NMIFA head over heels with festival

After wrapping up another season of soccer and two weekend tournaments, organizers of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association took time to reflect on the success of the second season of the action on Saipan.

NMIFA’s Youth League director, Sue Knecht, said that there were a number of reasons that the football festivals were so successful and she credited a pair of community leaders for overseeing the officials.

“A big reason for this was the work that Dean Tenorio and Catherine Perry-Anderson did with the referee committees. They have worked really hard to ensure that we have referees and line judges for all our matches,” she said

Knecht added that education is one of NMIFA’s priorities and that it is imperative that the community fully grasp the rules of the game in order to appreciate what transpires on the pitch.

“It is important to let the players, parents and coaches know the rules of the game as well as the etiquette that the sport of football requires. I think that we are making big strides in this area. As with all things though, we are learning as we go along. Every experience helps us to gain knowledge,” she said.  

While the rules are important, Knecht said that winning and losing have taken a back seat in lieu of the health-related benefits that the players receive from suiting up and running wild on the fields.

“I think the emphasis on fun and not so much a champion was well received because although we all want to win, sometimes kids should just be acknowledged for getting out there and learning a new sport, and just staying active, healthy and fit,” she said.
More than 400 players turned out for the youth program this fall but Knecht said that NMIFA is just scratching the surface because there are still a number of interested children in the community who have experience playing outside of the organization.

“The turnout for the second season was very exciting; however, NMIFA recognizes there are still over 200 children that participated in the DFS Cup that are not registered players in the NMIFA league,” she said.

With that in mind, the association is inviting the unattached players to join in the fun this coming January when NMIFA hosts the next session of soccer.

“We would like those players, parents and coaches to come out in January and join us. There are some very talented players and we would love to help develop them and give them the opportunity to play more often,” said Knecht. 

One possibility that is out there for the kids is the chance to represent the CNMI during international competition.

“Perhaps those children could become members of the national teams to compete off island. We would also like to see the villages start to develop their own clubs. A club team can also enter NMIFA to play in our games. This is actually encouraged, to help develop the sport,” she said.

Registration for the next session is currently underway and the balls start flying on Jan. 8, 2007 before which time NMIFA hopes to offer another refresher course for the coaches and referees. The cost to participate in the season is $20 per person and $15 for each additional sibling. Once a player gets into the system the price drops off a bit to $15 per person and $10 for each additional sibling.