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Former Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 and Under-23 Team striker Ricardo John is aiming to earn a professional contract abroad, after losing his football scholarship at Virginia Technical Institute.
(Copyright AFP 2016/Omar Torres)
John, who is 21 years old, confirmed that the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) opened an investigation into his eligibility, after he represented Central FC in a handful of Pro League games in January, during his school holidays.
The tall, pacy striker did not have a contract when he played and was an unpaid player for the “Couva Sharks.” However, it was a costly decision.
“The NCAA found a problem with how I played for Central, so the school filed a complaint,” John told Wired868. “I would have been ineligible (to play for Virginia Tech)… I didn’t know it would be against the (NCAA) rules once I didn’t sign a contract (with Central).”
John, who was in his sophomore year at Virginia Tech, was selected on the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) All-South Region Third-Team in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He was doing a degree in hotel and tourism management.
Ironically, John turned down opportunities from a host of Pro League clubs, including Central, to pursue a university degree after he graduated from St Augustine Secondary, two years ago.
He does not quite see it as two years wasted, although he is now forced to wonder what might have been if he joined the professional ranks earlier.
“I had an opportunity to go on trial in Turkey (with scout Dion Sosa) before but I decided to go to school,” said John. “It was a nice experience (at Virginia Tech). My level and my style of play improved there…
“I think I’ve improved my game intelligence. I became a smarter player.”
John has rejoined Central for the rest of the season on a rolling month-to-month contract. He has already represented the Sharks in Pro League and Lucozade Sport Goal Shield action over the past week.
And he is eligible to play in next month’s Caribbean Club Championship semifinals, once he can carve out playing time in Central’s offensive roster, which includes Marcus Joseph, Jason Marcano, Nicholas Dillon, Kadeem Corbin and Rundell Winchester.
John said he will not cry over spilt milk and hopes to make the most of what is now in front of him.
Central won 3-0.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
“I want to try and get a contract abroad and get on the national (senior) team,” said John, “because football is something I want to do as a career.”
John’s younger sister, Chevonne John, represented the “Women Soca Warriors” during the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying series. She has also recently accepted a football scholarship to Regis University in Colorado, USA.
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And should not be seen and the problem
Pro league needs help we all know that
Well if they didn’t start in the pro league where else
Yeah our players have to play in our bootleg professional league eh, then get a real professional contract abroad in a real professional league eh, before they can return to our sweet country to represent our Soca Worries ent. Them really good yes.
Not just government and that is where the problem lies because none of our sporting bodies can generate enough money to sustain these major plans on their own
Well corporate TT has to play a major part bro
And it’s still the main provider of players to the national senior team
And without solid financial support form corporate Trinidad and Tobago and government our pro league will always struggle
The topic will always have to do with all other sports men and women in our sweet country because they all goes thru this same kind of madness ever so often and like if you don’t know that steeuupss
So don’t blame Skeene
Because he is not the first youth player in the league who has gone to university
The player and his club also has a responsibility so as I said it could due to poor communication
This topic has nothing to do with Thema bro
Nigel Simon but it is a bootleg professional league eh, which professional league does allow that madness to happen to our players eh, does the President and Ceo Dexter Skeen really know what is going on with his league eh, isn’t there rules and regulations concerning the players who are attending colleges and universities and he himself who also attended Columbia University and the ex- corrupted Sports Minister Brent Sancho who also attended St. John’s university eh, they both should know that my second sweetest country don’t play when it comes to our rules and regulations eh, we are not like your bootleg sweet country that allows all kinds of corruption eh, even with the footbball/sports like what the gymnast Thema also have to endure eh. look doh start me eh, and I will always call our professional league bootleg until the right things are done for our players, the coaches, and the beautiful game eh. Them really good yes.
I hope this can be used as a lesson to young upcoming footballers. Be careful of the advice you take from these “coaches” and managers
I think this situation could be down to a lack of communication between all involved
Yes there are things to work on but it’s the SAMe league that has provided a living for a host of our local players who otherwise are not sure of gainful employment elsewhere n also it’s has provided a number of our former n current overseas based pros with the stepping stone to where they are now
Mango u r kinda harsh to call the league a bootleg professional league
The local pro clubs are not nowhere near a financially stable level where I would advise a kid to sacrifice educational scholarship opportunities at its expense. Anyone advocating that choice is an asshole to the tenth percent ….yuh hear that David Williams you’re an asshole!!
