“They have lots of heart. We fought like lions today, young lions!” After being caged away for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the “Pres Lions” of Presentation College (San Fernando) came out roaring at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva yesterday, with a 3-2 penalty shootout win over …
Read More »SSFL 2022: New groupings, more money, less games and hardcopy registration
The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) will feature a raft of changes for its 2022 season—the first since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic—as new president Merere Gonzales and his board respond to a late sponsorship deal, experiment with a new format and address the impact of departing sponsors. First, …
Read More »“A privilege and a challenge!” TTFA confirms Cooper appointment AFTER his first session
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) confirmed its appointment of Shawn Cooper as Men’s National Under-17 Team head coach today. The announcement came after Cooper had already overseen his first session on the job. Imagine Manchester City announcing that they signed Erling Haaland after his debut for the “Citizens”. …
Read More »Cooper “earmarked” for T&T U-17 job; national coaches now require certificate of good character
Presentation College (San Fernando) and QPCC head coach Shawn Cooper looks poised to return as Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 Team head coach, as the local football body aims to rejoin the international youth arena in February 2023. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA), run by a Fifa-appointed normalisation …
Read More »Johnson: Shining the Caribbean’s “diamond players” (Webinar coaching series)
“[…] In Europe and England, an under-8 right the way through to under-23 player [is developed by] a system [that] is sometimes very prescriptive in terms of: “you must be over there”, “don’t come off the touchline”, “you can only play two-touch”. “[…] Within the Caribbean… you can be as …
Read More »Corneal: Here’s what it takes to get a team to a World Cup (Webinar Coaching Series)
“[…] I’m excited to be here and I hope that this will open the eyes to a lot of people with questions that normally would be asked when people are hanging out: How do you get a team to a World Cup? What does it take? “[…] The [nucleus of …
Read More »Hatt: Communication maketh coach! Tips to lift your coaching game
“[…] Effective communication is the cornerstone of success, not just for sports coaches, but in every aspect of life. Most challenges and obstacles arise from miscommunication, making it a vital skill to master. “[…] To coach is to awaken, develop, and enhance skills and performance, yet there are other vital …
Read More »Hatt: Coach with enthusiasm! Seven tips to a brighter training session
“[…] Giving your athletes concise technique feedback enables them to continue to improve. ‘Great job’, ‘well done’, ‘that was awesome’, is good feedback. “Great feedback, on the other hand, explains exactly what was done well. Precise, regular pieces of feedback are most effective…” Canada-based Trinidad and Tobago track coach Tony …
Read More »Republic Cup announces TT$3,000 first prize; Shem explains 7-a-side format and scouting
Gateway Athletics director Adrian Romain confirmed today that the grand winners of the Republic Cup Youth Football Tournament will walk away with TT$3,000 each. The competition, which will be run in a seven-a-side format, has five categories: Boys 17-19, Girls 17-19, Boys Under-16, Girls Under-16 and Boys Under-14. The overall …
Read More »Form three St Benedict’s midfielder, Josiah Ochoa, wins SSFL Ball Juggling competition
St Benedict’s College midfielder Josiah Ochoa is the Secondary Schools Football League’s first trophy-holder in close to three years, after the 15-year-old form three student won the SSFL Online Ball Juggling Competition earlier this month. Ochoa emerged best of a field of 10 participants to cop the award. Nine entrants …
Read More »Sport will operate as ‘safe zone’; athletes and coaches must vaccinate or get medical exemption
Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and LeBron James are all vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus. And if you’d like to be involved in sport for the foreseeable future, you will have to follow suit. The Office of the Attorney General today published an updated Public Health [2019 …
Read More »Is sport now open to unvaccinated players and officials? Officials still in the dark
Can unvaccinated players, coaches and officials take part in team sport? Or is sport bound to remain within the boundaries of ‘safe zones’? The related questions have been on the lips of everyone from recreational athletes to formal players and officials since Friday 4 March, when Prime Minister Dr Keith …
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