believe this episode has been the single biggest threat to future success of our footballers and our football teams; because it cuts to the heart of goodwill and how our institutions regard employees, co-workers, and leaders. Once a figure like Jack Warner is able to admit his error and makes an effort to right a wrong committed, it bodes well for the schism to heal because people like Keith, Richard, and Ollie will fall in line and take his lead.

Once that occurs, it then becomes vital to create a system were the interests of all the stakeholders is created, acknowledged and accepted so future disputes can be handled without jeopardizing the advancement of the game.

5. What do you feel should be done to improve the game locally and why are we always looking for quick fixes?

LP: Nothing is more important than raising the level of quality, both on and off the field, of the professional league. Around the world, football clubs are usually at the forefront of football development. You see this at play with clubs like W Connection, Jabloteh, and Joe Public. But all clubs have to make a commitment to have a series of programs that either directly or through collaboration, establish youth programs from the u10 level. Also the professional players must act like professionals.

A true professional must train on a daily basis either with his team or on his own, take care of themselves physically, and mentally, and avoid general idleness. The players and in turn the clubs must give people a reason to come out and watch them play. The only way to put on display the level of skill a paying public will expect is to put forth the effort to develop your craft. I don’t think this is being done and it shows in the overall product on the field. There is no quick fix but you will see dramatic improvement once everyone raises their level of professionalism rather than only a few.

Even more significant is the need to insure young footballers are exposed to modern training methods and are able to develop their technical and tactical acumen without being burdened by over-competition. There are simply too many tournaments and events that feature cash prizes. Not only does this jeopardize a young footballer’s amateur status if he/she would like a collegiate career, it also establishes and places a premium on winning rather than technical and tactical development.

I would also add that the predominance of small goal football is an impediment to developing some of the skills and abilities required for the 11v11 game; such as goalkeeping, shooting, striking the ball over long distances, changing the point of attack, and developing overall football-based fitness.

It is also easier to defend in small-sided games and as a result, our defenders’ tactical awareness and abilities have also suffered. Rather than having small goal play such a prevalent role among our developing and professional players, it should be merely used to sharpen abilities in tight spaces. Players should always strive to utilize big goals as part of their regular training regimen in a space that closely mimics a traditional match.

6. You were Technical Director for over 7 years, can you list some' of the important things that you have accomplished while there, and kindly explain why you feel they were important?

LP: When Jack sold me on the idea in 2004 that in his opinion TT could qualify for the world cup for the first time, I packed up my bag and put my life on hold in order to accomplish that initial goal. Having met that goal I embarked upon a vision of having every T&T team qualify for a FIFA tournament by 2014, We’ve been able to qualify the U-17 and U-20 men’s teams. The U-23s are left to fill the remaining void on the men’s side and now it is up to Even Pellerud and Jamaal Shabazz to complete the mission on the women’s side.  When this mission was announced many scoffed at the idea, but you have to have a clear vision and set of goals in order to move forward.

Another accomplishment was establishing a coaching education program that qualified over 900 "D" Licensed coaches. Aside from the sheer volume of coaches, I am particularly pleased about the areas of the country the program touched.

There had been a self-defeating notion and attitude that certain areas of the country would not support football. I did not believe that notion and made a particularly strong push in areas like Central and Penal much to the chagrin of those naysayers. Now Central has a thriving football community.

We provided a D license curriculum and course for the professional players and among the first to take advantage of the opportunity was the Defence Force. In all, 50 players from the PFL and Super League, and 35 coaches from the Protective Services participated.

Among that group were 35 prison officers and 50 prisoners. Now, I’ve heard about people ridiculing the notion of “giving” licenses to prisoners and parents, but it should be noted that many of our youth coaches come from some sector of protective services.

Also, parents make up a sizable portion of coaches of children at the primary school level. As for prisoners getting licenses, once they pay their debt to society, I happen to think they should be given the opportunity to learn new skills so they can seek a legitimate occupation. We can’t afford to turn up our noses at anyone or any group as the country is too small to dismiss people so cavalierly.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education I also helped coordinate a minimum coaching qualification for high/primary school coaches. The purpose of this qualification was to ensure that all SSFL head coaches possessed at least a “D” License.

Several private programs like Republic Bank, TSTT, Harvard Club, and assorted entities in South and Central began certifying their coaches to help prepare their teams for national tournaments and events. Republic Bank conducted two courses for their Right Start Tournaments. The Sports Company and the Ministry of Sport began a vigorous program certifying the coaches in the reach of the respective constituencies

The reason why the “D” License course was so vital is because the curriculum focused on 1. Methods of Coaching; 2. Psychology of Coaching; 3. Team Management; 4. Care and Prevention of Injuries; as well as establishing proper training methods to develop technical skills in the basic areas that many of our players continue to show deficiencies.

