Coach Wright aiming for 4 th consecutive Schools’ football title

THE Courts Pee Wee Under-11 Football tournament kicks off on September 21 and Coach Troy Wright who works with the Under-11 Footballers at the Marian Academy Private School is feverishly preparing for this year’s competition.
Marian Academy are the defending champions and aims to retain the title they won last year.
The winning streak for the 52-year-old Coach began in 2019 when Genesis Primary School won 1-0 in the final.

Unfortunately, the following two years of the Pee Wee tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.
“When the tournament resumed in 2022, I won with Enterprise Primary School beating St. Pius Primary 2-1 and last year I won with Marian Academy Private School in the girl’s under-11 championships.
I became the first School’s football Coach to win three straight titles with three different schools. I was also the first coach to have won both boys and and girls titles.
Coach Wright started coaching school football in 2015 at St Agnes Primary School who reached their first under-11 finals and lost 1-nil.

I won the MVP Sports girls Under 11 football championship with Marian Academy, who had not won a football championship in 12 years.” Informed Wright, who has a contract with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to develop grassroots football in the community.
Every Sunday morning and afternoon Wright would coach boys and girls from age four to 17.

“I have the best goals scoring record as a coach with one of my players scoring 14 goals in one match to end with 26 goals in the 2022 Courts pee wee tournament.
My girls also have scored 10 goals in the ‘MVP Sports’ Under -11 tournament” continued Coach Wright.
“I think what makes me a successful school Coach is because I am like a father to those children…I teach them not only football; but to respect each other with love.
I also encourage them to stay in school…they must reach 70% in their exams to make the team.

I also sent students from St Agnes Primary and Enterprise Primary School to Chase Academy through my scholarship programme.
I would like to see football develop in Guyana by grounds being constructed at schools and communities and having a football league in every division like under 11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20 and senior division.
My next tournament was set for last March but because of the Teachers strike, it was postponed.
I am working hard for my next championship and many more at school, club and international level for my country Guyana.

My mission is to be the youth National Coach.” The Coach explained.
Coach Wright was born on September 6, 1972, in Georgetown, Guyana and grew up in East Ruimveldt.
He attended South Ruimveldt Primary School. He then wrote CEXM and was awarded the East Ruimveldt Secondary School.

“Growing up in an environment like East Ruimveldt you had to be tough, playing sports like cricket and football and having the talent and skill in those sports had its advantages… you were the most talked about person in the community so everyone would be encouraged to go forward.
I was a goalkeeper at school, club level and inter-sub- association national select.
Sports in schools were a big thing. I was at East Ruimveldt Secondary School. I was the under 16 and 18 cricket and football captain. I love cricket more than football or any other sport, cricket is my number one sport” said Wright.

He also played club cricket for Malteenoes at Under- 16 and 19 levels but because of the expense of cricket gears, switched to football. Coach wright also played Basketball and Boxed at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall while at school.
“I became interested in football at six when I started listening to football and heard about Pele, Maradona and Joemar.
The highest level I played was First Division and Pro League in Barbados. I was a National select and played in the Kashif and and Shanghai year-end tournament in 1997/ 98.

I won back-to-back first-division titles with Blackwater FC in 1994/ 95 before moving to Thomas United in 1997. I was the MVP as a goalkeeper with Thomas United FC when they finished in third place.
I got involved in coaching in 2010 because my club stopped playing in the league in 1998 and was making a comeback to First-division football so I took up the coaching role and director of Black Water FC.
My most memorable as a coach was winning my first Pee ee title and three straight championships.