Teen Ayuyus to work on mental toughness

CNMI U13 National Team coach Jershwin Angeles will use the remaining days of their training sessions to strengthen his players’ mental toughness.

CNMI U13 National Team coach Jershwin Angeles, left, gives pointers to Lolobeyong Benito during their training session yesterday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

“I am preparing the team to be mentally tough and to always give their 100% every single time, whether during training or in actual matches. I believe the boys do not get tired easily—they are young, energetic, and hungry. But sometimes it is their mental that is weak and that tells their body to give up working hard. I need my boys to be physically and mentally ready,” said Angeles, who has less than two weeks to toughen up his Teen Ayuyus for the Asian Football Federation Boys U13 Festival 2015.

The EAFF event will run from Nov. 7 to 10 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in Harmon, with the 18-player CNMI team squaring off against North Korea, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, and the host.

“We will be facing powerhouse teams and I need them to be ready in any situation any time,” Angeles said.

Angeles’s crew is composed of goalkeepers Floyd Muna and Jason Quimzon, defenders Eun Syu Hahn, Kirt Andon, Lolobeyong Benito, and Ian Maniago, midfielders Mark Esalan, Thaiphi Austria, Sebastien Manabat, Kirro Batino, Raseff Altamirano, Angelo Bergancia, Justin Achas, and Jhoey Noble, and forwards John Michale Rojas, Edward Cho, Kaden Church, and Taka Borja.

The Teen Ayuyus will play their first game on Nov. 8 against Chinese-Taipei and then they will have back-to-back matches on Nov. 9 versus Hong Kong (morning schedule) and Guam (afternoon). The CNMI bets will face the toughest team in the field–North Korea—on Nov. 10.

Besides sharpening his players’ mental toughness, Angeles will continue to work on the Teen Ayuyus’ basic skills and stamina.

“We will still focus on the basic skills but this time not only individually but as a team. We will be working on basic defending and attacking (individually and as a team), solid block while defending, reaction after winning the ball, and shooting/finishing. At the end of each training session, I give the boys exercises that will improve their stamina. I want them to finish strong as the last 10 minutes of the game is a crucial time because this is where the winning goal can come in. The squad has lot of potential and I believe it will be one of the best NMI teams in the future,” said Angeles, who will be assisted by Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong’s Takemoto Suzuki.

The Teen Ayuyus, except from the Guam-based Cho, are training at the Koblerville Elementary School and will have four more scrimmages against the CNMI women’s and boys U14 national squads before they depart for Guam on Nov. 7. Though he is not able to join his team’s practice sessions, Cho has been receiving training guidelines from Angeles.

“I instructed Eddie to work his hardest just like his teammates. I gave him a training routine that must be done religiously from Monday to Friday and it focuses on his individual skills, stamina and diet,” the Teen Ayuyus head coach added.