Work Ethic Counts The Most For Surfrider Soccer Coach
By Jack Danilewicz
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MidWeek sportswriter Jack Danilewicz interviewed Kailua girls soccer head coach Wil Kimura for this article on Dec. 16. We regret that Coach Kimura passed away that evening and extend our deepest sympathies to his family. Because he was truly one who was involved in coaching for the right reasons, we have elected to run the article that had been written before we received word of his passing. We believe he would have wanted the focus to remain on his team, of which he was inordinately proud. That article, which incorporates his final interview, follows.
By JACK DANILEWICZ
As always, Kailua girls soccer coach Wil Kimura chooses his players based on character first and foremost.
With a 15-game win streak versus OIA opponents still intact heading into last Friday night’s showdown with Waianae, the Surfriders’ collective athleticism can’t be underestimated.
“We have a bunch of great kids with tremendous work ethic,” said Kimura, who has led Kailua to 10 state tournament appearances in his tenure.
At the midway point of its OIA White season, Kailua can only be described as right on schedule. It had yielded only one goal in five games heading into the weekend. Last year, the team won the Division II title and took fourth at the DII state soccer championships, finishing 11-2 overall.
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Kailua begins the stretch run Wednesday when it faces Waipahu at home. Games with Farrington, McKinley and Kaimuki - teams with a combined 0-6-9 record heading into the weekend - will follow in the coming days. With those games more than winnable on paper, the Surfriders could find themselves eying top seed for the league’s post-season playoffs. Kailua won the only meeting with Nanakuli, making last Friday’s game with Waianae arguably the biggest of the season. His team’s won-lost ledger aside,Kimura is preaching the day-to-day approach.
“We’re trying to keep them focused on our technique and passing, and we’re working on possessing the ball,” he said.
To date, the Surfriders have been at their best when the ball is possessed by veteran forwards Tiffany Nakata and Ashley Kanoho.
“They are two of the better forwards in the league,” Kimura said. “They work well together, and they’re great kids. They’re good oneon-one players. When we can get the ball up to them quick, we have a chance.”
Nakata is coming off a solid junior season that came on the heels of a quicker-than-normal recovery from ACL surgery.
“Being away rekindled her (focus),” Kimura said.“She’ll do anything to be on the field. She just loves to play soccer. She’s a forward, but she isn’t only concerned with scoring. She plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played, and she has great skills and is one of the quickest players in the league.
“Ashley is the complete package,“he added of Kanoho. “She has speed, quickness and skills - she has everything.”
While the Surfriders can score with the best of them, it is Kailua’s defense that could help them go deep into the playoffs, as was the case a year ago. Mid-fielders Cheyenne Kadooka, Danielle Galveso and Jessica Alamieda are all back in the fold, as well as defenders Sierra Kadooka and Kealaka’i Leandro.
Cheyenne Kadooka was a First Team All-League selection at season’s end last year, while sister Sierra made the Second Team although only a sophomore.
“Cheyenne has a tremendous work ethic. She has good skills, and she’s always trying to learn as much as we can teach her. Sierra has speed and a powerful leg for a little girl. The football team is looking at her as a possible field goal kicker (for 2010).”
Leandro was slowed by a knee injury early on last season, but came on strong in the playoffs.
“She’s technically sound, and she’s tough to beat,” Kimura said. “She’s a pure defender.”
The Surfriders have been traditionally strong in net, and Kimura is high on junior goal-keeper Saige Manatad, who is in her first season as a starter. “She has great hands and great athleticism. She’s getting better every time out.”
Kailua’s five league wins this season have come versus Farrington (5-0), Nanakuli (1-0), Radford (3-1), McKinley (5-0) and Kaimuki (4-0).
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