Waiting on what his dad have to say, and his club (Central)
Well I hope that he doesn’t end up like the other fella Quintero eh. Them really good yes.
I hope Central can guarantee a future now
Lol
Marvin Oliver might have something to say about that.
LOL
Sheldon Scipio The only person to care about their future are the players themselves eh, but dealing with mucho players for many years I am not surprised that this madness is still taking place today because many a times our players don’t know what they really want eh, and I can share plenty more of my football stories how other players lost their scholarships because they just want to play the ball and ignoring the rules of their colleges and universities especially playing in Crooklyn in the summer time when they are on vacation and I always use to tell them that it is a very big risk that they were taking eh, but many a times they didn’t listened to meh nah. Them really good yes.
not sure if we have the ‘apprenticeship’ type system in T&T but as most can recall recently, we have the TTFA President telling the young fellas to join a local pro club..steups.
Yeah and this is the madness that will continue happening in our sweet country eh, College bound players VS The Bootleg Professional league and just imagine as stated these players returns to play for free for the bootleg professional teams eh, and looses their scholarships, well I hope that he really gets another chance of getting a professional contract abroad eh, Dion Sosa and also a chance to make our Soca Worries team eh, Them really good yes,
But it is a shame, it seems nobody cared about his future
At Central FC or the University ?
At university, that is what he related, I asked him when he played the very first game
Put that blame on Central and his people. They deliberately concealed his training and game participation from the University
I will reserve comment for now, when last I spoke to him, everything was ok.
Meanwhile the national coach want his players playing in the pro league
I think that once you play on a pro team alongside players that receive payment, then you forego your ncaa eligibility for a certain time period. Which is why in the WPL last year there was a team specifically for those players. You get the impression that the likes of John and Muckette etc. are just not interested in uni.
John was surprised and disappointed. Muckette, on the other hand, apparently had enough of school life.
Agreed. John went back to VTec to continue his scholarship, Muckette apparently wanted out
@Mark Emile I totally agree with you. And the sad part Central FC felt the need to have him so bad on the team they did not advise them otherwise. These local teams only think about themselves.
your right! Didn’t even think about that side of it. Then again this is the same team that think it was ok to sign a minor to a professional contract without any of his parents present.
As someone who went through, and taught at the US College level, I advise students to get academic schols first(you can still play), then try for sports if all else fails. NCAA and the coach’s demands/regulations ain’t nice at all.
This is not adding up.
Because a player can play once it’s not a professional contract or once they are not receiving payments. THE league sends a copy of the contract and registration to the schools usually
No Sherdon. NCAA rules change all the time. That is no longer the case.
Ok then
Someone lost a yr of eligibility for the same thing some years ago. Think it was holder ex philly union keeper. Played with jab reserves
Sherdon Ifm Pierre you are making an assumption that the school knew he played for Central. I’ll tell you this , Ricardo’s VA Tech coach was in trini over the Xmas holidays scouting. He had no idea Ricardo was training with Central because he and his people kept that away from him. They also did not tell him that he was planning to play for Central.
Smh
And Brent Bennett, Kishon Hackshaw played for North East Stars’ Pro League team at 14 this season.
Apparently, he is a decent student at the Trincity East. Does that mean he cannot get a schol now?
You make it sound like pro league is 7th division in the Vatican league. Everyone has access to this info. No one had to tell them. It was public knowledge for any football fan
Very good question Lasana Liburd…. Perhaps not but the NCAA rules are so cumbersome, it is best I stay clear of those situations. But if a kid can play in the pro league at 14, highly doubt he’ll be heading to school as he may be a special talent. However if it was my son, no way he’d be doing that nonesense. Not in our so called pro league
I know a lot more about this situation as the Asst coach and I are personal friends having played together in college. Also I was the one that helped set up this scholarship for Ricardo…. I’m just disappointed because it’s going to be difficult for these coaches to believe in guys from trini so it affects every other kid coming after Ricardo
Brent, I asked Ross Russell about the boy cause he really looked like a prospect. And Russell said he wants to play him but Hackshaw’s parents do not want it to interfere with his school.
I think his parents want him to get a scholarship and might be unaware of the risks.