In addition to these coaching courses, I introduced an International Coaching Exchange Program and incorporated the KNVB in a series of coaching symposiums designed in a manner for coaches who ply their trade in several age groups. The course included a set of 5-day symposiums for coaches of players aged 5-10, 11-15, and 16 -19 years old. Afterward we conducted a "C" license level workshop for several of our coaches involved in the PFL and Super League.

From these courses two coaches were selected by the KNVB instructors to attend a KNVB Symposium in The Netherlands while the UEFA U-20 championship was played.  I would have liked this program to become a regular event in which other federations could be partnered with and provided access to similar resources. Hopefully, the template will be followed in the future.

In the area of player development, I helped create the development template for the U15 program that took them through the U17 team and U-20 world cups. Through establishing various camps, competition both in T&T and abroad, and casting a net to attract players eligible to represent T&T, the youth programs were provided more resources than ever. Another great move that benefitted that particular group was the TTFF’s decision to enter the team in the Super League as part of their preparation for the U-20 World Cup.

I also introduced with the help of the Soca Warriors, a U-21 Combine where both USA-based collegiate players along with the top U-21 local players (175 total) were invited. The Combine was very successful as we were able to identify a deep player pool of the best possible U-21 players for the Pan Am Games qualification. From that group, 23 players were chosen and we had a camp in Tampa to play against MLS teams and the US U-17 team. Though we did not qualify for the Pan Am Games, the format provided the most far-reaching search for players the TTFF has conducted to date.

My most recent accomplishment and what I really wanted to be the last endeavor as Technical Director was a collaboration with James Grant Sports Management and SPORTT to schedule a series of exhibition games played in T&T throughout the year against some of the best U23 players.

Both Stoke City and Glasgow Rangers agreed in principle to not only play in T&T, but also participate in a series of ancillary events such as player and coaching clinics throughout the country. Rangers had agreed to play in July of this year and Stoke was lined up for May 2012. We were also getting favorable response from several MLS and Scandinavian teams to establish T&T as a pre-season training venue and play against a local-based team and each other in a tournament setting.

The objective here was two-fold;

1) The games would provide our national coach a good opportunity to review selected players performing against top-level competition and 2) Our players would be exposed to a constant flow of top-level football. Throughout our country’s football history, whenever we had a stretch of hosting overseas teams, the quality of our domestic football improved. When we stopped hosting these teams, I believe the technically proficient local players were not as prevalent. I don’t think this is a coincidence.

In the end, this is some of the more notable items I accomplished. I believe with the support of other key players, quite a bit was done while I was TD and more importantly, a road map to future development was provided.

7. I heard you where trying to get foreign clubs such as Stoke City and Glasgow Rangers to visit our shores this summer, but from what I understand there was some communication breakdown that led the teams to pull out and not want to have anything to do with T&T anymore. Is this true?

LP: This was a tremendously disappointing episode for a number of reasons; not the least of which is that there have been no meaningful football events for far too long and getting the chance to have top level clubs return to T&T after almost a decade, it would have provided the shot in the arm our football needs for all levels of development. It would have fulfilled SPORTT’s development based mission and the business model presented showed the event would have made a profit.

Led by the enthusiastic communications shared by SPORTT officials after weeks of discussion that included a clear set of deliverables identified by SPORTT, we successfully secured Rangers for a match in July and Stoke presented a proposal where they would have incorporated T&T coaches and youth players in a series of development programs as part of their overall celebrations commemorating their 150 years as a club and capped off with a club tour to T&T in May 2012. Despite our efforts, SPORTT alerted us at the last minute that due to “shifting priorities” they were unable to support the initiative for this year.

Hopefully, something can be done to salvage the event. It is important that we look to collaborate with groups that can provide and pass along their expertise in the area of sports management. There is no reason why T&T cannot be a major sports tourism destination point. However, this goes along with the overall need to have a more professional approach and recognize sports as a business.  I am still waiting on an official letter from SPORTT regarding their decision that would be, in turn, sent to the teams. This is important in order to preserve relationships and demonstrate an acceptable level of professionalism.

