The sport of football has been the life of Calder Hall-born Richard Goddard who has put Trinidad & Tobago, and more so Tobago, on the international map.
He began at St Clair’s Coaching School as a six year old and represented the school at all levels in the position of Goalkeeper.
He was then called up to national duty and represented Trinidad & Tobago in the Under 14, Under 20 and Under 23 Teams. In 1994 he received the MVP Award for the Secondary Schools Football League.
Richard was the youngest karateka to earn a Black Belt in the island at the age of twelve under the tutelage of Sensei Arthur Morris of the Tobago Shotokan Karate Club; he attributes much of his fitness level, body strength, balance and defensive capability to this discipline. After attending Bishops High School he moved on to Signal Hill Comprehensive for the final year and obtained a Sports Scholarship to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York in 2001; he graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor in Business Administration.
Sports has been the gateway for him to achieve much satisfaction in life as he was a three-time NAIA All-American and two-time Regional MVP at Roberts Wesleyan College; he played professional football for six years with four Clubs in North America.
His coaching career in Canada started his appointment in 2003 as Head Coach of Ottawa Internationals Under 18 Girls.He worked for seven different clubs while in Canada, finishing as the Kickin' in Schools Programme Director then Senior Development Staff at the North Vancouver Football Club in 2012. He is the holder of a Trinidad & Tobago Football Coaching License.
Over the last year he has functioned as Program Director - Football Development Coach (Boys) at Bishop’s High School where the Football Team has already gained promotion from the Senior to Championship Division. His goal is to establish an all-year training/education programme for footballers and to forge a link between the Teachers of subjects such as Biology, Physics, Geography and Agricultural Science with the science of football.
Music is an integral part of his life, as from the age of 13 he began to take a keen interest in this art and took it to a new level when he resided in Vancouver and utilized the technology to full effect in blending different genres of music to evoke maximum crowd response.
From 2009 he served as Co-host and DJ on two radio stations in Canada on the programmes Pirates of the Caribbean and (West Indies) Culture Shock; he received the Shake It Award in 2009 and 2011 and 2010 for the Best International Music Programme. Back home at New Grange Development in 2012 he is gradually testing the local market; at Cabin Pub he is the host DJ.
Goddard's desire is to see more foreign-based nationals in various professional fields returning home and giving back to Tobago the skills and whatever else is required to achieve greater success in sports.
A few decades ago very few graduates of secondary institutions thought of pursuing careers in sporting disciplines but professional occupations in the field of sports are becoming more prominent. He sees Sports Tourism as a very viable option which enhances the cross-cultural experience, and has already established contact with a Girls Football Team from Vancouver for a two-week match tour later this year (EDIT: actually incorrect. This will happen next year Kenneth Headley).
One of his favourite quotations is: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” His advice to fellow youths: “Strive for excellence; do not let detractors force you away from your goal. Your strength comes from within and also from those around you.”