Damn. That’s a tough one Brent. 🙁
I don’t think these kids understand that they are trailblazers. Coaches will call guys like me and Anthony Sherwood because we played in the US and we know talent but it becomes difficult from a trust perspective.
The lad may be eligible as there is also a time lapse clause as in he has to not be in the pro environment for 2 years or something to return to eligibility status either before or after being in violation.
Brent Bennett understand this too well. When you recommend a player your name is on the line
But then it is up to Virginia Tech if they will pay for his education during that time Narada Anthony. Especially if they felt left down by the way it was done.
He is an athlete. So once you cant play. Thats it for the most part
During the time they won’t pay but I just was referring to if he is to get a Crack at a scholarship again and in the case of the youngest who played at 14.
If he left school prior to the end of the semester then he has no credits for this semester and that would have an effect as well….
Brent Bennett and Lasana Liburd Kishon’s mom asked me about him playing with the pro team after he had already played with the club. I advised her not to do so as it will endanger his opportunities of a scholarship. Kishon is one of my students and is academically gifted. It doesnt make sense risking a scholarship and further education for pro league football. Even if it can be argued that his football will develop, it will also develop playing NCAA Div 1 football. The NCAA is not going to try and figure out if he is receiving a salary or not…the fact remains that the entire senior pro league is considered professional football
Well said Aaron Pollard…. Better to be safe than sorry….why endanger a kid’s potential options at 14?
Aaron, let him go Super League if the Pro League reserves isn’t competitive enough.
Thats a good option. Once he is not suiting up for the big team
Super League is not professional
So it’s because they associated with professionals? Even thiugh registered as reserved player
Ricardo was playing in full professional league. No other league is fully professional.
Narada Anthony, I won’t necessarily put most of the blame on the clubs. But I wouldn’t say they deserve no responsibility.
If a Pro League player runs out for a minor league team that club should know they are encouraging him to break the rules.
Central chairman Brent Sancho and manager Kevin Jeffrey both had football scholarships in the US. Why couldn’t they have helped the boy keep his?
I agree that John has to take most of the responsibility. But I don’t agree that totally absolves club.
For this reason I believe they didn’t sign him thinking to keep this away from a school like va tech. He was brief I am sure.
Brentos did he get paid for the games he played in?
It’s in the story. But no.
Doesn’t matter Malik….. I know about this situation but won’t say it on a public forum. Just know that VA Tech coaches are very upset and disappointed. I’ll say this, he had not even told them he left…
Sorry Lasana I was driving so I only glimpsed the headline
Whomever suggested or allowed him to play in a pro league game fully knowing he was an “amateur” player misguided him. I don’t know if this kid realized what he had at VA Tech but more power to him. From my understanding he has a lot to learn and improve in his game so good luck to him. Hopefully he doesn’t end of like a lot of misguided players and end up being a bust.
I am 100 percent sure this has nothing to do with his club. Mr John made a decision long time ago just like Mr Muckette they want to go pro. We should also look into their grades at the school. The first day he was on the roster I assumed this would come to light. We have too many players playing in universities and no one else does it so the rules are clear and everyone knows it.
Yea but there is no problem for them to play with club once it’s not a professional contract
He did not have a professional contract Sherdon.
Sherdon Ifm Pierre actually once you play for a club team even if it’s not professional, after you graduate highschool. your clock starts. In other words you are using years of eligibility
So I hear cause I rmemeber dealing with a case like this already
But he played in an environment with pros on his team which is a violation
yes but what I am saying that even if you played and it wasn’t a professional environment, it is a violation. The only time you are allowed to play is the offseason. Which is the summer. Not a lot of players know this rule.
Not a lot I think you are not correct their. Trinidad at the moment has over 40 players at universities abroad and 2 end up in this situation. Trust me the majority know. This was a calculated choice
Indeed. The rules are clear and they must be followed. It’s only in Sweet T&T that they’re applied conveniently.
Lasana Are the local pro clubs aware of these rules?
I don’t know. The players certainly need to make themselves more aware.
well…the problem is that someone just out of school at 17-19 will not know these things. I think the College’s league or SportTT should create some sort of informational booklet informing students who play sport at the college level about the rules for scholarships at US Universities.
