National teams resume training

CNMI players observe social distancing while getting ready to perform drills during the resumption of their training session last Monday night at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

Members of the CNMI national teams returned to actual training sessions at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville last Monday afternoon, putting emphasis on physical conditioning while strictly following safety guidelines in place at this time of COVID-19 crisis.

Head coach and Northern Mariana Islands Football Association technical director Michiteru Mita welcomed the resumption of their training session, saying that it is a big step toward bringing back normalcy into the sport. Despite “getting back into the field,” Mita assured everyone that players, coaches, and staff are following social distancing protocol, there’s no physical contact among the training participants, and no matches will be played.

A Northern Mariana Islands Football Association staff checks the temperature of a player entering the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville last Monday. (Contributed Photo)

“We thank our staff for putting a lot of effort to maintain the safety of our players. Finally, national teams resumed training,” said Mita, who stopped conducting practices with the national teams mid-March due to the COVID-19 crisis and resorted to virtual training sessions for nearly three months.

After the long break from actual training sessions, NMIFA received permission from the COVID-19 Task Force and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. to resume practices at the NMITC last Monday morning provided the association follows the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the local government.

In seeking permission from the concerned agencies, NMIFA presented its own safety protocols to protect the welfare of the players, coaches, and their staff involved in the program.

The signage at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville reminds people about good hygiene practices. (Contributed Photo)

NMIFA has limited the training sessions to national players (maximum of 20 per team) and the number is expected to be lower (between 12 and 18). The training facility (outdoor) is also big enough (105 meters x 68 meters/7,140 sq. meters), ensuring that players and coaches will maintain the required distance from each other. No spectators will also be allowed at the facility, while equipment will be properly and diligently sanitize. Equipment is sufficient, limiting the chance of sharing among the participants, while players will focus more on working on their individual skills during the one to two-hour training sessions.

“There will be very minimal sharing of equipment as there are enough soccer balls per player. Also, balls will be seldom touched as soccer activities are almost entirely just kicking the ball. Each group will be using different sets of balls and disinfection will be done after each use,” NMIFA said in response to CDC’s guidelines on resumption of sports activities.

NMIFA added that it will regularly monitor the health/condition of the players and coaches and it’s something that the association has been doing even before the COVID-19 crisis hit the islands. Last Monday, a NMIFA staff conducted a temperature check of every player and coach who entered the facility. Signs are also everywhere, reminding people at the NMITC to practice good hygiene, observe social distancing, and follow other safety guidelines as we battle this pandemic.

Players are reminded to observe social distancing while using the benches at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

“Our first and foremost priority is the welfare and health of all NMIFA players and their families, officials, and staff. With that being said, we cannot overlook the importance and benefit of exercise to the community and our youth. The NMIFA wishes to provide a safe, worry-free environment where players can train, be active, and stay healthy. These trying times have unfortunately pushed many of our youth into lethargy, a very dangerous thing to be when fighting off a virus. Thus, the NMIFA hopes to once again jumpstart the active mindset of the community, strengthening our bodies in this fight against COVID-19,” NMIFA said.

The CNMI is among the countries that are slowly resuming soccer activities while observing safety guidelines. Games in Germany and other countries in Europe have resumed, while several member-nations of the Asian Football Confederation, where NMIFA is affiliated, have also returned to play.