NMI to have new soccer coach
By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff
IT looks like the NMI will have a new soccer coach in Southern Methodist University (Texas) assistant Jason Higgins.
In an unofficial NMIFA blog, Northern Mariana Islands Football Association vice president vice president David Khorram said Higgins’ arrival on Saipan “will be a leap forward for our football (and soccer) program in the Mariana Islands.”
Variety emailed NMIFA secretary general Peter Coleman to confirm Higgins’ appointment, but he has yet to respond at press time.
NMI team member Brenda Schultz declined to comment on Higgins’ appointment, but said the NMIFA officials, who are mostly off island, would meet on Aug. 2 or 3 to discuss the association’s plans for the remaining season.
If Higgins made the grade, he will replace Jeff “Ziggy” Korytoski, who coached the NMI men’s team during the East Asian Football Federation qualifier against Guam this year.
Korytoski left Saipan in mid May and returned to Wright State University, Ohio, where he is an assistant coach.
According to the blog, at SMU, Higgins is responsible for all team travel arrangements, scouting of opponents, game administration, and office administration. He also assists with recruiting, video and match analysis, on-field coaching, off-season conditioning, and summer camps.
Higgins was the former head coach at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, for two seasons and holds a USSF “B” license and the advanced national coaching license.
Wild Bill’s 1, Taya Tent 1
Meanwhile, at the continuation of action in NMIFA’s Co-ed Summer Leaguer, the Wild Bill’s and Taya Talent game last Tuesday ended in a draw, 1-1.
Arkie Reusora of Wild Bill’s scored the first goal in the early part of the first half, while Chris Nelson tied the game with a goal a few minutes before the first half ended.
Neither team scored in the second half as goalies Glenn Smith and Peter Bonser held their ground.
The draw gave Wild Bill a 1-0-2 win-loss-draw record, while Taya Talent recorded its third straight draw.
Two other teams are playing in the co-ed league, namely the Pika Raiders (0-0-1) and Dread Pirates (0-1).
There are a few mistakes in the story, so go with the info in the blog, not the newspaper.
For the record, I did not say anything about this on "an unofficial NMIFA blog". I talked to Jason, who told me he was coming, so I wrote about it on my blog, which was picked up by this blog and turned into a piece of journalism by the Variety.
ReplyDeleteI have not been a member of the Board nor its vice president for over a year.
My apologies to the Board for any distress this may have caused.