Over 75 applicants for TT women’s coaching vacancy

OVER 75 applications have been received by the TT Football Association (TTFA) for the vacant position of Trinidad and Tobago women’s team coach.

The TTFA announced on Monday that they were seeking applicants for the post, before the January 19 deadline.

A media release from the TTFA on Monday said applicants for the position of the coach must be able to lead training sessions, provide motivation and advice during gameplay, develop game plans, attend tryouts, schedule team meetings and be able to identify the individual abilities of each player.

TTFA’s director of women’s football Jinelle James, in an interview on the TTFA’s You Tube channel on Wednesday, said, “Outside of TT, we have had persons from Spain, England, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina and the US. It’s been really extensive. We’ve had over 75 applications thus far.”

James, the former TT midfielder and team manager, commented, “Since the applications for the position of coach, it has been an overwhelming response thus far, from some qualified and highly-reputable personalities. The application process is open until the 19th of January.

“Until then, we have a plethora of resumes to go through, and then have a short-list of the applicants that we think would be best, and then a final selection.”

The position of TT women’s coach has been vacant for over a year, since Stephan De Four was dismissed in December 2019.

James said that whoever takes over the mantle as Trinidad and Tobago coach will have a lot on his/her plate.

“At this time, we have to look at the women’s team in a rebuilding phase,” she said. “Currently we are in 65 in (the) FIFA rankings in women’s football, which is the lowest we’ve ever been. We have to look at re-establishing ourselves as a powerhouse in the Caribbean.

“This coach has to have that passion, that drive that would be infectious to the women’s players and, overall, the women’s programme, and willing to work under some different circumstances,” she continued. “(The coach must be) willing to push through, understanding that there will be some difficulties, especially with the covid(19). We have players that are abroad, it’s a lot of different circumstances that he or she would have to manage.”

The TTFA is expected to receive a subvention from FIFA, from which the local women’s programme is expected to benefit. James said, “It can certainly help to ignite programmes that we would like to introduce. It makes it more possible, more realistic to look at introducing proper development programmes, that lead to elite programmes. It allows for furthering education and expose more coaches in the women’s fraternity. It gives you more options in how you can develop your programmes.”