ASD icon blue inverse lighter

ASD Staff

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Bro says, I do what I want..."}]

Smile no play 9 1 26

<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026</title>

Bro says, I do what I want...

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Honolulu’s new police chief named two officers as his deputy chiefs Monday.

 David Lazar as the new chief of the Honolulu Police Department in July, Lazar said he would take some time before naming who will serve as his deputies. That process of consideration ended on Monday, when he named Maj. Brandon Nakasato and Maj. Parker Bode to serve as his permanent deputy chiefs.

Lazar said Nakasato will serve as the interim chief when Lazar is unavailable. Nakasato will lead HPD’s field operations, while Bode will lead its Administrative Operations.

Nakasato has 27 years of service with HPD, and has extensive experience throughout the department’s various investigation divisions, Lazar said. Nakasato was a graduate of the University Laboratory School and most recently served as Interim Deputy Chief, overseeing field operations, during the leadership transition period.

“He cares greatly about the department, and he is the best selection at this time as we move forward as a mission,” Lazar said.

Bode, meanwhile, has 16 years of experience, much of which was in the HPD’s Human Resources Division, and has most recently served as Lazar’s chief of staff. Lazar said Bode, who is 39 years old, is “one of the youngest deputy chiefs in HPD history.”

Bode’s father was an HPD major who retired after 33 years of service, Lazar said.

“[Bode] brought an innovative approach to HR in whatever assignment he took on,” Lazar said. “He is leading the department's effort to gather input from sworn professional staff to help shape HPD's new strategic plan: What our department will look like three or five or even 10 years from now.”

Lazar said he selected Nakasato and Bode after working closely with them in the weeks since his appointment, and after one-one-one conversations with them and other HPD majors, assistant chiefs and others.

“This was a challenging decision to make, but these two men rose above,” Lazar said, adding that both deputies have “great reputations” within HPD and in their communities.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi commended Lazar’s decision Monday, saying that picking dependable deputies is essential for any leader.

“I know what it’s like to have people close to you in these leadership challenges that you can absolutely trust beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Blangiardi said.

PXL 20260831 213253293 TS 000 16x9

<title>Lazar names HPD's new deputy chiefs</title>

Maj. Brandon Nakasato and Maj. Parker Bode are Chief David Lazar's permanent deputy chiefs after Monday announcement.

Lazar names HPD's new deputy chiefs

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Joshua Walker's Hawai‘i homecoming was only supposed to be for a few days. He'd coach three matches with Baylor in the Stan Sheriff Center, then head back to Texas for the rest of the season. 

In April, Baylor announced its schedule for the 2026 season. The headliner as far as Island volleyball fans were concerned was the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic, set to feature host Hawai‘i, San Diego, Georgia Southern and Baylor, where Walker, who was then the associate head coach for the Bears, would coach at the Stan Sheriff Center for the first time since he was part of the UH men's staff in 2023. 

 resigned, leading the school down a lengthy search for her successor. It took UH athletics director Matt Elliott over a month to land on 

, who was announced as the head coach of his alma mater on June 5. 

On Friday night, Walker coached his first official match as the new head coach for the Rainbow Wahine, leading the 'Bows to a 25-18, 25-20, 17-25, 25-18 victory over Georgia Southern. 

Then on Saturday night, Walker was tasked with coaching against Baylor, the same team he was a vital part of mere months before. The Bears, who entered the tournament ranked No. 21 in the AVCA-Taraflex Division I preseason poll, were the presumptive favorites of the tournament as the only ranked team in the field. 

A game plan put together by Walker and assistant coach Will McDonald, who followed Walker from Baylor to Hawai‘i, nearly led an early signature win for both Walker and the Rainbow Wahine. The 'Bows took the Bears to five sets, but Baylor ultimately leaned on its experience and talent for a 25-17, 14-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9 victory. After the match, Walker was seen joking and hugging his former players as both sides wished each other the best of luck moving forward. 

"We didn't have to spend as much time with the scout, especially with Will, because we know that team well, and we know kind of where their strengths are and what they're still trying to get better at," Walker said following the Baylor match. "I love this job. You get to work with very intelligent young women across across the country, and there's a lot of teams, but it's really a small world. The relationships that you build last forever, and yeah, love that group, love that team. Expect them to do very well. We need them to do well for sure now (for RPI purposes), and we got to make sure we do our part and make sure we're we're taking care of business the rest of the way ourselves."

