5 football clubs joining Spring Youth League

The 2009 NMIFA Spring Youth Football League will kick off this Saturday with five football clubs playing in various fields.

Around 500 kids from MP United FC, Matansa FC Paire FC, Independents FC, and Tan Holdings FC will be competing in six age groups, namely the U4, U6, U8, U10, and U13, and the U18.

The U4 division will have two teams from MP United and one from Paire, while U6 will feature nine teams, three from MP United, two from Paire, two from Matansa, and one each from Independents and Tan Holdings FC.

The U8 and U10 division have 10 teams each. MP United and Paire are fielding three teams apiece in U8, Matansa has two, and Independents and Tan Holdings FC have one each. In U10, Matansa has three teams, MP United, Paire, and Independents have two apiece, and Tan Holdings has one.

The U4, U6, U8, and U10 age groups will have co-ed teams, while U13 has a separate competition for boys and girls. Eight teams are entered in the boys’ U13, while the girls division has four teams. MP United, Independents, and Paire have two boys teams each, while Matansa and Tan Holdings have one apiece. In the girls’ division, Independents has two, and Paire and Matansa has one each.

In the U18, MP United and Paire have one team each in the girls and boys division, but league coordinator Lydia Tan said they will be holding a meeting tomorrow to determine other interested clubs.

Tan added that the five football clubs are still accepting players. For registration, contact Tina Goodwin of MP United at 322 2072 or at tina@saipan.com; Christina Smith of Matansa at 285 9095 or at christina.m.smith@gmail.com; Rebecca Newman of Paire at pairiefc@gmail.com; Michael Thomas of Independents at kavabilo@gmail.com.; and Ariel Mariano of Tan Holdings FC at 233-2898 or ariel_mariano@tanholdings.com.

Games in the spring league will be played every Saturday from 1pm to 6pm.

MP United’s home fields will be at Garapan Elementary School and Navy Hill, Paire at San Vicente Elementary School, Independents at Saipan Southern High School, Matansa at Gregorio T. Camacho, Tan Holdings FC at San Antonio Elementary School, while U13 and U18 teams will play at Hopwood Junior High School and CPA Field, respectively.

The league will run for about two months and will culminate with a youth football festival set for May 30.