JINELLE JAMES, director of women’s football at the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association implored clubs to assist in developing and growing the women’s by getting moire schools and communities involved and by launching their own youth development programmes and academies.
James was peaking at the launch of the 2025 TT WoLF (Women’s League Football) at the Technical Centre of the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva yesterday.
James praised the TTFA for focusing on developing and growing women’s football over the last two years, starting at the grassroots level, with an emphasis on retaining women’s participation numbers and keeping them involved and in leadership roles.
But she said the clubs needed to do their part.
”It is so important for us to focus on growing the women’s game in Trinidad and Tobago,” said James. “I have to say that in Trinidad, none of the Trinidad clubs have youth girls clubs. None of the Trinidad clubs are in the G-League, the developmental league. So we continue to face the problem of circulating the same players.”
James added the TT WoLF currently contains 12 women’s teams at an estimated average of 30 players per club.
“That is 360 players that we are looking at competing year in, year out,” James said. “We have some of our senior players who should be involved in coaching, administration or some form of leadership roles in clubs and yet they are still playing.”
James said while the benefit of the seniors playing on was that they got the opportunity to share their experience with the younger players, there needed to be a path for them to branch out to other areas of football administration
“What are we doing to encourage them to direct the future and grow the game? How many clubs are involved in girls football and helping schools in and around their areas? These are important aspects for us to succeed at the national level.
“Currently, our women’s senior team there is a gap because there is a lack of succession. There was a lack of vision - I am glad to see the TTFA is (currently) really focused on grassroots development, women’s football and women’s development.”
James advocated for more women coaches because they would be more capable of relating to younger females and she urged the clubs to make an incursion into the schools in and around their communities.
She said that initiative would bring more young women to the game; would assist in the clubs’ capacity to launch youth academies that will build the base of players from which the top national players could emerge; and would even help the clubs to raise more money and become self-sufficient and sustainable.
“We are seriously lacking in that department, and we really need to do better. This will help the future of women’s football, the development of women’s football in T&T or else we will struggle at the national level. We will struggle and watch all the Caribbean islands go past us because we are not doing the work that is necessary.
“Forget the expectations, there will be no expectations if we do not put in the work,” James said.
James lobbied for more investment into senior players so that they can go into schools and encourage young women to join club programmes.
“Clubs need to take that on aggressively, to improve at youth level, to improve schools football, to ultimately improve at the national level,” said James.
Also speaking at the launch were WoLF president Letitia Mora, special advisor to the Minister of Sport and Community Development (MSCD) Renele Forde and TTFA third vice-president Jameson Rigues.
Presentations were also made to the 2023-2024 season winners, including WoLF knockout champions Defence Force and League champions Club Sando.
The League competition got underway yesterday.
YESTERDAY’s RESULT
Point Pioneers Girls FC 4 Combined Ballerz WFC 2
SOURCE: T&T Express