While a return to his alma mater and his wife Tehane's home state is what brought Walker back to the Islands, it was fate that led Walker to leave the UH men's team in favor of Waco, Texas in 2023. 

Ryan McGuyre was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Bears to a 29-2 record and Final Four appearance. That same year, Walker was named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year as an assistant on Charlie Wade's staff. That year, the Rainbow Warriors went 28-3, finishing as national runners-up. 

McGuyre's acceptance speech, in which he talked about God, family and volleyball as his order of priorities, resonated with Walker, the young father of a growing family. Walker felt compelled to email McGuyre words of admiration and encouragement, and McGuyre found there were many ways in which the two could relate. McGuyre, a star club volleyball player at Biola, coached both men's and women's teams at California Baptist before making the permanent move to the women's side as an assistant coach at Maryland in 2012. Coincidentally, McGuyre is married to former UH women's volleyball player 

"Just high-level volleyball, that IQ. I try to hire people smarter than me, and feel like God's the head coach as well. I think he was really faithful because Hawai‘i tried really hard to keep him on the men's side," McGuyre recalled to Aloha State Daily. "Because he did it, he has a great feel for the women's game, and that's what opened the door here, and so it worked out the way it was meant to be.

"He's not just a great coach, but a great man, great husband, great father. His emotional IQ is strong. His wisdom is strong. He's a really good relational coach, which allows him to be an intense and intentional coach in the right way that's well received by players. I know he's the right guy for the right job here. I think they're gonna see some great things."

Hawai‘i's match against Baylor surpassed three hours, and the Rainbow Wahine had to turn around and face San Diego at 5 p.m. on Sunday. With tired legs, the 'Bows were swept 25-16, 25-17, 25-18 to end the weekend after hitting .078 as a team. 

Though its Saturday five-setter against Baylor showed the potential that exists among the group, Sunday's match proved to the 'Bows there's also plenty of room for improvement. 

"I don't really think we were thinking of the rankings, but we know Baylor has always been a top-notch program," said junior libero and defensive specialist Victoria Leyva, one of three captains on the team. "Just seeing us go to five and competing out there really showed what we can do as a team, and I think (Sunday) we saw what we really, really need to improve on. 

"So, we were able to see both sides of the spectrum of how great our team can be and how much improvement our team needs. I think that's a great thing to go back to on the drawing board, go back into practice, and see what we really need to focus on."

Next up for the Rainbow Wahine is the Outrigger Invitational. The 'Bows will host Utah Tech on Thursday at 7 p.m., Loyola Marymount on Friday at 7 p.m., and UC San Diego on Sunday at 5 p.m. 

While Baylor loaded up its Polynesian Tours bus and made its way back to Waco after a 3-0 opening weekend, Walker is staying in Mānoa for the long haul with the 1-2 Rainbow Wahine. 

"Once again, just blessed to be here, blessed to have the moments that we have. Even the losses are a blessing because it's an opportunity for us to learn. Now we got to use it," Walker said. "We got to make sure we capitalize off of what's going on. Baylor's going to do what Baylor's going to do, and for us, we got to make sure that we represent this tournament well and everybody who chose to compete against us and make sure we take care of the other games throughout the rest of the season.

"To me, this is just the beginning of the season. If we're saying 'OK, the season's ending now,' probably not too happy. We got a long way to go, so we're going to use every day that we can and make sure we get better to make sure that next weekend is better than this past weekend."

Joshua Walker 083026

<title>Hawai‘i women's volleyball shows room for growth in opening weekend for new head coach…</title>

The Rainbow Wahine went 1-2 in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic, the first official weekend of the Walker era.

Hawai‘i women's volleyball shows room for growth in opening weekend for new head coach Joshua Walker

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Business & Tourism

The County of Hawaiʻi’s lease for Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park will end Saturday after negotiations between the county and landowner ended without an agreement.

Hawaiʻi County has leased the 6.8-acre site since at least 1954 from successive private landowners, according to a news release. The current lease was executed in 1998 for $1 million between then-owner SM Investments and the County of Hawaiʻi. The land is currently owned by Black Sand Beach LLC and managed by Xiaoyuan Liu.

