TTFA official: Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

DAVID SCARLETT

Head of public relations for TT Football Association (TTFA) Safeguarding Department, Merere Gonzales, has called for all stakeholders to be more active in protecting youths and vulnerable adults in sport.

Gonzales, who also holds the post of Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president, recently returned from the FIFA Guardians safeguarding residential workshop at the St George’s Park National Football Centre in London, England. He said he has returned with "valuable experience” from his trip.

He was part of the second cohort of TTFA members at the FIFA Guardians safeguarding training programme, an 18-month diploma hosted by FIFA. The group of Gonzales, Everton Alfred (deputy manager of the TTFA Safeguarding Department), Raquel Russell (TTFA female elite programme officer) and Lystra Lara (club compliance officer) attended the workshop from May 19-22 and returned to TT on May 25.

The first cohort, which completed the programme in 2021, included Gary St Rose (head of the TTFA Safeguarding Unit), Norris Ferguson and Dion Lafoucade.

In an interview with Newsday, Gonzales said, “My experience at the residential workshop was very enlightening, extremely informative, tremendously impactful, instructive, very invaluable and meaningful.

“Safeguarding, as an entity, is an extremely crucial, critical, vital and valuable entity in the scheme of sports, not only football, because of the magnitude of our responsibility to care for people in sport.”

The TTFA Safeguarding Department, led by St Rose, comprises 25 personnel who are responsible for player welfare, player wellbeing and player care. The department comprises the compliance committee, training committee, educational committee, concerns committee, disciplinary committee, ethics committee, and the committee of public relations and communications.

Gonzales said, “Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. No one person can individually handle, address and manage the magnitude of safeguarding.

“Over the many years in the history of sport, many youths and vulnerable adults have been abused in one way or the other – be it physical, verbal, emotional, psychological and even sexual. FIFA has discovered that, because of these painful experiences, it is imperative that all member countries take safeguarding as crucial so that the unscrupulous characters and perpetrators, inclusive of pedophiles, will not be able to permeate and abuse persons who are held under their charge. We are ensuring that there are checks and balances put in place to manage such situations.”

He said there have been two suspensions handed down by the unit, but there are other cases being investigated concerning individuals attached to certain clubs and academies.

“Any move made by the Safeguarding Unit and Gary St Rose are made by the letter of the law, where we are guided by the policies that we have. So it’s not a trivial move that we make when somebody is called to address certain matters with the Safeguarding Unit.

“We have a framework/policy that has been revised three times (2022, 2024 and January 2025). Our policy is currently being used as a template for the rest of the world to guide their own safeguarding units. Safeguarding in TT is being recognised by FIFA in a very profound way.”

He said the TT Basketball Federation last month requested that the safeguarding course be done with its members and stakeholders. Other local sports such as swimming, volleyball, netball and tennis have also benefited from the safeguarding programme.

Gonzales said he is aware of the criticism by some members of the public towards TTFA’s safeguarding actions.

“TT is not accustomed to safeguarding because a culture has been developed over the years of irregular and wrong practices, and habits are difficult to break when you come with new ideas and approaches.

“We are working on communicating clearly with the public on why things are done. It is easier to uproot a small root. But when it is allowed to grow for years, it grows into a strong resilient tree. So we have to tackle these things in the early stages. Prevention is better than cure.”

Gonzales is also imploring parents and guardians to play their role in making critical decisions for their children and to do their due diligence in keeping them safe.