VINCENTIAN–BORN football coach Renrick “Scrambler” Alexander, who is based in the USA, has mixed impressions about the state of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football.

Alexander, on one of his regular trips back to the land of his birth last December, noted the positives; highlighted his concerns and offered suggestions.

He rated the impetus being given to female football as being the most progressive in the current set up.

“I am liking what I am seeing with the female footballers coming out to participate,” Alexander related.

He underscored the interest shown by the executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) and the female players themselves, as “very encouraging”.

With the interest and enthusiasm already there, Alexander wants to see the complete package pursued.

“But we have to build on finished products…. We have to ensure that these kids understand how to play the game and how to play it properly….

Educate them in the sense that everyone should know his/ her duty, when on the field of play… when you put them on the field, everyone will know this is my job,” he outlined.

Similarly, Alexander accepts that there is a vibrant effort in the area of youth development among the males, however he prefers to see a streamlining of the process.

He therefore proposed that the SVGFF needs to work more with the clubs to develop their youth football programmes, and according to him, “we will get a better product”.

Alexander is also recommending a relook at the age group football competitions.

“… I have seen it here, where you have 11 year olds playing Under-15… It should not be… We should have it in a way that players can only play in an age group one year more than their chronological

age… You play with your age group, you develop more, but when you play outside your age group, you are too much at a disadvantage in terms of physicality, in terms of structure,” Alexander reasoned.

He is also advocating localized coaching, whereby the young players should stay within their geographical zones.

“I think once you are from a certain area, you should stay within the area… You have kids leaving as far as Barrouallie to train in Kingstown…. This should also not happen, as we should be encouraging building our football from the community level,” Alexander proposed. Alexander, who hails from the South Leeward area, has been coaching in the White Plains, New York for the past 11 years, namely at the youth level.

At present, Alexander is the founder and executive director of the Unique Touch Soccer Academy and has been the head coach of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Development Programme.

Previously, Alexander held the posts of technical director of Westchester Futsa; assistant coach of the Westchester Soccer League Select boys’ Under-13, as well as the assistant coach of the Lehman College’s men’s team and the head coach of the seventh grade girls and the assistant coach of Varsity girls at the Convent of Sacred Heart School.