Black Sand Beach LLC approached Hawaiʻi County in 2024 seeing new lease terms. The county proposed a 10-year lease with annual payments started at $159,300, followed by 3% annual increases. Black Sand Beach LLC terminated the existing lease on June 30. The parties extended the lease for two months to continue negotiations, but were unable to reach an agreement.

The county appraised the property through the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission program and offered to buy the property for $1.46 million, but Black Sand Beach LLC declined to sell the property.

Mayor Kimo Alameda stated in a news release Thursday, “Throughout this process, we made every effort to find a resolution — from offering substantial lease payments to pursuing purchase of the property — and we know there will be many questions going forward. As this lease comes to an end, we will continue to coordinate across county departments and with other partners to minimize the disruption this will cause and address impacts on the community.”

According to the county website, the Punaluʻu Beach Sand Beach Park has a parking area, restrooms, a pavilion, a campground, grills and is ADA accessible. County-managed park services will end and the park facilities will revert to the landowner. The beach and coastline remain accessible to the public via a road at the northern end of the beach, according to Public Information Officer Tom Callis.

Callis said that the county did not decide to extend the lease for another 30 days because the park depends on the private water system, which is inoperable after Hurricane Lala in mid-August. The county has made “water spigots available for residents who rely on Black Sand Beach LLC’s private water system,” he notes, which is also “providing hot showers, charging stations, and services to meet essential needs at nearby locations.”

Black Sand Beach LLC had plans to develop 225 residential and vacation rentals at Punaluʻu Villages, but the project was stalled by foreclosure after Black Sand Beach LLC defaulted on a $3.4 million mortgage, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser 

A petition received 18,602 signatures opposing the development after residents voiced concerns that the project would impact the habitat of the Hawksbill Turtle, Hawaiian Monk Seal and Hawaiian Nene Geese, as well as put a strain on local resources. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Impact on tourism industry"}]

A multitude of tour operators feature Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park on their itineraries, according to Scott Bier, owner and operator of The Volcano Van.

“It’s a real loss for both the Kaʻū community and for visitors,” Bier said. “Punaluʻu is more than a tourism stop; it’s an important gathering place for that side of the island.”

Bier said that he plans to shift his Summit to Shore tour to focus on Kīlauea and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and later to include parts of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone flow field into the tour to show guests how dramatically Kīlauea reshaped the island in 2018.

Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach

<title>Hawaiʻi County lease of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park to end</title>

Negotiations between the county and landowner Black Sand Beach LLC will cease Saturday without an agreement. County officials aim to "minimize the disruption" to the community, while tourism operators work to shift their itineraries.

Hawaiʻi County lease of Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park to end

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

In ancient times, this was sacred ground. Kualoa was a wahi kapu, a place set apart for chiefs. In our oral traditions, newborn aliʻi were brought here to be raised in discipline and trained in warfare, raised with an understanding of their chiefly status. Those who broke kapu fled here seeking refuge, for Kualoa was also a puʻuhonua, a place where life might be spared if protocol was followed.

Even at sea, the land commanded respect. Any wa‘a (canoe) passing offshore was said to have lowered its sails in silence, acknowledging the mana of the valley before continuing on. This practice wasn’t limited to just fishermen and commoners, as it is said that Kamehameha I was also careful to acknowledge the sacredness of Kualoa, dropping his sails as he went by.

But Kualoa’s sacredness did not only place demands on those who passed by, it tested those who ruled.

Shortly after becoming aliʻi of Oʻahu, Kahahana called together a council of the island’s ali‘i along with the kahuna nui, Kaopulupulu. Kahahana presented the demands of his uncle, Kahekili of Maui, who sought control of Kualoa and the palaoa pae, the shoreline where whale bones were said to drift ashore.

Some ali‘i argued that the request was reasonable, a fair return for the protection and support that Kahekili had shown Kahahana during his rise to power. Others hesitated, uneasy with the implications of giving the Maui ali‘i such control.

But Kaopulupulu did not hesitate. He warned that to surrender Kualoa was a forfeiture of O‘ahu’s sovereignty. Kualoa, he reminded them, was among the most sacred lands on the island. It was home to the revered drums of Kapahuʻula and Kaʻahuʻulapunawai, and to the sacred hill of Kauakahi a Kahoʻowaha. To give up the palaoa-pae would not only dishonor this history but also disrespect the gods themselves. Kaopulupulu argued that Kahahana had no right to surrender the very emblems of the island’s independence.

