KAILUA-KONA — The much-anticipated Big Island Hawaii Youth Soccer Association (HYSA) Championships culminated on Sunday as youth teams from across the island convened at the Old Airport soccer fields in pursuit of a coveted bracket victory.
At the conclusion of the two-day championships in Kona, eight exceptional “A Bracket” teams rose above the competition, serving as a testament to the hours of training and dedication they had invested to reach this stage. These teams ranged from ages U8 (under 8) to U19 (under 19) showcasing an extraordinary level of skill, determination and camaraderie that left the mass of spectators lining the fields in awe and admiration.
The eight youth soccer teams who won their respective “A Brackets” and crowned champions were the following:
– U8 (Rush BI 15b Premier = 10, LN 8 U Black = 3)
– U10 (Kona Crush Blue = 5, LN 10U Black = 0)
– U12 (Kona Crush Blue = 5, Rush BI 11b Premier = 3)
– U14 (Rush BI 09b = 8, Hawaii FC 14 U = 0)
– U16b (Na Hoa o Puna 16 U Ulaula = 1, Kona Crush 08b = 0)
– U16g (Rush BI 07g = 3, Surf 16Ug = 1)
– U19b (Rush BI 05b = 4, Kona Crush 19Ub = 1)
– U19g (Surf U19g = 4, Rush BI 05g = 3).
Ryan Kreps, who is the Big Island HYSA president and president for Kona Crush Soccer Academy, felt excited to finally have the HYSA Championships back in Kona.
“We’re ecstatic to have the Big Island HYSA championships here in Kona because COVID has set us back for a couple of years — we couldn’t get field space, we couldn’t get proper training spaces, and here on the Big Island we often have to commute. We have to travel far across the island for games so it’s really nice for the Kona Community to be able to have the playoffs here in Kona for the first time in years.”
Kreps was quick to credit the Big Island HYSA staff who helped to pull off the successful two-day championship event.
“With Big Island HYSA we have an amazing staff — from our executive director, Cari Franklin, Jonathan Walsh as vice president, and Gordon Inouye as treasurer,” he said. “We have a great team of volunteers help make this happen so I feel really thankful for these supports. Also, each club, each director from all the teams across the island — everyone put their hands together to make this work, it truly takes a village.”
HYSA vice president and referee assignor, Jonathan Walsh, who has been involved in HYSA for 15 years wearing many hats as coach, referee, soccer dad, and eight years as HYSA president said, “Our big event of the year is the Spring Playoffs.”
“We don’t have a tournament on the island, and the reason we don’t have the tournaments is because we don’t have the fields for it,” Walsh said. “This is why HYSA Spring Playoffs are our big event. We try to do it at one location, all the teams together, all the kids playing — even the little U8 guys watching the big U19 games — and getting that chance to see where they will be in a few years. So, it’s fun for everyone and that’s the whole idea.”
Walsh said the most exciting part of the championships from his vantage point as a referee is the reaction from the players.
“Watching the kids react in the game is my favorite part,” Walsh said. “As a referee, as a coach, even as a spectator sitting here is fun. We had a U10 game the other day, it was a semi-final, but it went to kicks on the mark at the end of game and the parents were into it, the kids were into it — I don’t think they have ever done penalty kicks before and watching the kids’ reaction was great. Those kids had an amazing experience as they have never done it before.”
Kreps, who also coaches and has his son, Koa, playing on the U12 Kona Crush Blue team, was thrilled to finish off the season winning the U12 Championships.
“It is such a good feeling,” Kreps said while giving high-fives and hugs to his players. “They won their division in the fall, and now in the spring. We also got to celebrate with our U10s (Kona Crush Blue) winning just a few minutes before our game so the feeling is electric here in Kona. We are ecstatic and we are looking forward to a nice break in the summer and restarting in the fall.”
Summing up the role of HYSA, Walsh explained the most important takeaway from youth soccer are the valuable lessons learned on and off the field.
“For us it’s all about developing the players. If you look at the mission statement of Big Island HYSA we are not about the wins or losses, we are about developing young people to be leaders of tomorrow using the sport of soccer. What kids learn about winning and losing on weekends like this and the lessons that we teach kids — how to win gracefully and how to lose gracefully are incredibly important.
“Sometimes it’s harder for the parents. Oftentimes I spend more time helping the parents understand the game than the kids. The kids get it, and a lot of times it’s the parents that don’t as they are the ones yelling and screaming about some ridiculous thing on the sidelines. In the end, you want to teach these kids lessons from the sport they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. So regardless of what happens today, who wins the championships, who loses, it’s all about these life lessons and how they will use it going forward.”
