CNMI Public Schools System Athletic Programs and the Northern Mariana Islands National Paddle Sport Federation announced the High School Co-ed Va’a season will kick off in January 2026, adding a new Junior Varsity division and a Feb. 28 long-distance race tied to Mau Fatuul that will invite students from Rota and Tinian.
PSS said the season schedule is available in a shared drive under the “SY25-26” folder. The announcement also introduces a Junior Varsity (JV) division that will race throughout the season, except on championship day. PSS said JV team members will not be allowed to move up to varsity teams.
PSS also announced an additional long-distance event on Feb. 28, 2026, tied to the celebration of Mau Fatuul, and said students from Rota High School (RHI) and Tinian (TIN) will be invited to join. PSS said a maximum of six females and six males from each school are invited to attend that Feb. 28 event.
For planning purposes, PSS said all students must complete a pre-season swim test and all students and coaches must complete canoe safety training, with dates to be announced. PSS said rosters and parental consent forms must be submitted to athletics@cnmipss.org no later than Jan. 23, 2026, and principal certification of age and grades must be submitted to the same email no later than Feb. 4, 2026.
PSS said all required documents, including eligibility standards, have been uploaded to the “SY25-26” folder and schools should ensure updated forms are used. PSS said it currently anticipates teams from KHS (Varsity and JV), MHS (Varsity and JV), SSHS (Varsity and JV), and MCS (Varsity), along with a possible non-public co-op team.
PSS noted second-quarter sports are underway and asked schools to refrain from forming official va’a teams until all interested and eligible students have the opportunity to try out, since va’a is a third-quarter sport. PSS said additional updates on swim tests, canoe safety training, and outreach activities for Rota and Tinian are forthcoming.
