Bicol Express smokes competition in Monday Night League

Asian Football Confederation’s John Whittle will arrive on Saipan this afternoon to conduct a one-day workshop on Saturday.

The free workshop is open to all interested individuals who want to learn how to coach youth or grassroots teams or simply the basics of the sport.

The clinic will run from 9:30am to 5:15pm at the Azucena Room of the Fiesta Resort and Spa Saipan.

Whittle is the acting director of AFC’s Grassroots & Youth (G&Y) Department.

The department was created through Vision Asia, which is the organization’s grand plan for a continent-wide program to raise the standards of Asian football at all levels, from competitions to administration, and to sports science.

President Mohamed Bin Hammam launched Vision Asia in September 2002, believing that with Asia’s more than three billion population, it can produce many world-class football nations. His ultimate goal is for an Asian team to one day claim the FIFA World Cup.

AFC’s Grassroots & Youth Department is guided by its mission to increase the football playing base, ensure a positive and enjoyable life experience for children and young adults by implementing programs and activities that raise the standard of performance overall, and support the development of each individual player within the game of football in the continent.

Through its program, the department hopes to achieve the following: mass participation; football free from racism and discrimination; fair play; safe environment; football as a school of life; football as an enjoyable activity; start early; golden age of football training; ongoing player development; suitable age-group competitions qualification of grassroots and youth coaches; merit-based selection; follow age regulations; good management; appropriate facilities and equipment for training and playing; and promoting volunteerism.

Under the department’s program is player development, which is divided into two categories—grassroots and youth.

Grassroots program is for players in the 6-and-under, 10-and-under, 11-and-under, and 13-and-under age groups, while the youth side is for strikers in the 14-and-under, 16-and-under, 17-and-under, and 20-and-under.

Each age group represents the phases of player development.

The fun phase for the grassroots is for players age six to nine years old. In this phase, players are exposed to a wide range of basic movement activities and coordination skills. They are also thought about punctuality, regular attendance, team work, courtesy, good sportsmanship, tidying up, and asking permission to miss training and games.

Players who are in the 11 to 13 age group will move up to the foundation phase, which is considered as the “Golden Age of Learning” in relation to motor skills development. In this phase, players should have mastered fundamental skills and skills development is more important than the results of the match.

The next level is the formative phase, which is for 14-and-under and 16-and-under players. At this time, players are undergoing significant biological changes and coaches and parents should understand these changes and help players come to terms with new challenges.

The final phase is for players in the 17 to 20 age group. At this stage, players learn to be independent and are responsible for their own behavior and decisions. But all involved should still provide support.

Meanwhile, individuals wishing to join this Saturday’s workshop are asked to pre-register with the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association. For more information, call Sarah Brostrom at 235-0173 or via email at info@nmifa.com