BERMUDA'S Under-17 soccer team begin their quest for the FIFA Under-17 World Youth Championships next week when they take on three countries in the Caribbean Football Union's Qualifying Tournament at the National Sports Centre.

And while Kenny Thompson, head of the youth development programme at the Bermuda Football Association, said he will not be taking Guyana and St. Lucia lightly, he does expect the toughest opposition to come from Trinidad and Tobago.

"We expect Trinidad to be a very good side," said Thompson. "We are planning for Trinidad to be the most difficult side but we certainly are not taking St. Lucia and Guyana lightly. After all they may be the surprise but even if they are not it is important that we play well and get the results against these teams because the so called 'small teams' can be the ones that cause you the most problems. But more than likely Trinidad will be the top team. I do know that we have our work cut out for us."

Bermuda's opening match at the National Sports Centre will be against St. Lucia on Wednesday evening (8.45). That match will be preceded by the Guyana v Trinidad game (6.30).

On Friday, November 1, Trinidad take on St. Lucia in the evening's opening game (6.30) followed by Bermuda against Guyana (8.45). On Sunday, November 3, St. Lucia play Guyana at 1.00 p.m. while Bermuda will be up against Trinidad at 3.15 p.m.

Thompson said the training for the tournament has been going well. "Everything has been going well - our players have been working hard and I think they will put on a good show at the very least."

In the summer Bermuda hosted a friendly international tournament to get ready for next week's tournament. Thompson said: "The summer tournament gave us a better analysis of the things that were most pressing. We were playing against top opponents in the summer - Jamaica and Canada - and so some of the weaknesses became more apparent.

"Since the summer we have been able to pinpoint those weaknesses and work more on what we need to do.

"Generally I found that our players have a lot of technical potential - but I have to stress the word potential. The actual performance becomes another thing. I found that our players are technically behind our international counterparts."

That, he said, was based on the grass roots structure of the game in other countries. "The structure at the grass roots level and the programmes there are on a higher level than ours," he said.

Thompson said the BFA have always set out a technical plan before they have even seen the teams they will play. "We plan how we want to play and what components of the game the players need to learn. Then after we bring them in (to the national programme) we get a better feel for what components have become more important and what have become less important."

Footballers from other nations "are getting the football tools at a much younger age" than Bermuda's players, said Thompson. "Although our very young players are on an equal footing or at least not very far behind those in other countries, the gap gets wider as they get older. It is important that we pay attention to the grass roots development in Bermuda and the BFA are now paying particular attention to what happens at the club programmes."

Thompson is eager to work with the clubs so that the coaches and administrators are on the same page. "It is very important to work with coaches and administrators to help in the structure and organisation of the club programmes because at the end of the day the national team will be a reflection of our grass roots programmes. It makes it a lot easier week in and week out if the players are in a well-structured programme and getting a high level of instruction at their clubs.

"Then when they come to the national programme the transition is not that great - we can even go a step higher. The problem is that when we bring the players into the national team, we often have to almost go back to the beginning."

Thompson said he has been greatly pleased with the individual motivation of the players in the national programme.

"What has been achieved in the previous Under-17 team speaks well for their personal development and their motivation because they certainly came in behind the eight ball. But the speed of development has been tremendous and that is due to their personal motivation."

Now the BFA have an Under-14 team. "We have put them together so that they will have a few years of preparation for their Under-17 qualifiers. And we also plan to have an Under-12 team up and running soon."

Thompson said the BFA have spoken to the clubs about getting on the same page with youth development and coaching. "The feedback has been positive and I think the intentions of the clubs and coaches have been good.

"But what we must get a handle on is the organisation and getting information to the club coaches. That can be difficult sometimes because we can send information to the clubs and often the line of communication is so great that the coaches do not receive the information or it takes quite a long time for them to get that information. What we would like to see is all the clubs appoint a technical director or youth director so the line of communication between the BFA and the clubs will be smoother."

THE BFA have also just started a coaching programme for club youth coaches. But after the first class this week, Thompson said he was disappointed. "I guess I am a little disappointed in that we had only 10 coaches from only three clubs who registered for the course.

"I know the coaches have good intentions but there is certainly a need for all coaches to go through an education programme like this. Coaching is teaching and we require our teachers (in the schools) to go through an education programme - and that education doesn't stop when they receive their degree. We are looking to certify coaches. These young players come into a programme with certain expectations. As coaches and administrators we must be qualified enough to meet those expectations. Hopefully in the future the coaches will take their responsibilities more seriously. It is so important - not so much for their own development - but for the development of the young players."

The programme goes until March 31 and there are 13 sessions in all with each session lasting one and a half hours. "It is mostly theory but also part practical," said Thompson adding, "I do want to say that these youth coaches at the clubs have their hearts in the right place but we need to improve - the education process is so important. I myself still take advantage of coaching courses whenever I can. I take every opportunity to learn more. There is always someone out there who is doing something I can use. You can never learn enough. I have been to a course which was the exact replica of a previous course but because there was a different instructor taking it I learned a little more. Coaching and education is a continuation process. And it is all for the benefit of our young players."