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Trinidad and Tobago Elite Under-14 programme head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier told the TTFA Media that he is pleased with the response of his players so far, as they continue their preparations at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
At present, Fevrier oversees the development of 40 players under the NLCB programme, which started in 2017. His squad will form Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under-15 Team for the CONCACAF 2019 Championship.
(Copyright Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868)
Fevrier, the W Connection head coach and Soca Warriors assistant coach, leads an Under-14 staff made up almost entirely of current or past Connection employees. He is assisted by Connection youth coaches Leonson Lewis and Clyde Leon as well as goalkeeper coach Aquelius Sylvester, medic Troy Boodoosingh, team manager Wesley Webb and general manager Gary St Rose.
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams is also the owner of W Connection and the selection of the youth team staff caused consternation among coaches from more successful local youth clubs like San Juan Jabloteh.
Fevrier, a St Lucian, is one of the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League’s most successful coaches and did not disgrace himself in a short stint in charge of the National Senior Team in 2003—under then football president Oliver Camps. And he reported that the youth team is progressing well and should offer benefits to the local game in the long run.
“So far we have been training four days a week,” said Fevrier. “We have been concentrating on more technical work and we’ve just introduced some tactical awareness work.
“We are trying to get the youths to get an understanding of the system we would like to play and the roles and responsibilities. We have been pleased with their response as they have been very enthusiastic and we also have the support of the parents, which is important.”
(Copyright TTFA Media)
Trinidad and Tobago, led by coach Russell Latapy, lost all four games at the CONCACAF 2017 Under-15 Championship as they fell to Costa Rica (4-0), USA (6-0), Canada (3-0) and Jamaica (8-1).
Fevrier hopes better preparation can make a difference when Trinidad and Tobago next lines up against the Confederation’s best teams in that age-group
“We are focusing on the basics, passing, controlling the ball, supporting, running with the ball [and] scoring,” Fevrier told the TTFA Media. “It’s about getting them to understand that you have to know what you are doing when you are on the football field. It is not by instinct only but, apart from instinct, you must also be more conscious when you get into certain positions.”
St Rose, who is the general manager of the Elite Programme, further explained the goal of the NLCB-funded scheme.
“It is not just about on-the-field training or technical and tactical training but it is about delivering to the boys a well-developed, holistic programme so they can develop all round,” said St Rose. “We have incorporated into the regime physical fitness testing, nutrition, psychology and even some social events for them. What we are trying to look at [is] every aspect of their football and personal development and work at that as much as possible week in, week out, so at the end of the day we can get a better person and football product.”
(Back row, left to right) Darian Bradshaw, Justin Araujo-Wilson, Adriel George, Jean-Heim Mc Fee, Marc Wharfe, Cephas St Rose.
(Front row, left to right) Randy Antoine, Josiah Edwards, Jaiye Sheppard, Jabari Lee and Kernel La Fon.
Marlon Charles is the head coach of the Girls’ Elite Programme, which will be tested at the CONCACAF 2018 Girls’ Under-15 Championship.
Trinidad and Tobago, with Charles as head coach, defeated the Dominican Republic (4-0) at the CONCACAF 2016 Under-15 Championship but also lost to USA (22-0), Haiti (5-0) and Mexico (11-0).
Jamaal Shabazz, the Women’s National Senior, Under-20 and Under-17 Team coach, said his recommendation is that the TTFA should not send a team to this year’s CONCACAF Under-15 competition if they may end up in a similar group since the girls are not yet ready for that level of competition.
Charles, a veteran national women’s coach, led Trinidad and Tobago to the Women’s Caribbean Under-17 title in 2013—although Jamaica, who were hosts of the CONCACAF tournament, did not participate in the Caribbean round.
(Courtesy CONCACAF)
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
Only in stupid ass Trinidad shit like this can happen Jabloteh has dominated the youth pro league year after year but no member on the national coaching set up . Then we want to know why these youth teams can’t win shit
Well because I guess one have to belong to a certain clique in order to get the job Them really good yes steeuuppss
Former national midfielder Clyde Leon talks about his work as an Assistant Coach in the National Elite Boys U-14 programme.
Wasn’t it a zonal program in our days in youth football Carlos?
