Dear Editor: Five things that will help improve T&T football

“[…] The administration should set in place a programme to begin teaching the youngsters the technical aspects of the game.

“In my opinion, we have ‘fly by night’ coaching schools that suck thousands of dollars from parents with false promises. These coaching schools should be run by licensed coaches…”

The following to Letter to the Editor on the perceived necessities for a functioning national football programme was submitted to Wired868 by Canada-based Trinidad and Tobago track coach Tony Hatt:

USA forward Ashlyn Anderson (third from right) prepares to prod home the opening goal past a desperate dive by Trinidad and Tobago defender Mikaela Yearwood during Concacaf U-17 Championship action at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 31 March 2025.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.

Our national football teams’ performances are dismal. We can continue with accepting this mediocrity and poor performances as we have for years, or we can put things in place to become a force to be reckoned with.


So what is needed for our football to succeed?

1. A good professional administration with football and administrative experience and not electing people whose main focus is seeking to embellish their resume.

2. A professional league or a tier league, with first division, second division, etc.

Arima Araucans Academy winger Melick Adams (left) wrongfoots a Maloney Real Footballers defender during RBNYFL East Zone U-17 action at St Augustine Secondary on 6 April 2025.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.

3. A good coaching development program producing licensed coaches and continuous coaching development tracked by the FA.

4. The administration should set in place a programme to begin teaching the youngsters the technical aspects of the game. In my opinion, we have ‘fly by night’ coaching schools that suck thousands of dollars from parents with false promises. These coaching schools should be run by licensed coaches.

5. We need our national teams to be playing regularly against good opposition and not just regional teams.

Trinidad and Tobago captain Kevin Molino celebrates his 24th senior international goal during Concacaf Gold Cup Prelim action against Cuba at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 25 March 2025.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.

These are just my thoughts, but as a track coach with international experience, I know what works and what success is in sports.

More from Wired868
“Ridiculous to say we’re weaponising safeguarding!” St Rose on Cooper, NLCL suspensions

Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Safeguarding manager Gary St Rose has defended the integrity of the local body’s operation Read more

T&T pitted against USA, Haiti and S/Arabia at 2025 Gold Cup

The Soca Warriors will face USA in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, which will be their third meeting in the Read more

“I’d run through a wall for Don Leo!” T&T players and staff remember Leo Beenhakker

Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker passed away today at the age of 82. Beenhakker won three titles at the helm of Read more

Dear Editor: T&T football is dying—and we’re losing more than just games

“[…] You’d be lucky to find five kids who can name five national players they admire. The conversations have vanished. Read more

TTFA confirms participation in Unity Cup, alongside Jamaica, Ghana and Nigeria

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFA) has confirmed the Soca Warriors’ participation in the 2025 Unity Cup, an ‘Afro-Caribbean Read more

Dear Editor: It’s dangerous to dismiss safeguarding complaints—‘disgruntled’ parents add value

“[…] The pattern is familiar: someone speaks up, gets labelled, and only later do we come to understand the weight Read more

Check Also

“Ridiculous to say we’re weaponising safeguarding!” St Rose on Cooper, NLCL suspensions

Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Safeguarding manager Gary St Rose has defended the integrity …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.