Despite Kaopulupulu’s convincing the council and the agreement to deny Kahekili’s demands, things took a darker turn. Through manipulation and influence, Kahekili later convinced his nephew not only to relinquish Kualoa but also that Kaopulupulu was a traitor. With that accusation, the priest was killed. Soon after, Kahahana was also put to death, and Kualoa passed fully into Kahekili’s control.

The ancient stories tell of gods and goddesses, like Hiʻiaka, Pele’s sister, who battled a great moʻo in this valley. When she destroyed the creature, its body became the foothills, and its severed tail was cast into the sea, forming the tiny island of Mokoliʻi (some call it Chinaman’s Hat). Other tales are of Kamapuaʻa, a demigod who was half-man/half-pig, hiding in Kualoa while fleeing Pele’s wrath, tearing through the mountains as he escaped, leaving the deep cuts and ridges that still mark the land.

Then there’s the work of feeding people, which has its own kind of sacredness. Along this coast sits Moliʻi Fishpond. Built to raise and fatten fish, it’s estimated to be 800 to 1,000 years old. But the pond isn’t a relic. It’s one of the few original Hawaiian loko ‘ia (fishponds) still in use, raising and harvesting fish using sustainable practices. A reminder of the area's abundance.

Then change came, as it always does. During the Māhele, Hawaiian lands that had once been held through kuleana (responsibility) were divided by law and written documents. Kualoa was pulled into that new world, too. In 1850, King Kamehameha III sold roughly 622 acres at Kualoa to Dr. Gerrit P. Judd, his missionary doctor and advisor. Over time, through later acquisitions by his son, Charles H. Judd, the holdings expanded to nearly 4,000 acres, becoming Kualoa Ranch, run by the Morgan family line.

Sugar followed, briefly, with the Kualoa Sugar Mill rising near the road. The mill was built in 1864 by Judd’s son-in-law, Samuel G. Wilder. However, it didn’t last long. In 1866, Samuel Wilder’s nine-year-old son fell into a vat of boiling syrup and died from the severe burns a few days later. The sugar venture did not last, and the mill processed its final crop in 1868. The land was then used for ranching.

Yet for all the eras that passed through Kualoa, the valley itself saw little change. The sacredness, the mana, never diminished. And some say that when night settles in Kualoa, and the mountains disappear into shadow, the valley begins to tell its stories again.

In 1925, a story appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser’s editorial column, “The Bystander,” that described ghost stories shared on a Sunday visit to Kualoa. The author wrote that his host claimed to often see the specter of his grandfather, Charles H. Judd, pacing on the lawn in front of the houses. And on every full moon, the ghosts of Kamehameha I and his entourage would march past the gates toward Hau‘ula.

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s not the only tale of the huaka‘i pō."}]

A few years ago, a young man shared his own story with me. He used to work as a guide for the ranch, leading visitors through the valleys in all-terrain vehicles. One late afternoon, when the sun was already low behind the mountain, he returned to the trail overlooking Kualoa Beach and Mokoli‘i. A woman said she left her backpack, and the young guide volunteered to go back and look for it. He realized it was getting dark pretty fast, and he didn’t want to get stuck out there by the time it got fully dark. He got to the spot, turned off the motor, and got out of the vehicle to look around. The young man quickly found the bag, tossed it into the back of the vehicle, and jumped in. But it didn’t start.

Slightly irritated, he kept trying the ignition until he heard a sound that was completely out of place. He swore it sounded like drums, but tried to tell himself that it must be something else. All of a sudden, a gust of wind ripped past him, kicking up dirt everywhere, forcing him to cover his face. As he leaned forward against the steering wheel, he heard footsteps. He wasn’t aware of any other sound, no talking, no chanting, just the sound of dozens of feet marching. He froze in his seat and prayed, keeping his face in his palms, refusing to look up. After a few long minutes, the pounding sound was gone, and he finally lifted his head. He looked around to see nothing out of the ordinary. He turned the ignition key, and his ATV started on the first try. He drove back carefully, not wanting to drive too fast and meet up with whatever just passed him.

He believes he encountered the night marchers and was thankful to make it out unscathed. However, although he enjoyed his job, it was the final straw in a series of creepy encounters that led him to quit.

