Youth Football

On 25 July, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards suggested that “progress” was being made with regards to the country’s eligibility law, which would widen the pool of players available for the national football team. The TTFA, said Edwards, was “already putting systems in place […] with …

Naparima College, again led by former Soca Warriors head coach Angus Eve, will have the opportunity to make the early running in the 2025 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division season, when they host Trinity College East on Saturday 13 September—on the first competitive match day of the new …

“[…] Safeguarding in youth sports does not simply mean preventing abuse; it encompasses a proactive commitment to avoid all unnecessary physical or emotional risks for children. “[…] By dividing travel into separate groups, often hours apart and involving exhausting overnight layovers, the TTFA created circumstances where proper adult supervision became …

“[…] Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD) is an overuse injury that affects the tibial tuberosity, which is the small bump just below the kneecap where the patellar tendon of the quadriceps muscles attaches to the shinbone. “It’s most common in children and teens between 10 and 15 years old, during periods of …

“[…] One of the most common causes of injury in the preseason is the sudden increase in training intensity. Coaches must resist the common temptation to cram fitness into a short window. “[…] Coaches in Trinidad and Tobago must create an environment where players feel comfortable speaking up about pain, …

“[…] Dependency on global and regional football authorities, and government funds disempowers football leaders in these associations. Leaders often find themselves constrained by the conditions attached to grants or by the pressure to align with donor priorities rather than focusing on their country’s specific football needs. “[…] This dynamic can …

Arima North Secondary head coach Wayne Sheppard, St Augustine Secondary head coach Tacuma Jones and Fatima College manager Stephen ‘Bison’ Williams have called on the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) executive to overhaul its selection process for its All Star teams. Last Thursday, the SSFL executive, led by president Merere …

Ace St Benedict’s College forward Derrel ‘Zoom Zoom’ Garcia was crowned the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Player of the Year today, as the governing schools body held its annual prize giving ceremony at the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce. Remarkably, Garcia finished as the SSFL Premier Division’s …

QPCC, Trendsetter Hawks, Ball Blasters Youth Academy and Pro Series snagged a trophy apiece as the 2025 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) concluded on a dramatic afternoon at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday 24 May. The Ball Blasters fell to a stoppage time winner from Pro Series …

The Ball Blasters Youth Academy left the UTT O’Meara Campus with one trophy from the two national finals they contested on the closing day of the 2024 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) competition. Their 2024 National Under-14 crown was the only trophy that crossed the sea-bridge—but it was …

“[…] Instead of relying on one-off screening sessions, the TTFA should establish a structured scouting network that monitors players across various competitions such as the Republic Bank National Youth Football League, the All-Star Showcase, and the City Cup. “Trained scouts would track players over the course of a season, evaluating …

“[…] Anyone who has gone through this process knows the folly of trying to select the ‘best’ 20 players out of 100s of young footballers who will turn up. Sometimes a gem has a bad day. Sometimes he is placed on a team with only strange faces and he hardly …