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San Juan Jabloteh head coach Marvin Gordon confirmed that 18-year-old attacker Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia is expected to return to Trinidad soon, after a professional loan stint with Slingerz FC in Guyana.
But Gordon is urging Garcia, who is nominally still a fifth form student at St Benedict’s College, to resist the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) and instead join Jabloteh to prepare for their opening TTPFL Tier One match on 26 October.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan Wired868.
“Yes, he will be going back to school but he will not be playing any school football—that is what I know,” Gordon told Wired868. “[…] I know [football officials from] the school [have] been getting on to him and trying to convince him to play. But what is the purpose of that? How does that help his development at this stage?
“[…] If you have a player who has won everything in school football already, why bring him back for him to get a false positive?”
St Benedict’s manager Ravi Ramgoolam did not comment on Garcia’s immediate future with their school programme up to the time of publication.
Garcia’s involvement in the 2024 season was shrouded in controversy, after he was registered by St Benedict’s principal Gregory Quan Kep, and fielded for his school despite not being an active student at the time.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
At present, the “La Romaine Lions” are sixth in the SSFL Premier Division standings and six points behind leaders Naparima College, with nine matches remaining in the season.
St Benedict’s were due to play Naparima tomorrow at Lewis Street in San Fernando, only for the Quan Kep to successfully petition the SSFL fixtures committee for a postponement—allegedly on the grounds that their operations were hampered by a fire in their school auditorium last week.
The rescheduling of the match raised the possibility that Benedict’s could have Garcia leading their offence by the time they faced “Naps”.
At present, centre back Joshua Figaro is St Benedict’s joint-leading goal scorer, with his three goals coming primarily off set pieces. Last season, Garcia scored a league high 17 goals from 10 matches—despite missing five games.
Fatima won 3-2.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
Undoubtedly, Garcia’s inclusion could be decisive for his school’s SSFL chances while also adding another touch of star quality to the competition.
But Gordon, who served as assistant to National Under-20 coach Brian Haynes and National Under-17 coach Shawn Cooper over the past three years, does not believe the player will benefit from returning to the school competition.
National youth midfielder Caden Trestrail, 17, turned down the chance to continue at Fatima College and is a member of the Defence Force squad for the ongoing 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Club.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Gordon thinks more players should follow Trestrail’s example, while he urged the SSFL’s stakeholders to consider restricting players older than 17 from participating.
“If Zoom goes back to school football now, he scores about 20 goals between now and December,” said Gordon, “but what does that do for him?
“If you are a talented 18-year-old playing against 15 and 16-year-olds, then of course you will dominate. Zoom has really won everything there is to win in schools football: most goals, MVP, team trophies… He has gone past that level.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
“For me, school football should be under-17. But instead you have [school] coaches in Trinidad and Tobago still forcing youngsters who have gone past the level to play at that level.”
Ironically, St Benedict’s College are coached by current national youth team coach Randolph Boyce.
Gordon pointed to several schoolboys who have played Tier One football this year, including full back Lyshaun Morris, defensive midfielder Adam “Toka” Pierre and midfielder Josiah Ochoa of St Benedict’s, Naparima flanker Jayden Caprietta and San Juan North Secondary attacker Jahdel Chase-Charles.
Hospedales, the current St Augustine Secondary captain, also represented QPCC in the TTPFL Tier Two.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ BCreative Designs/ Wired868.
There were a host of current SSFL standouts who featured in the TTPFL Tier Two as well, such as Fatima midfielder Seth Hadeed, Trinity College East midfielder Deisean Plaza, St Augustine Secondary attacker Giovanni Hospedales, Arima North Secondary holding midfielder Criston “CJ” Gomez, Signal Hill Secondary midfielder Daishawn Bradshaw, and St Mary’s College attacker Josh Miguel.
However, notably, the Tier Two competition does not restart until next January, while the Tier One kicks off on 24 October.
