Richard Chinapoo attended Trinity College from 1969 to 1976 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Long Island University (LIU) in Brooklyn.

Richard had a long distinguished Football (Soccer) career which began at Trinity College. He played for local clubs Malvern with which he won the FA Cup in 1977 and San Juan Jabolteh. He also represented Trinidad and Tobago’s national team on many occasions, notably at the CAC games in Colombia in 1978 and during the World Cup campaign for Italy in 1990.

Richard has become a legend at LIU where he was inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 2001 for his achievements with the Blackbirds from 1978 to 1981. He is the only four-time NCAA all American at LIU and still holds records for the most goals in a game with 6 and the most points in a game with 13 for the LIU Blackbirds. He scored 55 goals for the Blackbirds for which he was the leader. Robust and strong, he played with intensity giving no quarters yet exhibiting the gentlemanly conduct of a Trinity College alumnus.

Apart from an outstanding university career, Richard played professional soccer for two seasons with the New York Cosmos alongside such greats as Carlos Alberto, Franz Beckenbauer, Yohan Neeskens, Wim Rijsbergen, Giorgio Chinaglia and Roberto Cabanas. He was a member of the New York Cosmos team which won the NASL Soccer Bowl Championship in 1982.

After leaving the New York Cosmos, Richard played indoors with the Dallas Sidekicks, the Baltimore Blast and the Harrisburg Heat in the period 1984 to 2000 during which time he scored a total of 306 goals. Also during that time, he was 5 times Major Indoor Soccer league (MISL) All Star and 4 times National Primer Soccer League (NPSL) All Star.

After his career as a player, Richard forged a successful career as a coach. In the 2000-2001 season, he coached the Harrisburg Heat to the NPSL Divisional Championship and was named NPSL Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the Harrisburg Heat’s Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also inducted into the Baltimore Blast’s Hall of Fame in 2009. He is currently the Boys Director of Coaching at the Pinecrest Premier Soccer Club in Florida. Richard was awarded Trinidad and Tobago’s Chaconia Silver Medal in 1989 for his outstanding achievements in Soccer.

The Trinity College Alumni Association acknowledges the achievements of Richard Chinapoo as a Soccer player and coach and readily admits him into its Hall of Fame.