Supporting One Of Our Greats- Jan Steadman

Hello Everyone,

This platform has been created to support one of our Trinidad and Tobago legends during his time of medical needs. Jan Steadman is one of Trinidad and Tobago's first professional footballers paving the ways for others like Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy and every other professional footballer that has since followed in his footsteps. Jan successfully represented the NY Generals and NY Cosmos between 1967 and 1971. He was part of the NY Cosmos team that beat a Pele led Santos in 1971 which also included many players from Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning team. Jan moved to Brooklyn in 1973 and attended Brooklyn College where he obtained his bachelor's degree.

His coaching career began at Medgar Evers College in 1975 and continued to when he moved back to Trinidad and Tobago to coach St. Benedicts College, Caripichima Senior Comprehensive, San Fernando Government Secondary W. Connection youth teams and Naparima College. Jan has a passion for developing youth footballers and his crowning achievement was leading Naparima College to back-to-back national titles during the SSFL 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 season which included winning the domestic treble.

Jan is a retired St. Benedicts teacher and a father of two daughter Jannicke and Renee who both live in New York and are currently doing their best to support their father. He taught St. Benedicts from 1989-2007. He helped shape and transform the lives of many young footballers who came from socio-economic challenging backgrounds. He helped them to see football as a tool to help them get out of a life of poverty in environments surrounded by crime. He gave them hope and a father figure to look up to when no one else did. He believed in them and supported them emotionally, spiritually, financially and physically. He is a friend to many and will open up his home to anyone that needs a place to live or recover from a time of hardship.

For those who know him personally you can testify that he is an excellent human being with a big heart. He has been there for thousands when they needed him and now, we are asking others to be there for him in his time of need. He is currently diagnosed with heart failure, kidney failure, hypertension (high blood pressure) and sever plaque in his feet that affects his ability to walk independent of a cane.

However, since he came to NY in May he has improved significantly. His heart and kidney functionality has improved, his blood pressure has decreased from 220/140 to 140/100. Through physical therapy his mobility continues to improve. He is travelling back to Trinidad at the end of October to avoid the rigors of the cold weather. However, Jan has accumulated some medical bills, and he has to get a supply of medication and an array of supporting devices to go back home, and he has to continue his medical treatment in Trinidad. He will continuously be on the prescribed medication and has to have a supportive medical team in place to maintain his improvement. If you know Jan, you know he is a fighter and will continue to defy the odds and he has done himself and taught so many others to do. We his family are asking that you open your heart and donate to support this father, family member, friend, mentor and legend during his time of need. The funds raised will be used to pay off medical bills, buy medication, facilitate continued medical visits while in Trinidad, follow up visits to the US to see his doctors and help him with day-to-day living including transportation. Jan's recovery is not a sprint, but a marathon so his needs will continue to grow past 2023. We appreciate and thank you for your donation in advance. If you need any info or update on Jan's progress and recovery, you can reach out to Erasto Neptune at (718) [phone redacted]. Jan sends his love and appreciation to everyone. The video you see circulating with him in a silver winter jacket is authentic. To all his sons who he has coached picture him saying......."And Steady"........Love to you all and God bless.