Kualoa Ranch Large

<title>The haunting history of Kualoa</title>

Long regarded as sacred, Kualoa was originally a special place reserved for chiefs and it was once a place where ali‘i from O‘ahu and Maui wrestled for control. With legends dating back to ancient times, and more modern tragedies as well, spirits of the past make their presence known.

The haunting history of Kualoa

With each game getting televised on the ESPN family of networks, combined with its sheer name brand recognition, the Little League World Series has upheld its reputation as the biggest platform in youth sports for decades. 

Held annually in Williamsport, Pa., teams from around the world compete for the opportunity to merely appear in the tournament. 

Since 2018, the state of Hawai‘i has become a mainstay in the tournament. Teams from the Islands have won six of the last seven West Regionals, including Honolulu Little League in 2025. 

The 2025 Little League World Series will mark Honolulu Little League manager Gerald Oda's third trip to Williamsport. Oda led HLL to 2018 and 2022 to LLWS championships, going a combined 11-0 in those tournaments. 

Although the 2025 LLWS tournament began on Wednesday, Honolulu will not begin until Friday due to the tournament's bracket draw. Honolulu will take on Connecticut's Fairfield National Little League on Friday at 1 p.m. HST in a game that will be televised live on ESPN. 

Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Oda via Zoom for a Q&A prior to a team dinner in one of the team's first days in Williamsport. 

Congratulations on making it to Williamsport once again. So many people look at it as a once in a lifetime experience, but for you, it's your third time. 

 "I just really feel thankful for these bunch of kids that we have. It's all due to their hard work and their effort and just very grateful. I don't take this for granted one bit. Like you said, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. But to make it this third time, I deeply appreciate this opportunity to represent again our great state of Hawai‘i to be on this journey with these 12 kids."

 The first two teams you took to Williamsport pretty much dominated the competition. This year's team has had some tight games in 

 but still won them all thus far. Is the ability to pull out the close ones part of the identity of your team this year?

"[The 2025 team] is totally different. It's human nature. You're gonna want to compare. No different from our 2022 team, the first thing people say is, 'How does it compare it to the 2018 team?' They're all different. You know, 2018 team, bunch of hammahs. Thirteen out of the 14 players went on to play college baseball. The 2022 team, they dominated right when they came to Williamsport, which we're very grateful and appreciative of. 

"[The 2025] team is different. It's like making a puzzle. The 2018 team was a totally different puzzle to put together and picture compared to 2022 and no different to this team. We don't have to be like how 2018 was or how 2022 was. We just have to make our own beautiful picture together."

You guys are the last team to take the field in the entire 20-team tournament this year. Do you enjoy the strategy part of that, or are the boys eager to get out there? 

"They're definitely eager to play. But for us, I think it's a benefit being the last team to play. It could work both ways. We played the first day in 2022, which was great. We could get into that rhythm early, and it helped us out tremendously. So vice versa. I'm just hoping that us being the last team in this tournament is going to help us in a sense that it gives the kids a chance to soak it in more so off the field, so that when we step on the field, they're going to be really hungry to play."

 It's been 20 years since the kids from ‘Ewa Beach went to the World Series and became the first Hawai‘i team to win it all. Kids on the teams that followed said they were inspired by that run. Any time there's a team in Williamsport from Hawai‘i, regardless of Island, they gain the entire state's support. You've experienced it a couple of times. What's that support like?

 "A-may-zing [laughs]. That Layton Aliviado team back in 2005 when they went, of course, tremendous. Respect for those guys, because they were the first team to make it here and win it all. And no different from 2008, when Timo Donahue coached the team and they won it all. And even in 2010 when Brian Yoshii took his team and they won the U.S. championship that year. So of course, they laid on the groundwork for us in here in Honolulu Little League, and I deeply appreciate and respect those guys. Since back then, it's always been that same way. I was explaining it to the Mainland reporters that you don't know how Hawai‘i is, that Hawai‘i is a very special place in the sense that of course, you're very competitive with one another trying to represent and get out of the state tournament. But once a team leaves Hawai‘i, it's like, that's our team. 

"We explained to the boys that we are no longer Honolulu. We're Team Hawai‘i. We're representing the entire state of Hawai‘i, and it's our responsibility now to make sure that when we step on the field, whatever we do, that we show the world how great our state is by their behavior, not necessarily just how we play, but by our behavior. And the support and love that we get from everybody back home is tremendous. After winning the regional tournament, almost got 200 text messages like, holy moly. My phone just blew up, which I was very appreciative. I could be saying the same thing about all the parents . ... It could be just a simple text message, a phone call, but just knowing that there's so many people back home wanting us to do well, praying for us to do well, it means a lot."

