This week’s Play Smart, Live Strong lesson connected Evaluating Options with Spatial Awareness, teaching players that great decisions start with taking a moment to look at your choices and picking the best path forward.
On the field, players practiced scanning for open space, locating defenders and teammates, and deciding whether to pass, dribble, or shoot. Instead of kicking the ball without looking, they learned to keep their heads up and choose the option that gives their team the best opportunity.
The same skill can help off the field. When faced with peer pressure or a difficult choice, players can pause, consider their options, and choose the path that is safe, healthy, and aligned with their goals!
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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!
