PUHI — Kristina Mau is going to sleep well this week, said George Kuntz, one of the key organizers of the Team Soccer Direct camp. “Kristina has been coming to camp for several years, now, and even has a shirt
PUHI — Kristina Mau is going to sleep well this week, said George Kuntz, one of the key organizers of the Team Soccer Direct camp.
“Kristina has been coming to camp for several years, now, and even has a shirt bearing the autographs of the helpers,” Kuntz said while watching more than 60 young soccer players of varying ages go through drills Monday at the Island School soccer complex.
Kuntz said the Team Soccer Direct camps are designed for all soccer players who aspire to get better at the game of soccer.
“We’re trying to light the fire in people who are excited about the game of soccer,” said Kuntz, the University of California Irvine men’s head coach and the Hawai‘i Youth Soccer Association Director of Coaching. “We also want to motivate Hawai‘i’s soccer players to develop the confidence so they can compete with soccer players on the Mainland.”
Joining Kuntz at the camp is Justin Neerhoff, the Women’s West Regional Head Olympic Development Program Goalkeeping coach.
“He was a great college player and the coach of the University of San Diego in 2002 and was also a Coach Assistant coach at the UC Irvine,” Kuntz said. “But he moved to Honolulu and Hawai‘i is lucky to have him.”
Joining the two coaches headlining the camp are three University of Hawai‘i women’s soccer players and a pair of University of Hawai‘i Hilo men’s soccer players. Two Kaua‘i soccer coaches who work closely with the youth soccer program are also on the roster as camp assistants.
“It’s good that we have local athletes that the young players can look up to and serve as role models,” said Kuntz. “Mari Punzal, who played youth soccer on Kaua‘i before moving on to Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawai‘i, is a good example of how children look at her and become motivated. This is just an excellent way of her giving back.”
Kuntz said as a sophomore she’s already been named as a captain on the Hawai‘i team.
“That’s good,” Kuntz said. “As a coach, I would have a hard time naming a sophomore as captain. But if I did, that means that player is really good.”
Ezikio Quintana was one of the second-year campers, Monday, having moved to Kaua‘i four years ago.
Kuntz said he didn’t realize it, but Ezikio’s dad was a soccer player he coached on the Mainland.
“He’s now a manager at Kaua‘i Pasta, and when I met him, I was looking up at him,” Kuntz said.
“When I used to coach him, he would be looking up at me. Now, I’m coaching his son. This just goes to show you how small the world is.”
As camp wrapped up its first day, Mau came skipping up to Kuntz, asking if there was anything else she could help with.
“When I grow up, I want to be a coach just like coach George,” the young soccer player said, skipping away to collect supplies on the field.
