Hurley to coach at Trini academy

A son of Barbados’ soil is being sought after by one of the most prolific football academies in the Western Hemisphere.Derick “Billy” Hurley has been invited for a second stint at the celebrated Ron La Forest Soccer Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. His last experience there was in 2007 when his passion and commitment not only to develop football but human and social aspects of the players’ lives was lauded. “The academy has been highly impressed by the dedication, commitment, discipline and technical skills of coach Hurley as a soccer coach,” stated one official.La Forest Soccer Academy is one of similar stature and ambition to Hurley’s Friends International Soccer Programme, which was established in 2000. The La Forest Academy is the brainchild of Hurley’s comrade Ron La Forest, a former junior and senior national player for Trinidad.La Forest has been a highly successful coach for many years, coaching and winning championships at the school, amateur and professional level in Trinidad and Tobago. He has also been a national coach and selector for the junior and senior national teams.Hurley has been involved in community work for almost three decades, starting from when he began coaching the youth in the Pine while captain of a very talented national Under-23 team. He was an integral member of the dominant Pinelands team in the late 1980s and early 1990s.ExampleHurley is one who believes no good deed goes unpunished, and he is an outstanding example of such, as an array of accolades from his playing days, to his work in communities islandwide, and his prolific coaching stewardship attest.Hurley is known throughout Barbados and Trinidad as a “walking soccer encyclopedia” due to his vast knowledge of the sport and his success on the local circuit with community teams, clubs and school teams (he was coach of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic for several years).His stints abroad included periods with three Trinidadian powerhouses, CL Financial Jabolteh, Joe Public and the Ma Pau Sports Club.“Mr Hurley has a great understanding of the game and through his  dedication, commitment, and obvious love for football, he would be a great candidate for influencing and developing players of character for the future. “His attachment to Joe Public was one of mutual benefit,” said Vandra Balroop of Joe Public.ServicesThe skills, knowledge and values of Hurley did not stop just here in the Caribbean, for his services were requested at the Sports Participation And Cultural Equality (SPACE) Programme based in Huddersfield, England in 2002.During Hurley’s stint there, members of SPACE and the general public who turned up to watch the children of the programme were so impressed they confused his nationality with that of a Brazilian, but Hurley quickly told them of his proud Barbadian nationality and briefed them a bit on the island.“We were very impressed with his ability as a coach and the commitment shown while on attachment with us. “He demonstrated a high level of understanding about football, communicated very well with our players and staff, while showing good organisational skills,” said Dwight Noel, sports development officer of SPACE.