Central football coaches graduate

CENTRAL Football Association (CFA) have marked the historic completion of a coaching course which it is hoped will fill a long neglected aspect of the game.

The programme ran from July 21 to 24 and was supervised by Glenford Thomas at the CFA’s headquarters at Woodford Lodge in Chaguanas. The 14 successful participants were presented with their certificates on Thursday in a short ceremony attended by CFA officials Bryan Layne, president; Ustace Joseph, general-secretary; Thomas, a biology teacher at Presentation College, Chaguanas; Ainsworth Martinez, representing Super Industrial Services Limited (SIS), sponsors of the CFA League; and Trevor Bridglalsingh, Youth Development Officer. President Layne said it was probably the first time that a regional league had conducted their own in-house coaching programme. He said the commendable effort was initiated after it was discovered that Central Trinidad lacked qualified coaches which was a serious impediment to the development of the game. “We found that there are only three registered coaches in this part of the country. It was then decided to build on this and hopefully in time we will lead the country with the most qualified,” Layne said. Youth Development Officer Bridglalsingh said the respondents to the course, which was conducted free of charge,  reflected a good mix of the age groups with young, middle-age and elder participants including a lone female member.

Bridglalsingh expressed his appreciation to SIS who he described as a partner in the development of central football. He also announced that Junior Sammy Group of Companies will also sponsor a Youth Development Programme. Also Ramsingh’s Sport World have agreed to sponsor a competition for the Under-11 and Under-13 footballers. “We are very happy for this because traditionally this important group has been neglected,” said Bridglalsingh. Thomas,who has embraced central football with a passion, said he was especially proud to be associated with the historic coaching programme and pledged his continued commitment to the development of the sport. “I have always wanted to make a contribution for the benefit of the footballers in central and the CFA can count on my assistance in future,” said Thomas who was an assistant coach of the national Under-17 team for the World Championships staged in Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. General Secretary Joseph stated that the big problem has been the absence of meaningful sponsorship to take the sport to a higher level over the years. “Without sponsorship it would not be possible to develop the game. Now we can tap our great human resource and get things moving along to become a leading player among the different regions. It is a start of great things to come,” said Joseph.  Martinez, whose company SIS is the prime sponsor of the 2003 league competition, also handed over $3,000 in cash prizes  two Sundays ago in the opening knock-out tournament at Woodford Lodge won by Falcons Football Club. He said SIS will continue to provide incentives and looked forward to an improved standard of play and sportsmanlike behaviour throughout the season.   

Participants in the coaching course were: Edsel Caskie, Eddison Baker, Gairy John, Nigel Foster, Mark Keith, Sheldon Santana, Oswald Myers, Ronald Shade, Errol Anthony, Adesh Alves, Rawtie Gopie-Keith, Maxton Keith, John Henry and Kevon Agostini.