From Bulls to Harvard

Our motto at the Honolulu Bulls is “Success is Winning at Life”.  Today we are proud to feature recent graduate Noa Maeva for his accomplishments on and off the field.  Noa is a graduate of Punahou School and is attending Harvard University.  Noa has always been a fierce player on the field.  His work ethic at practices and in school have always been exceptional.  During high school, he played club soccer, school soccer, and participated in ROTC and many community activities.  Noa is studying Economics and playing on the A Club soccer team.  We salute Noa for his success and winning at life.  

When did you join the Bulls?
2014

Why did you choose the Bulls?
I wanted to be a part of the best club on the island.

What was your academic path? When did you enter Punahou?
Throughout my academic career, I transferred schools seven times (both private and public) before finally attending Punahou which I entered in 9th grade.

What activities did you participate in outside of soccer and school? The many volunteer projects and travels that you did?
JROTC
Club Soccer
JV and Varsity Soccer
Punahou Outdoor Education Counselor
Student Tutor
Foreign Exchange Ambassador – Ehime, Japan
Punahou Carnival Class Division Head
Work – Worked full time during the summers and part time during the school year
Community Service – Youth Soccer Coaching Aid, Honolulu Marathon Water Station Support,
Beach Cleanups, Adopt-A-Road Cleanups, Homeless Shelter Dinner Service, Mentored
Students from Kaneohe Elementary School, Restored ancient fishpond, Landscaping work at a local kalo farm
Being a part of the Bulls has given me the opportunity to travel internationally (Denmark) and
throughout the U.S. (California, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, etc).


How did you balance playing soccer, school and extracurricular activities?
To balance everything going on I had to make sure to manage my time accordingly. I also had to make sure I had my priorities set straight.

Did you work during high school?
I worked various on campus jobs during the school year, including the cafeteria, student monitor for the lower school students, and delivered packages throughout campus. I would work full time during the summers at some of these positions.

7)What was your process in applying to colleges? How many did you apply for? What were you looking for?
When choosing which colleges to apply to, I based my decision on location, academic rigor, and the opportunities offered through the school. I applied to 21 different schools-accepted into 16, waitlisted at 4, and rejected at 1.

How did you make your final decision?
It was a difficult decision, but in the end, I chose to attend Harvard University because of the opportunities and academic experiences offered. They have a tremendous support system there as well. Finances also played a very big part in my decision and the university had given me a very generous offering.

Are you going to play soccer? Collegiate or Intramural etc.
I am going to try to walk on to the soccer team. If I am unsuccessful in my attempts, I will continue to play soccer by joining the club team and also play intramural.

Any words of advice for our younger soccer players?
My advice for the younger soccer players is to work hard in all that you do. My friend told me once to “be relentless in your pursuit of what sets your heart on fire” and that has driven me to continue shooting for the stars and putting the utmost effort into everything I do.


Any words from mom and dad?
It has been such an honor and a privilege to be a part of the Bulls Ohana. Nowhere else can you find such supportive coaches, team managers, and parents. We believe it truly takes a village to raise a child and we thank everyone for being a part of Noa’s “village.”

Help Kaimana Newman collect soccer shoes for Haiti

My name is Kaimana Newman and I’m currently working on my Eagle Project for Troop 33 Boy Scouts in collaboration with GOALS Haiti, a non-profit organization that gives Haitian children the opportunity to play soccer.

The GOALS Haiti program provides soccer shoes, academic support and encourages youth to get involved with community service projects. 

The goal of my Eagle Project is to spread awareness about the current violent and unstable living conditions in Haiti and show support and bring hope to the children by collecting 100 pairs of new or gently used soccer shoes and new soccer socks. 

Details:
Kaimana’s Soccer Shoe Drive for GOALS Haiti
Saturday, August 21, 2021
8:30am – 1:30pm 
Manoa District Park (Upper Parking Lot-Manoa Road)

Jonah Kawamura joins the Huskies of University of Washington

Soccerwire.com published an article mentioning the addition of Honolulu Bulls midfielder Jonah Kawamura to the University of Washington Men’s soccer program.

The start of the University of Washington men’s soccer 2021 season is just weeks away, and when the Huskies return to campus to begin preparations, their roster will include three additional newcomers that have recently joined the program.

Uli EsquivelJonah Kawamura, and Ilijah Paul join an experienced UW roster, many members of whom led the Huskies to a 12-4 record and the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals during the delayed 2020 season (played in spring of 2021).

“We are excited to add three more talented players to our 2021 recruiting class,” said UW head coach Jamie Clark. “Jonah, Uli and Ilijah are all top students and soccer players. Each has great experience and the right mind set to work hard and make their mark on Husky soccer. We need people and players like this to keep our program among the elite in the country.”

Kawamura was the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Hawai’i in 2021. A midfielder, he played for ‘Ioloni School and for the Honolulu Bulls club program.

A 2019 and 2020 All-IHL first-team selection, he was also second-team all-state in 2019. Kawamura helped the Bulls to the 2018 U-18 Surf Cup Championship and to the semifinals in the U-19 competition the following year. He also reached the semifinals of Club Nationals in 2018 and earned a place on the ODP West Region team in 2019.

Jonah is the top player out of Hawaii this year,” said Coach Clark. “He is a very skillful midfielder who connects the game very well. He joins fellow Huskies with Hawaiian roots –Dylan TevesCharlie Ostrem and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – who all have been fantastic for our program. We believe Jonah will follow in their footsteps and be a player who will make his mark on the Purple and Gold.

To read the full article, please visit Soccerwire.com