Kanoho, Surfriders Still On Track For OIA Soccer Playoffs
By Jack Danilewicz
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Marian Kanoho knew before her daughter Ashley reached the age of 6 that there was an athlete in the family.
“Her pre-kindergarten teacher told us, ‘You have to get Ashley into something,’” she recalled. “She started in AYSO at 4-and-a-half - right at the age she was able to start. Soccer is the first sport you can sign kids up for, I think. She’s never wanted to play anything else.”
True enough. But the Kanohos also realized early-on that Ashley’s calling might be in the entertainment business - roughly since her first viewing of Mary Poppins.
“My friends would describe me as weird and very unique,” Ashley admitted. “I’m into musicals. Everybody else (in her age group) is into Beyonce or Rihanna. Acting is something I want to pursue and, hopefully, attain.”
That is all part of the future, of course. For the present, it’s mostly soccer. Her time involved in the sport can only be summarized as time well-spent. She’s one of the leaders of a team that has won 18 straight games against OIA White Conference opponents, as of Jan. 5. That string stretches back to the first game of the 2008-09 season, which ended in a Division II OIA title last February. The Surfriders went on to finish fourth at the girls state soccer championships.
For all her passion for drama, real-life drama has also intersected with the team’s remarkable season of 2009-10. On Dec. 16, Kanoho’s coach at Kailua, Wil Kimura, pushed the girls through their standard late afternoon practice and passed away in his sleep that night. His presence among the team remains in full bloom, nevertheless.
“We were just shocked,” Ashley said, “but we knew he would have wanted us to move on and keep going with the season. One of the parents (Shawn Kadooka) made us a ‘Coach Wil’ (arm) band that we wear on the right sleeve of our jerseys. Having that - looking at it - motivates us to play for him.”
One of the byproducts of the coach’s death has been an increase in the team’s cohesiveness, which was already significant. “Our bond has gotten really close since his passing,”
Kanoho said. “We always have each other’s backs. The best part of this team is that it feels like a family.”
Another key to the season has been their commitment on the defensive side. Kailua had given up only one goal heading into the weekend. “Our coach (new head coach and Kimura assistant) Malu Afong is really a stickler for defense,” Ashley said. “I like playing on offense - more ball-handling and skills (are put to use). My feet are my strength.”
With two games to go in the regular season, Kailua had already wrapped up the White East Conference championship, but the team is staying the course in practice, she said.
“We still feel like there’s room for improvement. We all have something we can work on.We have to play hard and with heart.We talk about becoming OIA champs again. That’s what pushes us more. We always pray before a game. We’ve always done that - even before (coach passed).We came up with that on our own.”
As for her continuing with soccer, that is up in the air. Kanoho hopes to attend Azusa Pacific University in southern California next fall. “That’s my No. 1 school (of choice),“she said.“I don’t really have plans to play soccer in college, but if it would help to get me into a college, I would go that route.”
Kanoho’s spirituality plays no small role in her life. She sings with a “praise and worship group” at her church, Kailua Pentecostal. “Gospel music,” she said.
Family. Religion. Soccer. School. For the present, Hollywood will have to wait.
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