TT Under-20 coach calls for National Training Centre

Williams made this plea during a recent interview, where he urged the local football authorities to make an effort towards improving the fortunes of national youth teams.

The national Under- 20 team were eliminated from the group stage at the CONCACAF Under- 20 Championships in Costa Rica last week. In Group C, the TT squad drew 1-1 with Bermuda (February 19), lost 1-0 to Costa Rica (February 22) and defeated El Salvador 2-1 last Saturday to finish third in the four-team group.

Only the top two teams (El Salvador and Costa Rica) advanced to the next phase of the competition.

Williams said, “talking with some of the coaches, (there) are things we’re aware of but, due to constraints, more so financially and the support.

It’s a lot being required to move our football at a higher level.

Something that we talk about, a National Training Centre.” Reflecting on a training camp in Panama, Williams commented, “we don’t have a training facility where we have our own dormitories for about four teams, (our) own weight room because in Panama where the teams trained, they have access to their weights right there.

“So you can do weight training and then come on the field or you can bring weights on the field and do some weights while you train.

Those sort of things are some of the areas I think we’ll learn a lot from, which we know but it’s just to be implemented.” Williams, the former national defender and Petrotrin FC coach, have also made a call for larger backroom staff for TT youth teams.

“We’re seeing play ing-wise and tactical- wise, we’re matching most of these teams,” said Williams.

“What we would need to do is put more resources in terms of exposure and a better staff because, when you watch the American staff, we have eight and they have 16 men (including) a nutritionist and a sports psychologist.

“We need to improve in that aspect to be a little more scientific or for (us) to have the personnel to really handle the team to play at the higher level.”