This week, our Play Smart, Live Strong players learned that soccer is a team game, and so is life!
Before training, we talked about the importance of positive friendships and how supporting one another helps everyone succeed. Just as the player with the ball relies on teammates to create space and offer passing options, our friends rely on us for encouragement, kindness, and support when they face challenges.
On the field, players practiced supporting the ball carrier by moving into open space, communicating, and working together to make scoring opportunities.
Off the field, they learned that being a positive friend means listening, standing up for others, celebrating their successes, and helping them make healthy choices. By staying away from alcohol and marijuana, young athletes protect not only themselves but also the teammates who depend on them.
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The Play Smart, Live Strong initiative by the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association empowers our youth to make healthy choices on and off the field. Together with the Saipan Soccer School, we are using the power of soccer to promote substance-free lifestyles and reduce the risk factors related to underage drinking and marijuana use.
Every week we will share about our practical lessons, group discussion highlights, and soccer skills we learned to support our players as they Play Smart, Live Strong!
