KALAHEO — As the redshirts and grayshirts jockeyed back and forth across the Kalawai field, parents urged on the competitors with their banter, pouring accolades on good play while keeping an eye on their own player as AYSO Boys Under
KALAHEO — As the redshirts and grayshirts jockeyed back and forth across the Kalawai field, parents urged on the competitors with their banter, pouring accolades on good play while keeping an eye on their own player as AYSO Boys Under 8 action unfolded.
Following back-to-back goals in the second half, this outing was settled by the red-shirted Flaming Eagles of Kalaheo edging the gray-shirted Blue Dragons of Lihu‘e, 3-2.
The Kalaheo victory gives the fledgling redshirts a 1-0-1 record, and their coaches, Kiare Alejandro and Britney Gardner joined the boys in the post-game celebration.
Alejandro and Gardner are both 12 years old and are first-time student coaches, the Saturday victory being only their second game wearing the hats of coaches.
Both girls are also players in their own right, Alejandro explaining that they both play in the Girls Under 14 program.
On the other side of the field, another student coach, KC Gaitos was more philosophical about their loss, “It was okay,” she said. “They showed good hustle, and some of them even had fun out there.”
Gaitos is enjoying her second year as a student coach, and was quick to point out that the Lihu‘e goalie, Tamalyn Hasegawa who was playing in the Seven-a-Side on the other field, is also a second year coach.
Gaitos, who plays on teams with Hasegawa said other players also don coaches’ hats. One of those is Jaycee Agena who is a first year coach in the season that is still just two weeks young.
Kalaheo coaches Alejandro and Gardner said they work with the team including scheduling practices and drills, although Alejandro admits, “sometimes I get help from my Dad.”
“They’re fun,” the pair says about their Flaming Eagles. “They’re energetic, and most of the time, they listen.”
On the other side of the field, Gaitos agreed, “The most important thing is to have fun. There is nothing better than when you see them having fun.”
But, there was little time for reflection as Gaitos was off to her own Seven-a-Side game in Waimea before returning to Lihu‘e where she was scheduled to help her cousin with malasada at the Lihu‘e Pop Warner cheerleading booth at the farm fair.
