The Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) in recognition of the induction of Samuel Badree into the 2025 cohort of the First Citizens Sports Foundation’s (FCSF) Hall of Fame, spoke to him about the national honour and about his contributions to sport and youth development in Trinidad and Tobago.
SporTT: How has life been for you since stepping off the cricket field as a player and adjusting into the professional landscape by moulding a successful career within the sporting industry after retirement?
SAMUEL BADREE: It’s been an amazing journey thus far, on the field and now with the work I’m doing in various capacities. I’ve always maintained that I’ve been quite fortunate to achieve what I’ve been able to and it’s in no small part to the benevolence of others—the contributions of my coaches, my wife and kids, mother, siblings and so many other kind individuals throughout my career.
Consequently, now that I’m in a position to give back to my community and country, I feel a deep sense of obligation and inspiration to do so.
SporTT: From broadcasting and commentary to being a Senior Coordinator at the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT), you got the opportunity to see the sporting industry from various vantage points, what are some of the areas you find yourself gravitating towards?
SAMUEL BADREE: Youth development has always been my passion. I taught across various levels of the educational landscape and was a Curriculum Officer in the Physical Education and Sport Division, prior to my current position at SporTT.
So, I’ve seen the impact that sports and physical education can have on our nation’s youth, both male and female.
Naturally, that prompted me to establish my own cricket academy to buttress other existing programmes and to provide more opportunities for our youth to be exposed to structured, quality programmes.
SporTT: You have always been keen on youth development since you were a player, guiding some of the current stars on both the Red Force and West Indies teams. Why do you find it necessary to share your expertise and knowledge with them?
SAMUEL BADREE: If I’m entirely honest, it’s a completely different youth of today than when I was younger. There are so many other attractions and distractions that persons of my era and before didn’t have to grapple with.
From technology and devices, the internet and social media and a myriad of other activities, it’s quite easy for our contemporary youth to be easily distracted. Therefore, mentorship is key.
Persons like me, who have benefited from being there and doing that, can pass on our experiences to the next generation. Guidance is desperately needed and it is a responsibility I don’t take lightly.
SporTT: As a member of SporTT’s Community Sport Unit, you vocalised on numerous occasions the importance of programmes geared towards developing the young citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, especially in rural communities. How important is it for them to have access and be introduced to the various developmental programmes and sports available?
SAMUEL BADREE: It has been my experience and perhaps the experience of others, that rural Trinidad and Tobago has an abundance of talent that isn’t tapped into. These communities are typically under-served and do not have access to quality programmes and many talented individuals slip through the enormous cracks.
I am from rural Barrackpore, my colleagues Merissa (Aguilleira) and Anisa (Mohammed) are from Marac and Sangre Grande respectively, and they are World Cup champions. There is a clarion call for us to tap into these rural areas and allow the talent to blossom. I’m currently working on a programme to do that, so hopefully it’s rolled out soon.
SporTT: The talent in T&T and its citizens is undoubtedly there. How do you see yourself and the SporTT team shaping the current landscape to inspire the next generation of sporting professionals, student athletes and sports enthusiasts?
SAMUEL BADREE: We have never been short of talent. The problem though is the identification and nurturing of talent. We, unfortunately, as a nation, tend to jump on the bandwagon when athletes have already established themselves, generally on their own.
We need to have a more vigorous approach to talent identification across the sporting landscape and then have programmes to nurture the identified talents to become world class athletes. In the absence of this, every Olympic cycle, or World Cup qualifier, or first-class cricket season, we would be hearing the same rhetoric.
SporTT: How does it feel to be recognised for your impact on sports in T&T, especially in the sport of cricket, by being inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame?
SAMUEL BADREE: It truly is humbling. I’ve never played the sport for any recognition or award but purely for fun and enjoyment. To join the ranks of some of the greats in our twin island republic in the ‘Sphere of Sports’ is a remarkable achievement and certainly is pore-raising. It has served to inspire me even more to continue the work I’m doing in youth development and nation-building.
SporTT: What’s next for Samuel Badree?
SAMUEL BADREE: The next agenda for me is to roll out some self-sustainable programmes at SporTT to impact the sporting landscape. We have a three-year plan, specific to cricket, that we will implement soon. It will provide access to quality coaching for schools, zones and communities.
We will also have youth leagues and community tournaments for all ages as we endeavour to bring sports to the public and make it accessible the same way an online game is accessible. I also plan to access a coach educator course, along with my SporTT team, so we can work with coaches across the cricket landscape.
I truly hope to see sports in general revitalised in the country and there is a paradigm shift to more physical games for our children and a greater management of screen time. I expect our performances in major events to improve over the next cycle but there must be a concerted and deliberate effort to effect meaningful changes where needed.”
Laine Serna
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