PSS Athletics Program recaps stats of SY 2023-2024

The Public School System Athletics Program compiled and presented statistics of their programs from the previous school year 2023-2024 during the signing ceremony of the memorandum of agreement for the new school year with its seven national sports federation partners at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium conference room last Friday.

The highest participation of any sport last school year was volleyball—which was in partnership with the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association—and had 411 games played. There were 104 teams and 1,029 students that participated. It encompassed elementary co-ed, middle school girls and boys, and high school girls and boys divisions.

The second most popular sport in terms of participation was basketball in partnership with the Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Federation, which was in its fifth season. There were 261 games played, with over 67 teams that joined, and 824 students that participated. The divisions were elementary co-ed, middle school girls and boys, and high school girls and boys.

For athletics, in partnership with the Northern Marianas Athletics, they had cross country and athletics (track and field). Cross country had five events with 26 participating schools and 528 students served. In athletics, they had 16 events, 28 participating schools, and served 728 students. The divisions were also elementary girls and boys, middle school girls and boys, and high school girls and boys

Soccer, in partnership with the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, was played in the elementary co-ed, middle school girls and boys, and high school girls and boys divisions. There were 118 matches played, with 46 teams that participated, and 652 students served.

In badminton, going on its third season with the Northern Marianas Badminton Association, there were 290 matches played, with 24 teams and 198 students that participated in the middle school co-ed and high school co-ed divisions.

In the sport that made a comeback last school year—softball—in partnership with the NMI Softball Association, there were 111 games played, 35 teams that participated, and 198 students served. They played in the middle school girls and boys and high school girls and boys division.

In the growing sport of va’a (paddling), in partnership with the Northern Marianas National Paddle Sport Federation, they had five events in the high school level with six participating teams, and 79 students served. It was played only in the high school girls and boys division.

For the Northern Marianas Sports Association, whose president Jerry Tan also signed they MOA, they helped with the seven national sports federations and provided 36 community coaches.

PSS Athletics Program director Nick Gross, in an interview after the ceremony, said that the successes of the program wouldn’t have been possible without the partnerships with the federations, NMSA, and the support of PSS.

“I can’t say enough about PSS, the key management, and [Education] Commissioner [Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho], and the support that they afford for the athletics program. They’ve been really great at helping figure out ways to creatively get through the difficult economic times to ensure that these programs are not on the chopping block,” said Gross. “These are programs that we are going to fight tooth and nail to ensure that we’re able to provide these programs to kids. The partnership with the federations is what makes it possible. They have the capacity and the human resources to ensure that we can rest easy knowing that the government body (NMSA) is making the call as far as assisting us.”