8. What is your take on the current court battle between the TTFF and the 06' Warriors?

LP: I get a sense the Federation is prepared to acknowledge the merit of the players’ claims. If this is the case, I am gratified because my advice from the start was to have the matter settled. In many of my reports, I raised the importance of settling the case and its potentially negative impact on the national program if left to fester. As you can imagine, my suggestions were not warmly received, but I felt strong enough about the issue. In the end, however, I think hats must be taken off for the players who stuck together. All too often athletes are viewed as subjects rather than partners and the only way that can change and a more modern institutional approach adopted by all the stakeholders is if each entity is strong, but also willing to buy into a spirit of consensus building. However, the players’ stance can very well usher a new era for our football.

9. Mr Phillips, our football is basically dead, from SSFL straight up to the national senior team as there is hardly any fan support, a lack of talent and players seem to lack passion etc. Why is this? And why is there so much segregation among all leagues and national teams?

LP: I do agree that a general malaise has taken over our domestic game. One can certainly point to the events surrounding the player impasse and abrupt manner in which the ’06 players were not included in the 2007 Gold Cup and subsequent competitions as a main reason behind that malaise. After reconciliation with the ’06 players is realized, I strongly believe that once our professional players dedicate themselves to developing their craft, provisions are made to expose our players to higher-level competition, and a more professional approach to sport as a business is adopted you will see a resurgence in the game.

10. If you had to do it over all over again, would you have chosen to work as Technical Director with the TTFF?

LP: Without question, I would have done this over again. I knew the parameters and limitations involved. When one is presented an opportunity to make a difference, it is often in a challenging setting. If I had a risk-averse approach to life, my professional accomplishments would have been much less.

My biggest regret is that I would have liked to have seen a less intertwined relationship between politics and the football. But this links back to my view that we must move toward a more system-based approach to institutional development rather than one which is personality driven.

11. You have always been a strong supporter to Soca Warriors Online (SWO) and the Warrior Nation, but at times you refrain from answering many questions we may ask, as you may have thought they were a bit controversial. Why the sudden change of heart?

LP: Sometimes I think folks want me to lash out and lambast certain figures in the game. I don’t particularly think that was my job as TD nor is it productive. In fact, I viewed my position as one that offered encouragement and support whenever I could, especially for the coaches, because they are often the targets of unfair or unhelpful criticism. My view was that things tend to work out better without grandstanding and if you are truly interested in improving a situation rather than being indulgent and venting about the problem, your chance of finding a solution increases.

12. How did you get the alias "Tiger"

LP: When I was a youth I admired a goalkeeper called “The Black Panther”. Who played for Maple Club. I really loved to see that guy in the net. He was dressed in all black and his gymnastic ability allowed him to do lots of acrobatic stuff. In addition he looked just like a wild Panther trapped in a cage for the first time. I wore black and became the Black Panther eventually playing for the same team he did. However when the law was changed forbidding goalkeepers from wearing all black (referees only) I changed my colours to include some yellow in my uniform and was soon called Tiger as a result.

13. Do you feel the government is doing enough for sports, particularly football in T&T?

LP: I think a lot is being done, but more can be done to improve the government’s overall return on investment. That is why I advocated partnering with sports management professionals that would not only raise the level of football, but also provide a wholesome series of events for families to enjoy because sports events can be one of the more family friendly activities offered in a place that is screaming for such activities.

14. What are your thoughts on the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPoRTT), and do you feel it's serving its purpose?

LP: They could be a key entity that would ensure our overall attitude toward sports becomes more business-like. The concept of the agency is spot on, however, I am concerned that too much emphasis is being placed on building projects and not enough on programming. Facilities are important, but without substantive programming that properly addresses the needs of the people, we will continue to construct white elephants.

SPORTT can do a lot more to shape the way in which sporting disciplines and athletes are developed. They have barely scratched the surface and performed in a manner that any reasonable person would say is not acceptable. I hope they turn things around, because it is an operation that can positively touch the lives of many young people, but only if SPORTT is committed to securing a proper return on its investment. The bottom line is to get people in key leadership positions who have expertise and vision.

15. Is football in Tobago being ignored?

LP: There is some truth to the notion that Tobago is often overlooked. I have always made it a point to include Tobago in my courses and when creating committees and groups having Tobago representation was always a priority for me. Unfortunately, our parochial interests get in the way of prudence. The best way for Tobago to guard against future oversights, whether real or perceived, is to establish its own football development strategy. I would always be interested in lending my support to help develop Tobago football.

16. What's your thoughts on T&T's new head coach Otto Pfister, technical director for women’s football Even Pellerud and senior women’s coach Jamaal Shabaaz  (who has been head coach for over a decade and has continued to fail at CONCACAF level)?