What kind of ballplayer were you back in the day?

 "Horrible [laughs]. I was not a good baseball player. I wasn't good. You know, I thought I was good. I was cocky as hell. I wasn't really good, but I do have a lot of great experiences from my Little League baseball coaches. Guys that not only did they teach us baseball, but they were just good coaches that really cared for myself and my brothers. ... They taught us the Xs and Os on the ball field. But they taught me, they showed it by how much they cared for myself, along with my brothers. That's who I wish to be. I was not a very good baseball player, but I really had great coaches, though."

 How did you get into coaching? Were you always winning a lot of games?

"My older brother, Donovan, he was a former baseball player at the University of Hawai‘i. After he graduated one of the parents saw him one day and asked him if he was interested in coaching. My brother said yes, and my other brother [and current Honolulu Little League assistant coach], Keith, was coaching with me. We all decided, hey, let's give back. I started the journey some 33 years ago. How I coached when I first started coaching with my brothers, now it's totally different. When I was young, I already thought I knew it all, but I still don't know it all. That's the great thing about coaching. If you stay humble and you always stay hungry to learn, there's so much I can improve on, even to this day. But it's something that's very gratifying for myself along with my brother Keith and (Honolulu Little League assistant coach) Willis Kato, too."

Pretty much every adult involved in Little League baseball is a volunteer. What's your day job like? 

: "I'm an investigator for GEICO Insurance. I work in their special investigations. I'm very fortunate. It gives me a lot of flexibility. Without that kind of flexibility with my job, there's no way I could coach baseball. Of course, I'm very fortunate and appreciative to have that kind of occupation, being an investigator with a great company at GEICO."

One difference in you I noticed from the last time you were on ESPN in 2022 to now is the tattoo on your left arm. Can you explain the significance of it? 

"It's actually a new tattoo. There's actually Kanji on it in Japanese, it means never give up. It's my way of reminding myself that no matter what, never give up. And I explained that to the kids, that even as coaches, as an adult, there's times that I feel like, wow, can we really do it? But, looking at this tattoo on my arm always reminds me to never give up. Nothing we can't accomplish as long as we don't give up."

 Thanks for sharing that. When exactly did you get it? Do you have any other tattoos? 

 "I got it in 2023, so about two years ago. I have one on my back, but you can't see it, it's a smaller one on my back, my shoulder. Me and my best friend actually got it together. It was actually his daughter that gave me the design, that did the ink on my arm. So I very much appreciated that, that she did it for me. ... She went on, and it was painful as hell, but again, it has deep significance. For me, I wanted something that really meant something. I practice Buddhism. 

"There's a carp. There's a waterfall, and so my tattoo is about a carp trying to get up this waterfall. If the carp gets up to this waterfall, it promises that if you can make it to the top, you become this dragon. They call it the dragon game. It's actually a dried up carp trying to make it up to this waterfall. It goes all the way to here, and it turns into a dragon. 

"But it symbolizes that whole never give up thing that even though it seems insurmountable, if you want to achieve greatness, then you cannot give up. ... I will never give up, it all ties into that, and that's the significance of that tattoo. And it reminds me every day that, hey, if you ever want to achieve something great, you got to make great effort, and you cannot give up."

Mahalo for your time and insight, coach. Is there anything you'd like to add? 

 "I just want to say thank you to everybody back home for all their tremendous support and prayers. There's a lot of 

 out there. There's a Mānoa team coached by Matt Apana. There's a Fear 808 team coached by Chris Hino, there's an LA team coached by 

. They're all at the 12U World Series for Cal Ripken in Branson, Mo. And then you have a 10-and-under Hawai‘i Kai team coached by Shane Butcher, they're in 

 Just wishing all those guys the best. All of us are all in the same boat. We're just trying to represent Hawai‘i in the best way possible, and deeply, deeply sending prayers to those guys."

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, Aug. 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Most read

Daily Smile: Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

More in Daily Smile

Daily Smile: Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

Daily Smile: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026

Daily Smile: Friday, Aug. 28, 2026

Daily Smile: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026

Most read