Sports
Stephon Nicholas
FOR many youths from impoverished backgrounds, football has provided an opportunity to escape the devastating clutches of poverty. What started as a simple joy as a child, playing on the streets or in a savannah, has become a real career path for many.
However, not all people who play football or are talented become professional footballers.
Talent is not enough. Sometimes, coaching and even discipline are also not enough. A key aspect in making the dream of being a professional footballer possible is opportunity.
National coach and former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke took full advantage of that in 1989 when he was scouted on an Aston Villa tour of the Caribbean. After a successful playing career in England and Australia, football continues to provide opportunities for Yorke as a coach and pundit.
In the past 12 months, the local football community has seen the dreams of young footballers shattered by bullets.
Tekay Hoyce, 27, a former national under-17 footballer was gunned down in Port of Spain on December 27. According to reports, Hoyce strayed from his dream and entered a life in the underworld.
Arima North Secondary footballer Zwade Alleyne, 17, was shot in the head while liming with friends outside his Maloney home on May 10. He was declared brain dead five days later.
Former Arima North footballer Kimani Dyer, 17, was among two people murdered on July 31.
On April 15, another ex-Arima player Ezekiel Ramdialsingh, 17, was shot and killed in La Horquetta.
In 2024, Caledonia footballer Jayden Moore, 19, was killed in a botched robbery.
In 2020, Prisons footballer Nathan Julien was killed in a drive-by shooting in Maloney.
TTFA boss: TTPFL salaries too low
In an interview with Newsday on January 11, TT Football Association president Kieron Edwards has called for a restructuring of football to give youths a clear pathway to professional football. He lamented that too many young footballers and ex-footballers are falling victim to gun violence.
“That’s the reason why we we would have made the statement during the Christmas period that we have to revamp the pathway for youth football. We have to ensure that there’s a clear structure that young men and women can see a livelihood in the sport and not just look at it as a hobby you play while in school. Yuh may be talented but you not seeing that clear pathway in terms of using it as a career, and they may choose a different life.”
He said the reality of life for many footballers comes knocking and they may be unable to cope.
“You might have a child, yuh want to be yuh own man, but some of these salaries…When you look at even our TTPFL, we might consider it a pro league, but when you look at some of the salaries these young men are working for, they can’t look at it as a career, and it is something we have to fix.”
Edwards said the timing is ideal for the conversation as a Joint Select Committee (JSC) is scheduled to meet on January 21 on the social impact of sport. The JSC on Social Services and Public Administration will probe the impact of sport programmes on curbing youth delinquency and crime.
“And so it’s something that we we’re looking into; we’re doing research on it. We’re creating the clear pathway.We’re working with international bodies in terms of bringing investment into football in Trinidad and Tobago. We sitting with the government in terms of really ensuring that we could make football a career – and that has to be the goal.”
Asked about the lack of definition for what is a student-athlete and the repeated violation of Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) rules to register players while ignoring the education aspect, Edwards said discussions are being held with the SSFL.
He said some schools have their own programmes with strong support from the alumni. He noted St Benedict’s, Fatima College, Queen’s Royal College and CIC. He said many host showcases for foreign scouts and liaise directly with colleges abroad.
He said the same should be done at other schools where many at-risk students attend.
“We have to have that discussion in terms of what the investment from those schools are; what the investment into football and sports in general is from the Ministry of Education.
“It has to be all-round sports in terms of the investment. And you would see it, we would have done some research with the primary schools, and you would see in terms of Blanchisseuse. When you introduce football, it’s a turnaround. When you look at the TTPFL side, when you look at a hotspot like La Horquetta, you put La Horquetta Rangers into the area and doing over a facility, that changed the landscape there.”
He said investment in football must be continuous and not just in a World Cup year.
“It has to be a year-round thing, a holistic approach to using sport as a vehicle to not only inspire the country but to save lives.”
Shabazz: Politicians must share the wealth
Former national women’s coach and Caledonia AIA coach Jamaal Shabazz said the SSFL has for decades provides healthy competition for students. However, he said the mandate of the league is not necessarily to develop young footballers.
He called on the TTFA to take up the mantle and assume that responsibility as the parent body. He noted the TT Youth Pro League is now defunct and has not been replaced.
“We the clubs, including Caledonia, have been delinquent of that.”
Addressing the issue of the TTPFL salaries, Shabazz said players must understand pro football is a tough road.
“That is an individual decision every player must make, based on what he is paid to play if he can afford to live on.
“In TT society, a lot of people who work in factories and companies, after tax, take home $4,000-$4,500. There are players in the TTPFL with some clubs making $5,500, $6,500, $8,000, sometimes $9,000. A player must understand if this is the pathway he is taking, he has got to know what he is prepared to play for and if that cannot work for him, the best thing is to go get a (regular) job.
“The road to what we like to call professional football is a very narrow path. And in TT, it is certainly not for the faint-hearted.”
He said crime is affecting all sectors of society and “dealing with crime is a collective effort.”
He said parenting, job creation, youth development and religion play instrumental roles.
“Jesus didn’t use to stay in the church, he used to go and meet the people.”
He said the onus is on politicians to provide opportunities.
“Criminal activity is driven by specific things….We have to move from blame and hopelessness to some strategic discussion on how we gonna deal with this.”
He said politicians and other stakeholders must not shy away from talking to those involved in crime or have been involved to get a better understanding of the problem.
He said politicians are also causing crime by not allowing state resources to benefit the entire population
“Them is criminals too.”
He said corporate TT and the State must move decisively to ensure sport and culture help nurture young people before it’s too late.
