Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with The University of the West Indies (UWI), the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Safeguarding Committee hosted a landmark workshop.
The workshop, which was aimed at advancing player care and cross-sector collaboration in sport protection and education, culminated with the TTFA and the Netball Association of Trinidad and Tobago signing an MOU of their own.
At the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association Technical Centre in Couva, the TTFA and UWI strengthened their memorandum of understanding.
Lecturer in the Department of Behavioural Sciences at UWI, Dr Cheryl-Ann Boodram, led a Module 1 workshop on player care and wellbeing. Her presentation explored the psychosocial factors influencing athlete behaviour and the importance of creating environments where players feel valued and supported both on and off the field.
Following her presentation, Dr Boodram commended the partnership between the university and the TTFA.
“There is a power of partnership and what makes this partnership so powerful is its foundation of mutual respect and shared purpose. For The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, we bring to this collaboration our academic expertise, our research capacity and a long-standing commitment to social justice and human development. The TTFA, from our point of view, brings your deep connection to the football community and your commitment to the development of players, of coaches, of administrators and supporters.”
Third Vice-President of the TTFA, Jameson Rigues, described the collaboration as a transformative moment in the evolution of football and social development in Trinidad and Tobago.
“This agreement respects the autonomy of both institutions, the TTFA and UWI, while encouraging joint funding pursuits, ethical research practices, and shared intellectual collaborations and contributions. It is a framework built on trust, transparency, and the belief that sport can and must be a force for good, and we all know how much we need sport to project the good and fight against the criminal elements in our country today.”
Also on the day’s agenda was the signing of another MOU — this one between the TTFA and the Netball Association of Trinidad and Tobago. The formalisation of the partnership signalled a shared commitment to protecting athletes and elevating standards of care across sporting disciplines — a message championed by President of the Netball Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Debbie-Ann Francois.
“We all know very soon safeguarding is a must in sports — to be a coach, to go coach in schools and all of that. So we really took the opportunity. I was happy that TTFA was willing to partner with us on this, and we look forward to this junction as we go forward.”