THE quality of football in Bermuda has fallen back and is in need of some serious improvements. And Richard Todd wants to play a major role in giving the game the boost it needs.

Todd is currently the Academy Director of the Vestavia Hills Soccer Club in Birmingham, Alabama, and has applied for the post of Youth Development Coach with the Bermuda Football Association.

"There has always been a desire to return home and give back to my community," said Todd who left Bermuda in 1992 to attend Alabama A&M University on a football scholarship. "It is a difficult decision because my profession is coaching, this is how I make a living, and really the only way to be able to financially survive in this profession in Bermuda would be to work for the BFA or government. The clubs just don't have the financial resources to compensate a full time coach / administrator adequately. I also don't want to lose the forward momentum that I have here with opportunities for development and advancement within the profession. But given the right position and confidence that the support is there for a sustained period to achieve the objectives, yes I would be interested."

He recently spent 10 days in Bermuda and said the game has failed to keep up with other countries ¿ countries Bermuda used to beat.

"I can remember going to National Stadium and seeing Bermuda beating teams like Canada, Mexico and the United States. Now we struggle to compete in the Caribbean. The difference is that the US had a vision and plan that they implemented to better develop the American player, while it seems that we just continue to roll the ball out there and say 'just go play'.

"While we, by no means, have the size of the player pool the United States has, I believe that quality can make up for what we lack in quantity. We can identify our players a lot easier and have the opportunity work with them collectively more than many other countries. If given the proper education a Bermudian can become just as good a doctor or lawyer as an American. The same applies with sports ¿ we have a natural love and passion for the game and if given proper development, exposure and opportunities we can produce the same standard of player."

But it all starts with a plan ¿ and a long range plan at that, said Todd whose job requires him to oversee the administration, curriculum development, player and coach development of the Vestavia Hills Under 9 to Under 12 players.

"We ignored the progress and initiatives the US were implementing, with a thought that we were better than them. And now we are so far behind. The continuous player development and coaching education along with the development of a programme and financial support has allowed the US to become a world competitor at youth and senior levels. Bermuda needs to do the same and develop a long range plan ¿ 10 to 12 years ¿ and continuously implement, evaluate and improve on it."

While he was back on the island, Todd watched numerous matches ¿ from Premier games to youth and school games.

And while there were some highlights like witnessing what Andrew Bascome and Kenny Thompson were doing with their kids, Todd added that he has been far from impressed with the facilities.

"To be fair 10 days is not a lot of time to make a proper assessment," he said. But he was shocked by some of the facilities in Bermuda football.

"The facilities are a big hindrance to player development," he said adding the state of Bermuda's pitches were bad with their bumpy surfaces which helped make "technically slow players".

He said: "It is hard to develop a passing game on a field like BAA. The lights used for training are inadequate as they are too low, too few and not bright enough at many venues. The shadows on fields makes it difficult to see balls and often restrict clubs to not using the entire field at practice. Players fitness levels are sub standard. We rely too much on individual play, with decision making and field vision very slow. Team organisation and player discipline have always been areas that we lacked in.

"But there were a few bright spots that I was able to see. Andrew and Kenny both have pulled together a solid group of players in their programmes and are developing them. But how do you get better when you are beating the opposition by more than 10 goals every week? It is easy to become complacent if you are not being challenged. We should have them involved in a National Academy, or Olympic Development programme, where we can identify the better players at the clubs and work with them in providing the proper training and environment at a national level, while also assisting the clubs to develop stronger youth teams that can challenge each other. Competition is good ¿ it keeps you honest and working to improve."

And he was happy to see how the girls game has improved.

"The addition of girls youth programmes in the schools and clubs is a positive step forward. There are more opportunities for the female player at the collegiate level in the US than there are for the male player. With good technical training and player development we can make up ground on the girls side of the programme quickly."

While Todd doesn't rule out working with Bermuda's senior players, he said: "I think that naturally every coach would dream of leading their country to the World Cup or your club to the Premier Division title. But before working with senior players on the island I would like to work more closely at the youth ranks. If I can help to implement a successful youth development programme that produces a technically sound, tactically smart, physically fit and disciplined player then there would be nothing better than to work with them at the senior level. There are so many deficiencies at the senior level at the moment that it would be frustrating for both me as a coach and the players trying to implement what is being asked of them. I have experience developing players through the youth ranks and feel that this is where I can best serve football in Bermuda at the moment. That is not to say that I don't welcome the challenge to work at the senior level in the future."