Gordon admitted that playing in the SSFL was still better than no football at all. As Jabloteh coach, he intervened to find another solution for Garcia though.
Garcia was 17 at the time.
Photo: TTPFL.
“I understand [older boys playing in the SSFL] when there is no other football,” said Gordon, “but then, in the case of Zoom, that is why I sent him to Guyana. At least there he is still playing senior football and under a good coach like [Jamaal] Shabazz, who can also help further his development.
“I don’t want Zoom Zoom playing school football. I want him out of Trinidad by January next year, to somewhere in the US or in Europe.
“I believe he has the ability to go outside and play.”
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Gordon hopes to become a national youth team head coach soon and his dream is to emulate Bertille St Clair and Anton Corneal, by leading Trinidad and Tobago to a World Youth Cup.
He pointed out that, in the build-up to the 2009 Fifa Under-20 World Cup, the Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 outfit played in the Super League (the equivalent of the current Tier Two) as a guest team and won the competition.
“The idea and thinking I have as a future national coach,” said Gordon, “is if these boys are playing in Tier One football it gives us a better opportunity to play in a World Youth Cup.
Gomez is one of several SSFL players with TTPFL Tier Two experience.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
“We cannot compete at under-20 international level with schoolboys going up against full professionals. The only thing that will give us a chance is Tier One and Tier Two football.”
The immediate repercussion of Gordon’s thinking, if he has his way, is that St Benedict’s and the SSFL could be out without a top talent. He hopes, though, that this gives Garcia the best chance of future success.
Photo: Nicholas Williams/ Wired868.
Upcoming SSFL Premier Division fixtures
(Wed 8 October)
Carapichaima East v Signal Hill Sec, 3.30pm, Ato Boldon Stadium;
Arima North v St Anthony’s College, 3.30pm, Arima Velodrome;
Trinity East v Malick Secondary, 3.30pm, Trincity;
San Juan North v Fatima College, 3.30pm, Bourg Mulatresse;
QRC v St Augustine Sec, 3.30pm, QRC ground;
St Mary’s College v Presentation (San F’do), 3.30pm, Serpentine Road;
Trinity College v Scarborough Secondary, 3.30pm, Moka.
2025 Premier Division
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Naparima | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 4 | 31 | 28 |
| 2 |  St Benedict's | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 10 | 25 | 27 |
| 3 |  Fatima | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 21 | 12 | 26 |
| 4 |  Presentation | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 25 |
| 5 |  St Anthony's | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 14 | 10 | 19 |
| 6 |  QRC | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 17 |
| 7 |  Arima North | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 24 | 3 | 16 |
| 8 |  St Mary's | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 15 |
| 9 |  Trinity Moka | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 24 | -6 | 15 |
| 10 |  Signal Hill | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| 11 |  San Juan | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 9 |
| 12 |  Malick | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 26 | -5 | 9 |
| 13 |  Trinity East | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 34 | -20 | 9 |
| 14 |  St Augustine | 11 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 33 | -20 | 9 |
| 15 |  Scarborough Sec | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 29 | -18 | 6 |
| 16 |  Carapichaima | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 48 | -41 | 0 |
|
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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.
While it is agreeable that a player with ambition playing at a level that may no longer challenge the player, or aid his continued development, does not make much sense. We must acknowledge that in youth football, the best interests of the player—especially minors and teenagers—must always come first. This also includes transparency, fairness, and protection from exploitative arrangements, which are now prominently regulated by the TTFA’S safeguarding policies. Any financial dealings involving minors, their representatives, or coaches must be fully disclosed, consensual, and in strict compliance with safeguarding and licensing requirements to avoid harm to the player’s career, welfare, and trust.
While it is understandable to want the player to reach higher competitive levels, it is imperative that these ambitions do not come at the expense of ethical conduct and that the player’s rights and future earnings are protected. Stakeholders, including clubs, parents, coaches and governing bodies, should ensure that all agreements are clear and that minor players are supported with mentorship and legal guidance.