26 players make grade

Phoenix Gross is among the players selected to join the fall class of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association’s Junior National Academy. (Contributed Photo)

After a series of tryouts, the fall class of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association’s Junior National Academy has been completed with 26 players making up the select pool.

Siblings Kaye and Mark Costales led the list and are joined by fellow TanHoldings Football Club players Kohjiro Goto, Terel Hix, Daniel Sano, Julie Chavez, and Matty Angeles. Rounding out the elite group are Kanoa Football Club’s Valerie Estella, Paul Lizama, Tyrone James Manipon, and Arstin Tagabuel; Matansa Football Club’s Yutaka Kadokura and Nolan Ngewakl; MP United Football Club’s Akeen Edvalson, Taiga Namai-Scoffins, Jack Raho, Moshe Sikkel, and Henry and Stephan Yeom; Paire Football Club’s Mary Devine Amog, Phoenix Sapphire Gross, Justidy Mizutani, and Caurie Stafller; Southern United Football Club’s Michael Elayda; and Wynona Julene Blas.

“The NMIFA is pleased to name the members of the Junior National Academy Fall 2020 Team. Congratulations! We are very happy to see a great number of participants and their best efforts during the tryouts,” JNA head coach Jersh Angeles said.

Players in the U12 age group participate in a scrimmage during a tryout session for the fall class of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association’s Junior National Academy last month at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

JNA is one of NMIFA’s grassroots programs and is designed for players in the 10 to 12 age group. Players are picked from a group that joined the five-part series of tryouts and those who belonged to the spring class, which had its training sessions cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players selected for the fall class will be prepared for higher-level competitions and national team training system, as they are scheduled to train starting this Thursday until December. One more training session is slated for this month (Sept. 24) at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville from 4pm to 6pm, while there will be five sessions next month (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29). The last five practice sessions are set for Nov. 5, 12, and 19 and Dec. 3 and 10.

“Please continue supporting your child/children by providing them nutritious meals, keeping them hydrated, and making them sleep at least eight hours the night before the training so they can perform well and avoid any injuries,” said Angeles.

The class’ training sessions will strictly follow health and safety measures that both NMIFA and the CNMI government set in support of the CNMI’s campaign against the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Two players battle for possession during last month’s tryout for the fall class of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association’s Junior National Academy at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

New tryouts
Meanwhile, the NMIFA will hold tryouts for a new JNA class—this time for an all-female squad.

The first trial is scheduled for Sept. 17, while the second and last is for Sept. 24 and both tryouts will run from 4pm to 6pm at the NMISTC.

Interested players must be born between 2008 and 2010 to be eligible and are required to present a copy of the negative test results for COVID-19.

For more information, contact Angeles at 235-0171 or send email to jangeles@nmifa.com.