Lasana – good points. I’m also in support of a more zonal approach to the Elite Program. Would even suggest we have 2-3 levels within the zonal Elite Program. Say for example an Elite level A, which will constitute your most advanced players, B emerging players, and C developmental. Kids would be promoted through the various levels as they develop and improve. The kids in the zonal Elite Program would train a minimum of 3X per week. On weekends the top 5-6 players from the various zonal Elite A Level Programs would be invited for special training in what would be called the National Elite Player Pool. The pool that would ultimately form the national team. This pyramid approach with merit based promotions through the ranks would ensure we have a viable pipeline of players feeding our national team programs. There should also be lots of games between the various zonal teams – like we had in past years.
I agree monitoring and control , evaluating and remedying is a constant process in achieving desired goals and outcomes. The problem is if the people in charge of running the program are cognizant of the processes needed to run modern organizations ,are really motivated to turn this thing around or its just my time tuh eat ah food ,Wipe meh mouth and move.
It would be great to get a list of the players and their schools.
..That is the Centre for Excellence Programme we had back in the 1990s. No rocket science involved – except for those who refuse to use common sense..
U make it sound like we usually do the smart thing…
It would be stupid if they didn’t add and cut players before the final tournament. The reason why the NAAA holds its trials roughly six weeks from the Olympics or Commonwealth Games is they want to get the athletes who are in the best form.
I am fine with having an elite team. But personally I’d prefer to have a 24-man squad in each zone or maybe in Tobago, North/East and South/Central.
Then you can bring them all in centralised location every few months or so to watch them. Meanwhile, the technical director would visit sessions in each zone to keep an eye on things.
That way you expose more players to the programme and have a wider pool to choose from, there is less chance of missing out on talent and you will be have the fellahs who peak on the right time on the inside.
I don’t know what Jamaal Shabazz will think of that. I know Travis Mulraine will come and ask me who I ever played for! Lol
I wondered the same thing.
Well I said that it wudda be a conflict interest when the president and owner of W Connection was elected as the president of the corrupted TTFA so no matter how much alyuh talk about what is going on with the football eh he will just continue to make certain that his people always get a big piece of the pie eh Them really good yes
So were the coaches sought through an open recruitment process? Were they and others interviewed prior to their selection? Are these coaches getting a salary from W and also, separately from TTFA? There has to be transparent disclosure on the arrangement whenever there is a potential conflict of interest. This elite program being taxpayer funded should mean a higher level of transparency should be observed.
I think it’s standars for the head coach (Fevrier) to choose his assistants. Maybe the team manager job could have been advertised
All positions should be advertised. What standard specifically are you referring to?
Global. Every coach picks their staff. When they get replaced, the staff usually leaves with them as well.
Kion, this is an elite development program. Are you saying that based on global standards, none of the coaching positions should have been advertised and people interviewed ahead of a hire?
This is not an argument for a Saturday night. Find me someone who got the job as assistant manager for a national programme based on an ad and let’s cut to the chase.
What about the head coach Kion S Williams? Should he not have applied along with others for such a job? Think you’re missing that aspect. Not sure if on purpose..
Oh nah. I thought the issue was that it was an entire W Connection staff at work here. Fevrier got appointed a while ago. After Latas debacle with u17 and u15. I thought we discussed those appointments since back then. I disagreed then. But I saying that if the guy in charge of the programme, I doh see a problem with him working with a team he feel comfortable with. Same way Latas brought Yorkie, Lawrence brought Stern and Sol etc
Different topic. Latas is still coach of those teams. This is an elite program sponsored by NLCB.
Latas is still the coach of the national U15 boys? Urghhh
Now U17 and U20
Urghhh * 10 🙁
..I have raised this issue at TTFA Board level and will continue to pursue it. I have called for a review of all coaching positions and of the procedure/protocol by which appointments are made. No coach or assistant coach, with the exception of senior team coaches, should be appointed “because the coach is comfortable with them”. That is a recipe for jobs for the boys. The selection process for those appointments must be transparent, public and centralized in a proper Technical Committee and the Board..
No, i disagree, it means W players start with an advantage. The question now would be have they adequately scouted the country for the best players?
And maybe that is the bestest way to do it because W Connection has proven themselves to be the real most professional organization in our sweet country and this is the same thing that my second sweetest World Cup team Germany use to do when the most players represented Bayern Munich back in the winning days that was on their national team Them really good yes
W Connection aren’t champions at youth level though. I think their league title at senior level was 2013 or 2014 btw.
Ok then
So is W Connection, not T&T