De Frietas revives Express Soccer School

But his mission serves a much grander purpose: De Freitas wants to use football as a means through which young people avoid turning to a life of crime.

“I grew up here and for the past few years I have realised that things are going in the wrong direction,” De Freitas told Sunday Newsday during a recent training session at ‘Old Trafford’ ground on Foster Road.

“We have had three murders right up here and whenever I come to visit my sister and I look at what is happening, I realised that I have to come back and make a contribution.” A certified coach and teacher, De Freitas says as a young man, football set him on the straight path.

“While everybody else used to be on all kinds of things, I was on the football field. So, I feel that this could make a contribution to take the children away from simply being in the block.” “Nowadays, by the time many young people reach 13 or 14, they on the block smoking weed and selling drugs because that seems to be the only thing they could do at this point. This is my way of trying to make this kind of intervention and give back to my community.” Football, he says, has the potential to reach many young people bent on a life of delinquency.

De Freitas, along with a nephew and friend, decided to revive football in the area last year.

They started with just eight children and within two weeks, that figure rose to 40. The Express FC Soccer School now has a membership of about 75 registered players, ranging in ages from five to 16.

And while not all the players attend the two-hour Sunday morning training sessions, interest is growing among youths and their parents.

Although football is the primary focus, efforts are also being made to teach the players elements of civics, moral values and social interaction.

Last month, manager of TT Pro League club Morvant Caledonia United, Jamaal Shabazz, was invited to talk to parents and the players.

The former TT and Guyana head coach’s message was well-received, says De Freitas.

“He really reached the parents in getting them to understand that if they invest in their children, through sport, football could carry them to places, which is really what we are trying to do - get the children away from the negative influences.” Some players have already begun to show potential, observes De Freitas, who is also the youth coach at Santa Rosa FC.

“Some of them, I will take with me to Santa Rosa FC and they will get the opportunity to see play (time) and see where it will go.” One of his gifted girls is being sought for national trials which he says will raise the profile of the club. .

De Freitas, who now lives in Trincity, says the club has not had any major problems with indiscipline.

“When we started, there was one boy who could not behave.

We spoke to him and he stopped coming.” The Express Football Club began in 1978 and quickly became a household name in Sangre Grande and environs.

“From 1978 to 1980, all of the players came from Foster Road and we had a policy that we are not bring anybody (from outside) on the team, no matter who you know, who your friends are who could play. We were not bringing anybody to play for Express.

“All the other teams in Grande used to bring four or five players.

We used to say we totally local and compete against the so-called big players.” However, De Freitas explains there was an exodus of men from the Foster Road area in 1981.

“A lot of them who were rastafarians went up to Toco after they were convinced to leave,” he recalls.

“We literally lost three-quarter of the football team and so the rest of the guys had to get players to come and play with us.” The club rebuilt itself and between 1983 to 1986, dominated all of the leagues in Sangre Grande.

“Garth Pollonais, Marlon Wiltshire (former players) and others came to bolster the team but by that time, the younger generation of boys started to come in. And so we had a nice combination of the older boys and younger ones.” De Freitas says as the players grew older the team dissolved.

“So, when we decided to restart the club, we said is only one name we could call it - Express Football Club Soccer School.” Apart from unearthing the talents of the youths, the club, which is registered with the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, has plans to construct an activity centre near the site of the recreation ground.

“We trying to get HDC (Housing Development Corporation) to give us permission. We will raise funds through the Commission for Self-Help where children could come and do their homework and where single mothers in the area could pursue courses.

This is a long term plan.” De Freitas praised the parents for embracing the idea and for assisting with fundraising ventures, such as sno-cone and pholourie sales during training sessions.

The club also visited the popular Harry’s Water Park, Rio Claro, before the Easter season. De Freitas also wants the club to participate in a tournament in Tobago during the July-August vacation.

“Whether we win or lose it does not matter. It is about participation.”