7-on-7 women’s football concludes tomorrow

The Inaugural Women’s Football Committee is set to end its 7-on-7 league on Saturday with two games to be played at the Garapan Elementary School Field.

Take 5 battles Dora Laura Scora at 8am followed by the Victorious Secret-Tradewinds match. The awarding will take place immediately after the final game.

League co-organizer Becca Newman said they have met their goals for the league. “This small-sided league has been very successful for the women’s program. The goals of this league were to get more women involved in playing soccer and to enhance women’s skills in a fun, non-competitive atmosphere.”

Newman said they attracted 75 players where they evenly divided them into five teams. “Because of the [Women’s] National team’s training, most [of them] did not participate, so we had many first-time volunteer captains and co-captains to lead their teams.”

Chiara Fudge, who just arrived on Saipan late last year, said joining the women’s league is one of the best decisions she had ever made. “When I first set out to play soccer I was a little apprehensive because I was such a novice player, but I was welcomed from the moment I stepped onto the field.”

Fudge said the co-captains of her team and her teammates helped her to push herself and learn the game. “But more importantly they helped me to have fun. Participating in the [7-on-7] league was all about good sportsmanship, the love of the game and having a good time.

“That is why I enjoyed myself and would definitely do it again in the future. We were more than a team we were a sisterhood.”

Trade 5 has Maria Ornes and Nicolette Seckler as co-captains, while Dora Camacho and Laura Williams are the leaders of Dora Laura Scora. Vanessa Pritchard and Toi Smith are the co-captains for Tradewinds, while Divya Sharma and Katie Busenkell heads Victorious Secret. Kickin’ Back, the fifth team, has Alleny Tenorio and Lovelle D’Lonsol as their captains.

In other news, WFC will also be holding its first registration for their regular league—the full 11-player games—on Saturday.

The league is set to open in May and Newman said interested female players could sign up on Saturday. Registration fees have not yet been determined so female players can sign up without payment.

For more information, email Newman at rnewman112@hotmail.com.