LP: Otto is a world-class coach with tremendous experience. The same can be said of Evan. However, in both their cases, their experience and knowledge will be effective only if the programs they head are provided the proper resources within the proper timeframes. I think once this is done, their record of past success will extend to their time in T&T. As for Jamaal, all coaches on this level have to be judged on their records. Whether one is talking about Jamaal, Latapy, or Anton, records and results matter.

I actually advocated Even taking the senior national team and retaining Randy Waldrum as the U-17 coach. In my belief, because of Randy’s experience in working with adolescents and his extensive contacts with US collegiate programs the girls would have, at least, had something to work towards after the World Cup ended and once in top collegiate programs, their development and future inclusion in the senior team would have been the beginning of a good stream of players going into the senior pool for years to come. It should be noted that Randy is the coach of Notre Dame, the 2011 NCAA Division I Champions.

17. Now, you see in the last sets of under 17 and under 20 qualifiers the T&T teams not only failed to qualify for any tournament, but their display on the field leaves one wondering what went wrong. What do you think was the cause for such a terrible display?

LP: Poor overall preparation and a region that is featuring programs with players who are constantly exposed to top-level football are the reasons behind the disappointing results. If you look at the U.S. or Mexico U20 roster, most if not all of their players are tied to top professional programs. Merely going on tour is not enough for our players. They have to play against good competition on a consistent basis similar to the U20 team that participated in the Super League a couple years ago. Good football is contagious; the inverse is also unfortunately true.

18. Mr Phillips, why didn't we build on the success of the youth team that went to two World Cups, one in South Korea and the other in Egypt? Shouldn't they more or less be vying for senior team selection.

LP: Flex, I strongly believe that our current environment is not conducive to a young player to make that important leap from being a gifted 17/18 year old to being a fully fledged professional footballer. In fact, I have seen many of our more talented players take their foot off the pedal, so to speak, at this moment of their career when the exact opposite is required in order to make it to the next level. Until a more professional environment is created by more than just a handful of clubs, I would encourage players to look abroad to advance their craft once they reach 18/19 years of age.

19. If you had to pick 22 top local players today, who would they be and why?

LP: In many ways I would name the current U-23 players along with Hughtun Hector, Marvin Phillips, Jan Michael Williams, Carlyle Mitchell, Hayden Tinto, Andre Toussaint and Clyde Leon as my selection for local players to work with; keeping in mind that the vast majority of the top players are based overseas.

20. What is your view on current senior team assistant coaches; Anton Corneal, Hutson Charles and Jefferson George? Did Otto Pfister really pick these men to assist him?

LP: When you look at qualifications and exposure to international tournaments, there are few coaches in the country who can match Anton. I would actually like to see Anton take the helm of a Pro League team, because you really do not sharpen your coaching senses with national programs as national coaches generally do not experience the daily immersion into coaching and player contact as that of a club coach.

Hutson is an individual who should be provided an opportunity to lead a youth national team and Jefferson is, in my view, the best goalkeeper coach in the country. I would also like to see Angus Eve in the mix on the senior technical team at some point in the near future. I think it is commendable that Otto decided to go with a local support staff and I have every reason to believe that was his decision.

21. If you had the power to pick a coach and assistants to lead T&T to the “Road to Rio”, who would they be and why ?

LP: Wow, this is only hypothetical. But, if I had my way and based on what I thought would be best for the overall needs of the national program, I would have chosen Carlos Queiroz because of his record with developing young, skillful talent, revamping a national program, establishing strong defensive units, and his experience working in CONCACAF would have been an asset on many different levels.

Nothing against Otto because he is a quality coach, but I think our needs go far beyond that of a good tactician with a history of preparing teams for tournament play. I would go after Dennis Lawrence, Stuart Charles Fevrier, and Jefferson George for assistant coaches. I would also have had Carlos head up the U23 team with the mindset that it would serve as the backbone for the 2014 team.

22. You asked me many times for a list of foreign players who are eligible to represent T&T, but most of the time, nothing came out of it.  Why is this?

LP: Like many other things my friend, I can only pass along the information and push for action, but I can’t make the decision makers act. I was disappointed to hear some of the accounts of lack of follow up and follow through in regard to players who have expressed interest in representing T&T. We should follow all reasonable leads and hopefully a proper scouting system will be supported so every possible step is taken to field the best possible national teams.

Soca Warriors Online and the Warrior Nation would like to extend our gratitude to Lincoln Phillips for taking the time to do this interview and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Go get 'em ‘Tiger’!


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