Young footballers of the Junior National Academy in the Marianas plant flowers and trees in Marpi, Saipan, as part of the program’s community engagement program. JNA if a special training program for U14 players coordinated by Northern Mariana Islands Football Association in partnership with Japan Football Association’s Dream Courage to Achieve.
The CNMI Division of Forestry and the Marianas Visitors Authority facilitate an opportunity for young footballers of the Junior National Academy to plant flowers and trees in Marpi on March 28, 2024.
(MVA) — With last month’s unveiling of a new look for the iconic Saipan sign in Marpi, young footballers have taken to the field to help beautify the popular photo spot in the Marianas.
Twenty-nine youth of the Junior National Academy, a special training program for U14 players coordinated by Northern Mariana Islands Football Association in partnership with Japan Football Association’s Dream Courage to Achieve, helped landscape the site on March 28, 2024. The match was set when JNA reached out to the Marianas Visitors Authority looking for an opportunity to give back to the community.
“Every effort makes a difference, so kudos to JNA Head Coach Jersh Angeles for reaching out to the MVA and connecting football with community with tourism through this environmental stewardship project with the youth,” said MVA Product Development Manager Raquel Aguon. “Improving our destination is a lot like training for a chance to join the national football team…it’s often small, consistent, and targeted effort to bring about big results. We thank the JNA trainees for their contribution and wish them luck as future ambassadors of the Marianas.”
MVA coordinated the project in partnership with the Department of Lands and Natural Resources-Division of Forestry, which provided the plants, water, and tools to complete the project. The young athletes, ages 10-12, planted croton plants, hibiscus, and a flame tree, learned proper techniques on how to transfer the plants from the flowerpots to the ground.
NMIFA regularly sends teams to represent the Marianas in international competitions.
