Optimism is a powerful fuel in sport. It’s what keeps young players dreaming, supporters believing, and administrators pushing forward even when results are unkind. But optimism, if it isn’t anchored in reality, can quickly become delusion.
As Trinidad and Tobago enters another crucial week of youth international football, the challenge before us is not choosing between hope and honesty; it is learning how to balance both.
From February 3-12, the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s Under-17 team steps onto the field at the Hasely Crawford Stadium (Port-of-Spain) for the Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifiers. They do so in a group that includes Mexico, the region’s powerhouse and clear favourites, along with Barbados, Sint Maarten and St Martin. At stake is more than group points. Top the group, Trinidad and Tobago earns automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
In the eyes of head coach Randolph Boyce and his technical staff, these are the best U-17 players available. That fact matters. Selection at this level is not accidental; it represents months of assessment, monitoring and belief in potential. But belief alone does not win matches. Preparation, exposure and systems do. The players deserve that opportunity, at least in terms of support, now that they have been selected to play.
Just days ago, this same team returned from Lima, Peru, where they suffered heavy defeats of 6-0 and 6-1 in international friendlies. On paper, those results sting. In reality, they tell a more nuanced story. Playing on South American soil against better-prepared opposition is a schooling few Caribbean teams regularly receive. The pace, physicality, tactical sharpness and ruthlessness were lessons, hard ones but lessons nonetheless.
Development does not always arrive dressed as victory.
At the same time, today our T&T U-17 women face El Salvador in Curaçao, knowing that a win sends them through to the next phase of qualification. Their situation reminds us that optimism is earned through opportunity, by being placed in environments where progress is possible and confidence can grow.
For the U-17 men, no one pretending they are favourites over Mexico is being honest. But football history is filled with teams that dared to dream while understanding the scale of the challenge. That balance, ambition without illusion, is where growth lives.
The deeper issue, however, lies beyond this single qualification campaign. Trinidad and Tobago has not enjoyed a consistent pipeline of youth players graduating to sustained senior international careers for nearly two decades. Since the golden group that qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea and later the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, we have not seen four or five players from one age group go on to represent the senior men’s team consistently over a prolonged period.
Look at our team sheets over the past decade and a half and you will not see a great deal of senior team players who would have played for the 17s or 20s in past tournaments in those age groups. Take away Nathaniel James, Real Gill, Denzil Smith, Noah Powder, Rio Cardines and Levi Garcia, there aren't much names fans can say they recognise or are familiar with that came through the youth teams. In fact, there may be more players who have worn the senior team shirt who never once laced up for our youth teams.
The gap is not about talent alone; it is about pathways. Research in youth football development consistently shows that nations that succeed long-term invest in continuity: structured transitions from U-17 to U-20, meaningful domestic competition, exposure to higher-level football, and support systems that extend beyond the pitch. Without these, youth success becomes a moment rather than a movement.
This is where optimism must be matched by responsibility. We must create more opportunities for young footballers to stay engaged — academically, socially and athletically. In a country battling crime and limited youth outlets, sport remains one of the most powerful tools for direction and discipline. But it cannot stand alone. Clear pathways, education, mentorship and access to professional environments are not luxuries; they are necessities.
If these U-17 players are to dream of Qatar, Europe, MLS, or even consistent senior national representation, the system must meet them halfway. That means better alignment between clubs, schools, the association and private stakeholders. It means bridging the gaps that currently see promising teenagers such as Tekay Hoyce drift away from the game, and too often toward danger.
Campaigns such as the National Youth League, along with the Women’s League, launched yesterday, are critical to this process. They provide structured, competitive environments where young players can develop consistently, remain engaged in the sport, and be properly monitored over time. More importantly, these initiatives help bridge the gap between youth football and higher levels of competition, offering alternatives that keep young people focused, motivated, and away from negative influences while strengthening the overall football ecosystem.
So as the whistle blows at Hasely Crawford, let us support with open eyes and full hearts. Celebrate effort. Learn from setbacks. Demand structure. Encourage ambition.
Optimism should lift these young players but reality must guide the decisions around them. Only when the two walk together will Trinidad and Tobago truly move forward.
Shaun Fuentes is the head of TTFA Communications. He was a FIFA Media Officer at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. He has travelled to over 90 countries during his journey in sport. “Pro Look” is his weekly column on football, sport, culture and the human side of the game. The views expressed are solely his and not a representation of any organisation. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com
