The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s youth football community clinic campaign continued on Saturday at the Manzanilla Recreation Ground as 160 youngsters from eight schools within the north eastern district participated in a TTFA grassroots coaching clinic.
Spearheading the coaching exercise was TTFA technical director Anton Corneal, assisted by other local coaches while TTFA secretary Sheldon Phillips, project coordinator Mary Siu-Butt and school supervisors Juliette Sandy and Chris Metivier were in attendance
Among the schools benefitting from the exercise included Sangre Grande Hindu School, Biche, Cumana RC, Toco RC, North Oropouche RC, Sangre Grande AC, Upper Guaico RC and Toco AC. Each school was also presented with Chevrolet/OneWorldfutbol indestructible balls for use in the school’s football programs which the TTFA is also developing through its C License prep courses for school teachers, physical education trainers and coaches.
Metvier, school supervisor 1,responsible for sport in the north eastern education district, was particularly pleased about the turn out, adding that he was fully supporting of the TTFA’s community drive which also has Lifestyle Motors, TSTT and Coca Cola as partners.
“I am extremely pleased to be involved with the TTFA especially with the level of coaching for students where teachers benefitted have been part of a coaching course,” Metvier said following the near three-hour clinic.
“We want to build capacity in schools and have children training continuously as this can only auger well for a better football program in the district. What is amazing is we have students as far as Toco, Biche, Tamana and Valencia and and this shows the rural areas have responded so it shows the interest in the development of sport we have in this district, particularly in football.”
He added that schools will be looking to improve their programs in order to have better showings in the TTFA/Atlantic LNG National Primary Schools League.
“We are hoping to improve the level of play among the schools and increase participation in our inter-district competitions and reach a capacity to do even better in the competitions by reaching a national finals,”
The TTFA will continue its its community program Saturday at Coronation Park in Point Fortin. Since the program kicked off last month, clinics have been held in Blanchisseuse, Paramin and Manzanilla with over 300 kids participating in the activities.