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“[…] I think I just want to improve in anything I do and achieve all my goals—not just to prove it to everybody, but to myself. I like being able to see that I put my mind to something and achieved it…”
Seventeen-year-old St Joseph’s Convent (Port of Spain) student Kaitlyn Darwent is carving out a name for herself in Trinidad and Tobago’s football landscape.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
The 2024 National Intercol winner has also represented her country at every possible age group and, this weekend, she steps away from Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) duties to represent the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team in a Concacaf W Championship qualifier away to Barbados.
The utility player did find the time to speak one-on-one with Wired868 intern Mawasi Cobus about her journey, ambitions, and the mindset behind her rapid rise:
When is your birthdate?
My birthday is the 19th of September 2008. I’m 17 years old.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
I think that I am a hardworking and committed person.
Is there anything about you that people do not know?
Not really. I don’t think there’s anything people don’t know, but I can be a little less confident than they might think sometimes.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
What pushes you to become successful?
I think I just want to improve in anything I do and achieve all my goals—not just to prove it to everybody, but to myself. I like being able to see that I put my mind to something and achieved it.
Who is your favourite football player?
Marta [Marta Vieira da Silva]. She is a legendary Brazilian professional footballer.
Which is your favourite team?
Manchester United Football Club.
What was your best moment in football so far?
Winning Intercol last year. Because it really helped me to be more confident in the way that I play and it also makes me feel like I’m accomplishing my goals step by step.
What makes you stand out? Describe yourself as a player.
I think it’s just the amount of effort I give. Even after making a mistake, it drives me to work harder to win the ball back, especially if I lose it during a match. When I start a game, I always try to finish it with a lot of passion and energy. I always give one hundred percent.
What is your ambition in the game?
I want to get into college with football and see how far I can go, whether that’s making it to the pro level or playing in college. But I really hope one day I’m able to make it pro.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
What is your target for this season?
Right now, it’s helping my team get another Intercol win and hopefully a Big Five win, as well.
During your football journey, who was the most important coach to impact you?
I’d say Paul Decle. He’s the coach for Pro Series. He’s the reason I started playing football and the reason I got to a point where I could make a national team and really go somewhere with it.
What do you enjoy about your training sessions?
I mostly enjoy being able to laugh with my teammates and really have fun with the football.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
What are some challenges you faced this season?
Confidence is definitely something I struggle with on and off. After a couple bad games, I tend to lose a lot of confidence. But thankfully, I have a lot of important people around me who help me come out of that.
What do you enjoy about the SSFL (Secondary Schools Football League) competition?
I enjoy being able to represent my school and getting an opportunity to play alongside my friends.
If anything, what would you like to see improve in the SSFL competition?
The only thing I would like to see is having more games and teams to play against in the girls’ division.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ bCreative/ Wired868.
What advice would you give to a young person who wants to pursue professional football as a career?
I would say mistakes don’t define you. And if you really want to make it, you have to be able to overcome the hard times, especially when you don’t believe in yourself.
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Mawasi Cobus is a final-year Mass Communications student at Costaatt who holds an Associate of Applied Science in Journalism and Public Relations. She is passionate about storytelling and media, and enjoys reading and watching documentaries, which continue to shape her curiosity and strengthen her analytical perspective.
