NMIFA ready for kickers at the pitch

A week after awarding its players for completing the first successful season of youth and women’s ball, the Northern Mariana Islands Football (Soccer) Association is continuing to follow up on its invitation the upcoming EAFF U-14 Youth Football Festival in Beijing, China by holding training sessions and tryouts starting today.

The local club is searching to man a squad of 18-20 boys under 14-years-old as soon as possible to prepare for the best youth soccer player from the region. In order to help the fledgling organization get ready for the tournament, the Guam Football Association recently sent Technical Director Valentino S.N. San Gil and Competition chairman Joseph F. Cepeda to Saipan with wealth of information.

The GFA certainly knows from experience as they fielded over 100 youth teams, 14 men’s teams, and a dozen women’s teams last season, and they sent 16 teams to compete internationally in destinations such as India, China, Singapore, and the Philippines.

The young kickers will have a big advantage when they hit the pitch as the GFA agreed to lend NMIFA the use of coach Tsukitate Norio for two weeks. The Japanese coach will help guide the local players in the early stages but GFA officials said that he will also help the women’s league improve as well.

The twice-a-day practice schedule at the American Memorial Park gets underway this morning from 10am to 12pm and continues during the second session from 4pm to 6pm. The following day the workouts continue at 10:30am to 12:30pm, and again from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. The times for this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are from 8:30am to 10:30am and from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

Women’s soccer also gets a boost as coach Tsuki is hosting weekend sessions for them this afternoon at the AMP from 2pm to 3:30pm and tomorrow from 2pm to 4pm, and continues the following weekend on Saturday, June 10, at the AMP from 2pm to 4pm and on Sunday, June 11, from 2pm to 4pm.

In order to land a spot on the CNMI’s first youth soccer team to compete in China, eligible players must first become a NMIFA member, have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1992, posses a valid U.S. Passport with an expiration date after Jan. 19, 2007, and be willing to travel to China from Wednesday, July 19, through Wednesday, July 26.

For more information about joining the team as a player, coach, or manager, contact Sue Knecht via email at sueknecht1@yahoo.com.