Ex-stars go for coaching licences

And according to Richard Braithwaite, Director of Development at CONCACAF, the coaches will be asked to come up with an action plan for this country when the course has been completed.

He said the national federations who sent representatives to the course will be responsible for making available the different avenues for the coaches to display their what they have learnt.

The coaches have had to go through a rigorous 12-hour training in which practical and theoretical course work.

Nixon is player/coach of North East Stars in the T&T Pro League and McComie is the coach of Easterners Joe Public Football Club in the National Super League.

They will also have to sit a final examination at the end of the session on Friday, before they can be considered internationally certified.

The duo joins a number of other local coaches who have participated at in the course only four of who succesfully completed the course.

They are former national women’s captain and coach Izler, Clayton Morris and Philbert Jones- both of whom played on the famous "Strike Squad" of 1989, and Arima/Morvant Fire coach Jamaal Shabazz.

The course is another chapter in the four years of an agreement between FA Chairman Jeff Thompson and CONCACAF president Jack Warner, to assist the development of the football in the region.

It is being conducted by Colwyn Rowe and Chris Whalley. Currently 32 coaches are taking part. Rowe is currently the Technical Director for all national youth teams in England as well as a UEFA "A" Licence coach. Whalley is an experience coach and educator who has worked extensively in the United Kingdom and the United States.

According to Braithwaite the courses have been a huge success and act as a vehicle for many regional coaches to be internationally qualified and recognised.

He noted also that one of the benefits of the course is that it gives local and regional coaches a good grasp of the basics of the game.

Both Mc Comie and Nixon have made a name for themselves on the field of play as they represented Trinidad and Tobago from the youth level right up to the senior team. However they may see their presence at the course as the start of a new journey.

Braithwaite said the agreement between Warner and the FA boss Thompson was aimed at covering four main areas. They are Coach’s Education, Sports Medicine, Referee Development and Coach Administration. He added that since the inception four years ago, the agreement has assisted over 1,000 coaches in the region with over 60 percent achieving international qualifications.