• It couldn’t have happened to a better person It couldn’t have happened to a better person By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island The phrase, “Good things happen to good people,” couldn’t have possibly been a better one
• It couldn’t have happened to a better person
It couldn’t have happened to a better person
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island
The phrase, “Good things happen to good people,” couldn’t have possibly been a better one for Kaua‘i senior Futi Tavana. The 6’8″ gentle giant is everything every parent on the island should teach their kid how to be like.
Not just because he earned a volleyball scholarship to a top NCAA division one school (BYU-Provo), but because he has been able to keep his simple beginnings throughout his illustrious high school career, which included two first-team all-state honors.
On top of that, Tavana will be an HHSAA/Nissan Hall of Honor winner and he has the brains to startle any math teacher.
But what impresses me the most about Tavana is the simple fact that he remains a family guy at heart.
His family-first approach was extremely vibrant throughout one of the biggest days of his life, when he chose BYU as his next venture.
“My parents and family are the biggest reasons why I am here today and if not for them, this wouldn’t have been possible,” Tavana said with a warm grin.
His coaches gleem with pride when they talk about him.
Kaua‘i High School athletic director Charlene Quinones even mentioned that the school would do anything for the model student-athlete.
“This boy is going to become somebody important someday. This is just the beginning of many good things that will happen for Futi and his family,” Kaua‘i head basketball coach Brandon Fujita said.
What also intrigues me about Futi is that nobody has ever said anything bad about him.
It’s almost like he was meant to be a great person/athlete, but it’s really not like that, instead it’s called, “Great parenting,” and that’s no coincidence that he’ll be successful someday.
Even his parents look to others to give the credit for their son’s success.
“I am so grateful for his coaches, teammates, friends, the school, and Charlene Quinones for all that they have done for my son,” Futi’s dad, Gaugau said.
Gaugau, who works as the director of education at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Kalaheo, wants every kid on Kaua‘i to do as well as Futi.
“There’s a ton of potential here, but we need to promote our kids and help them throughout their journey,” Gaugau said.
Most of Futi’s teammates made the trek to the Kaua‘i High School library on Thursday for the special event, even if it meant that they had the rare chance of getting out of class for an hour.
But you know you’re a special person, when your teammates respect who you are as a person and as an athlete.
Tavana’s volleyball coach, Shawn Doo, who watched Futi grow from a lanky freshman at 6’2″ to a powerful hitter as a senior at 6’8″ mentioned that students like Futi don’t come around too often.
“This is a big thing for the school and for the island and hopefully it will promote students to be successful,” Doo said.
Even one of Futi’s sisters made the special trip all the way from New Zealand and oh, by the way, she’ll be back for his graduation ceremony as well.
All seven of the Tavana children were in attendance, from all over the globe and it’s just a testament of how tightknit the Tavana family really is.
Although Thursday’s signing proved to be a big day for Futi, it really was about everyone else. It was truly about all the people who got Tavana to where he is today and that’s exactly how he’d like it to be — with the people most important in his life, sharing a special moment!
