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White calls for active role from each sports federation
Northern Mariana Sports Association president Michael White wants all sports federations to be more aggressive with their respective development programs.
The longtime NMSA president said he is requiring all member federations to submit their respective four-year developmental plan to monitor the growth of their grassroots programs.
White, during last week’s NMSA monthly meeting at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room, said that federations need not to be specific about their respective plans.
“All I need is a brief summary of what’s the direction that each federation is going. Four paragraphs will be fine,” said the practicing lawyer in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
White said he is expecting the reports to be submitted by each federation during NMSA’s next monthly meeting on Oct. 3.
Aside from the four-year plan, White is also asking sports federations to hold an annual national championship and an open tryout in choosing athletes that will represent the CNMI in off-island competitions like the Micronesian Games, Pacific Mini Games, and the Pacific Games.
“This should be open to everybody. Be it in individual or team sports,” said White.
White’s request is in connection with the CNMI’s preparation to the 2015 Pacific Games set in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from July 4 to 18 and next year’s 28th Summer Universiade in Gwangju in South Korea from July 3 to 14.
The CNMI will be sending athletes in track and field, beach volleyball, golf, lawn tennis, and triathlon.
“Both the Pacific Games and the Universiade will happen almost simultaneously. We have to put the entry by names in late 2014 for the Pacific Games, while we plan to send two athletes to the Universiade,” said White.
White added that he wants the CNMI to send one representative each from athletics and swimming. They will be accompanied by their respective coaches and officials, and NMSA vice president and former Northern Marianas Athletics head Kurt Barnes, who will act as the chef de mission. (Jon Perez)
