NMA Talent Identification Camp registration still open

Participants are seen doing drills in the first Northern Marianas Athletics Talent Identification Camp last Saturday at the Oleai track and field. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The Northern Marianas Athletics “Talent Identification Camp” completed its first Saturday camp of the month at the Oleai track and field and registration is still open for the next three camps.

Last Saturday’s event was the mid/long distance race; this Saturday, Feb. 11’s event is sprints/hurdles; Feb. 18’s event is discus/javelin/hammer/shotput throws; and Feb. 25’s event is long/high/triple jumps.

The camp costs $5 and includes four sessions. The camp is open to persons ages 14 and up. Interested individuals may register on-line at https://raceroster.com/events/2023/71753/nma-talent-id-camp-2023

Ten participants of the first Northern Marianas Athletics Talent Identification Camp are seen in the starting line of the Oleai track and field last Saturday. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Ten athletes joined the first day and NMA general secretary Robin Sapong, said that “it was an overall good turnout, seeing different age groups from youth, seniors, and masters athletes.”

Dr. Ron Snyder, NMI national athletics team coach, said at Saturday’s event that the camp is “setting the stage for the training. What we see that they can do today, we’ll evaluate that against the events that they want to do, then we’ll develop a training plan to make it appropriate for them.”

He added that the first camp turned out good. “We had some promising newcomers and came close to breaking the NMI record in the 800m in our time trial. I am very pleased [with] the first one.”

Sildrey Veloria, a participant and a member of the CNMI National Athletics Team who was recently picked to represent NMI in the Cross Country World Championships in Australia this Feb. 18, said about the camp, “I believe that checking in on the athletes during the off-season to find out what they are doing and how their training is going is a fairly smart idea.”

The camp is in anticipation of the upcoming June 2023 4th Oceania Cup and Masters Athletics Championships on Saipan, the July 2023 10th Micronesian Games in the Marshall Islands, and the November 2023 Pacific Mini Games in the Solomon Islands.

The camp is conducted by NMA development officer and coach Elias Rangamar, Snyder, along with some members of the NMA national team. 

Members of the camp may potentially be selected to join the national program and other camps as NMA prepares for the 2023 season. 

For questions, email Robin Sapong at rsapong@gmail.com or text (670) 788 0929.