SVG’s football needs structure – Carrington

Former national football coach and technical director Sammy Carrington wants to see a development structure put in place, which can advance football here in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Carrington, who is presently on the ground establishing a grassroots football programme within the primary schools, made this declaration to SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday at the Anglican Church car park in Kingstown.

“What is best for us now, is to identify the young players all around the country…,” he said.

Carrington, in mapping out the process, advised that it has to start from the base with a grassroots programme.

He explained that with a database of all the players, proper planning and structure can be pursued to move the players’ development upwardly.

“You can identify all the players through an elite programme, where they are, how good they are, and there you can choose the best 35 U-6 players, the best 35 U-7 players, all the way up to 18 years,” Carrington reasoned.

He said whilst he is aware that a grassroots football programme has been undertaken by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF), “it is non-existent throughout the entire country.”

Carrington based his assessment on the turnout of three primary schools in Kingstown, which are part of the grassroots programme, for those institutions.

In setting the pathway for a change in football fortunes for St Vincent and the Grenadines, Carrington said there must be some synergy and longevity between coaches and players.

“We need the players to grow with the coaches at the same time…. We don’t spend enough time training… It seems to me that whenever we have a competition, we start about six weeks before,” the former national football coach and technical director lamented.

“The national teams have to be training all year round; all national programmes have to be a year round commitment,” Carrington stated.

Carrington said categorically that the SVGFF is able to have such a nationwide programme, as there is money available for such types of “development”.

“The time has come to get those programmes going, and there is no excuse, as the money is there to do it and it is mandated by FIFA,” Carrington declared.

Carrington was cagey in his response when quizzed about positioning himself to take charge of the grassroots programme nationally.

He, however, revealed that he would be doing a similar stint in Barbados soon, that is, setting up a grassroots football programme in schools there.

Carrington, for the past two weeks, has been working with the St Mary’s Roman Catholic, Kingstown Government and the Kingstown Anglican schools, taking the grassroots football to those institutions.(RT)