Hard Work Pays (Softball) Diamonds For Kaiulani Clark
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThe fluid, natural athletic movements that Kaiulani Clark exhibits on the softball field aren’t all because of heredity. The Kapolei senior would like to think that her heavy-duty work ethic has played a role in her success as well.
“Personally, I don’t think it came easy,” said Clark. “People thought it did, but that was only because of all the extra work I put in.”
Ah, yes, the work. Clark is well-known for her commitment to bettering her game. In addition to daily practice with the club team she’s currently competing for and in-season practice with Kapolei, Clark puts in up to two hours a day just working individually on softball fundamentals with her father, Joe, who has coached her since she began playing tee-ball at age 5. Joe Clark also is one of Kapolei coach Tony Saffery’s assistants.
“Basically, we go every day,” Clark said. “There’s a park up the road in Makakilo, or we go down to Kapolei High. Some days I was tired, but I still went and worked. My dad works me pretty hard. He knows what it takes because he got to school by a (football) scholarship (at Southeast Missouri State). Softball and school are my priority. It’s always been my goal to play Division I (college) softball.”
Her efforts have paid off steadily. After two solid seasons at Campbell, she transferred to Kapolei, where she became a First Team All-Conference selection at third base last spring. She recently announced she has accepted a scholarship offer from East Carolina. She also had been recruited by Hawaii, Florida State, Delaware, Georgia and Missouri.
“When we were deciding, it was really hard,” she admitted. “We even made a list of the pros and cons for each school. East Carolina had seen me when I was a freshman at a tournament in Colorado, and they kept their eye on me.”
Saffery isn’t surprised Clark was so heavily recruited, after seeing the impact she has had at Kapolei.
“We love her to death,” he said. “I see Kai doing big things in college. Her love of the game is incredible. She’s spent so much time working out with her father that it’s finally paid off.”
In the end, East Carolina won out over the other schools recruiting her because of its college environment. “I wanted to go somewhere that I’d still enjoy if I got hurt and couldn’t play softball anymore,” said Clark, who has a 3.1 grade-point average. “The campus is very nice. Everything is within walking distance of the dormitory, and the community is all about the school.”
For the present, Clark is concentrating on “fall ball,” as she calls it. She currently plays for a team called Fo’Sho, which features players from all over the West side.
Although Clark has played third base for much of her high school career, she’ll play catcher at East Carolina.
“As long as I’m playing, it is fine with me,” she said.
Clark has always been ahead of the game, competing for much of her softball career against other kids. From age 6 through 8, she played baseball. “I was the only girl, and I got a hard time from them.”
By 11, she already was competing against and with 18-year-olds. If younger than the other girls, she definitely matched their competitive flair.
“I don’t like to lose. If we do - and they earned it - that’s fine. But if we give it to them ... I’m mad at myself. I always like to win.”
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