Central FC CEO Brent Sancho, team manager Kevin Jeffrey and assistant coach Stern John all had football scholarships in the US…
Lasana the only thing I can say then is f**k all of them…they should know better. F’ing up a young fella’s life and for personal(club’s) gain.
Rules change. So it wasn’t the same rules when Sancho and company were in school. But someone could have checked.
John should have definitely checked. But perhaps the club could have as well.
Yes agree. At the same time I guarantee almost every institution unknowingly break NCAA violations. But I agree that some societies discipline law breakers
It is a different mistake. But rules are rules. And some cultures believe rules exist for a reason. You can’t just move the goalposts.
That’s an interesting comparison. Different type of mistake. The NCAA rule book is thick. A lot of times people self report.
I totally agree. But that’s a little different. My girl will learn from this and move on stronger
It is a different mistake. But rules are rules. And some cultures believe rules exist for a reason. You can’t just move the goalposts. The rule was clear in what had to be done to replace Thema.
how stupid can one be? you’re a NCAA player and decide to play in a professional league and didn’t see an issue. The least you could have done is call your coach and clarify. sigh
Try not to insult the boy…everyone makes mistakes….how about we hold a flame to yours and light it up Steups.
Interesting how that works though. You make a mistake, you pay the consequences.
Will that hold true for the TTGF?
In T&T, you make mistakes and say: Hard luck. Ease me up nah. Think of the poor kids.
What consequences do you want meted out to the TTGF and by whom?
The people to decide that will. But the “gimme a bligh so nobody will suffer” excuse just encourages more wrongdoing.
That’s why the majority of NSOs still don’t audit their books.
So the “whom” in my question is the MoS?
I am speaking in general. You have the MoS when it comes to audited books. In relation to the more high profile case, the TTOC will decide on the Olympic spot.
The TTGF already admitted to breaking the rules but suggested it was justified.
Ok. I’m just saying that I think it is difficult to draw a simple parallel btwn the two situations in terms of consequences.
One scenario is an individual with a contract where consequences affect nobody else and where nobody else had the contract with the NCAA.
The other is a body that is answerable to no sole authority. Even if they are punished by one, they may not be punished by the other and so the punishment could remain incomplete. Plus there would be innocent bystanders in either of the punishment methods. So everybody may not believe in punishing the entire constituency just to get at the reps.
No. It is no simple parallel. All I’m saying is there are consequences for breaking rules in developed nations.
There are consequences for breaking the rules here too. Just depends on who you are.
Lol. Can’t argue with that.
You shouldn’t argue with anything I say. Lol.
Hey Lasana, when you suggested that I write something for wired868 was that all in jest or was there even the slightest modicum of seriousness to it?
Sure. What topic did you have in mind? You can email me. lasana@wired868.com
Is he banned from college soccer now? Or do the rules allow for him to get a scholarship to another school if he can?
He should be able to play naia soccer. Cant play ncaa anymore
So he can’t pay his way through school Jamal Wiggins ? And not play football ?
Of course. But how much fun would that be lol. He is young and talented. Cn even do a degree online. Or part time wherever he ends up.
Okay thanks
Also. Couldnt he get advice from the guys who went to college and are at the club now? Vtech is an ok programme. 15 goals per season and you are at an mls combine
Kevin Harrison, can you provide any insight on this situation? From Central’s POV?
There are very strict regulations when it comes to playing club soccer. Even if the league isn’t a pro league.
Smh. Good player. Hope he gets out of TT soon. Concerning ncaa rules. It is very clear. And a simple phone call to the coach would have done it. How can you play in a pro league and not be a pro?
Oh dear…
Door closes, window opens I guess.
But he didn’t ask anybody at the school?
Pro league club officials don’t know the nuances of the rules?
Good points. Would love to hear from his parents as well. Sometimes advice is given and is not put to good use.
Wonder how the NCAA even found out…
The school found out because Central put an interview with him on FB for all the world to see.
This rarely happens especially once a player is not receiving pay
Is that so? You can play in pro league game and not be disqualified as an amateur?
Brent Bennett … Are you serious?! Way to go Central! Jeez…
Sad situation…. Sancho has a strong idea of the rules. Not blaming him per se but Ricardo could have ask VA Tech for permission and they would have advised him properly
Sherdon Ifm Pierre paid or not is not the issue. ncaa rules are clear