The jitters are gone for Kapa’a head coach Althea Arinaga. “No jitters, this time,” said Arinaga, who had plenty of restless nights before the Kapa’a Warrior girls soccer team won the KIF Championship. “We’ve passed that time, and it’s going
The jitters are gone for Kapa’a head coach Althea Arinaga.
“No jitters, this time,” said Arinaga, who had plenty of restless nights before the Kapa’a Warrior girls soccer team won the KIF Championship. “We’ve passed that time, and it’s going to be awesome to go off-island and play great soccer teams.”
The Warriors head to O’ahu to play Kailua in the first round of the 2002 Meadow Gold State Soccer Championships today, and although Arinaga doesn’t know much about the Honolulu team, she is confident about how her girls can perform.
“Short term goals,” said Arinaga. “We always play one game at a time, and that’s been our philosophy all year. “
The Warriors may have come this far focusing on the short-term, but Arinaga admits the long-term may have been the key to the development of a team which went 4-0-1 in the regular season this year and garnered a hard-fought KIF championship.
Kapa’a implemented its first ever weight training program in preparation for the 2002 season, which the Warrior coach said was noticeably productive in the team’s durability.
“I noticed throughout the season that the weight training has really kept the girls from getting injured,” said Arinaga. “The extra muscle strength has kept us healthy all year long.”
Also, the bonds already existent among the Kapa’a players before the 2002 season – three-quarters of them having played together since childhood – has been a long-standing reason the Warriors play so well together.
“These girls have played with each other for years,” said Arinaga. “It was nice to see that some of them, now in their final senior season, can leave their last year of high school soccer with a championship.”
Arinaga could only highlight the accomplishments of her team as a whole, but she wanted to thank the seniors in particular for their hard work through the years, including defender Tiana Laranio, midfielder Jessica Huttger, defender Nicole Phillips, and midfield/forward Jasmine Stevenson.
But their season is not over.
Now Kapa’a faces its toughest challenge against the Kailua Surfriders, who Arinaga knows is a good team despite her unfamiliarity with the squad.
“Everyone that comes here is good,” said Arinaga. “That’s why they are in this tournament. And the same is true for us as it is for every other team: defense will be key.”
Arinaga said the team that keeps the ball on the offensive side of the field will be the team that walks away with a State championship.
“Goals will come, there’s no doubt about that,” said Arinaga. “But keeping the shots-on-goal down to a minimum is the focus we need to have in going into the tournament.”
If Kapa’a wins, they will face Mililani, a team Arinaga is more familiar with, in the next game.
“We just want to thank all of the family, friends and fans that have sponsored us this year and in our efforts to head to the State championships,” Arinaga concluded. “We wouldn’t be here without them, and we really appreciate their support.
