HONOLULU — Kailah Gates-Coyaso is a softball coach’s dream player. Since suiting up for Chaminade, she has played seven of the nine positions on the softball field during her time at Chaminade, only leaving pitching and first base out of her positional juggling.  

Versatility has been an exceptional quality to bring to the table, but it isn’t the only type of juggling that the 2019 Waianae graduate has in her arsenal.

Back in her time with the Seariders, Gates-Coyaso would find herself trying to learn how to juggle during down time of practices. It was a silly exercise, but something that she found to help her hand-eye coordination and help her challenge her teammates in a different fashion.

“I kind of taught myself how to juggle,” Gates-Coyaso said with a sheepish grin. “I just started doing it, impressed my teammates… [I would] challenge my teammates to see if they could juggle longer or faster… but it was only me that could juggle.” 

It was an activity that the utility player brought to Chaminade with her, as you can still see her juggling off to the side on occasion as her skills have improved. She said practice with all different objects has helped her hand-eye coordination improve and stay sharp, an important skill to have when taking on the role Gates-Coyaso does for the Silverswords.

She began her college career behind the dish, proving to be more than capable of overseeing a pitching staff and controlling the running game. The former Waianae star got an abbreviated taste of college action during a COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, playing in 11 games, and suiting up in catcher gear for nine of those contests. 

The Chaminade staff began to experiment with Gates-Coyaso more defensively in 2021 before leaning all the way into turning the athlete into a super-utility and chess piece to fit in the lineup every day going forward. She has played in 85 of 87 games for the Silverswords over the past two seasons, the most recent of which resulted in a 2nd-team All-PacWest selection for Gates-Coyaso. 

Despite less than 50 percent of her career starts in the field coming behind home plate, the versatile defender ranks seventh all-time for catchers in Swords’ history with 19 runners caught stealing. Of course, that level of success matches her mindset and her love for the defensive side of the game.

“I enjoy every position that I am able to get people out,” she answered when asked about her favorite spot to play on the field. “I just want to be making plays, I just want to be in charge… I love playing defense.” 

Her time at Chaminade has been nothing short of enjoyable, she explained. With the ability to stay home and close to her support system, her focus turned to being a positive example for local kids and showing that student-athletes can stay home and still be successful.

With that in mind, an inspiration for her future came to the business major on a post-college path and game plan.

“My main focus is to give back to my community after. I just want to give my knowledge to them, both business-wise and with softball,” Gates-Coyaso said.

One way she’s thought about combining the two? Giving back to less-fortunate kids who may need equipment and funding for opportunities they could use to succeed.

“In this world, everything is so expensive, and I feel like there are a lot of restrictions of kids playing sports just because they don’t have the funds [to play]. I don’t think [money issues] should be the reason why they can’t play the sport they desire to play,” the Waianae graduate proudly stated.

Gates-Coyaso further discussed her future dreams and aspirations, being introduced to baseball before softball (thanks to her dad), her initial hesitation at the switch to softball, the process of teaching herself the catcher position junior year of high school and much more during the conversation.

Kailah Gates-Coyaso juggles the struggles of being a student-athlete extremely well. She has only improved on the softball field, been a multi-time honoree for academic achievements and was selected as one of the best players in the entire PacWest in the 2023 season.

For some, it might be too much juggling to ask for one person. For Gates-Coyaso?

Well, she has always enjoyed juggling anyway. 

HONOLULU — Softball is a sport that is centered around failure.

It’s a game that can cause mental toil, self-doubt and a lot of questioning of yourself. Weird plays happen at inopportune times and hot streaks turn into long cold spells consistently.

Despite all of that, Chaminade softball first baseman Kobe Brown remains one of the most positive people that you can come across.

The 2019 graduate of Mililani is one of the best defenders in the history of the Silverswords softball program, covering first base as well as anyone has for Chaminade. She holds the highest fielding percentage (.994), most putouts (984) and has nearly 50 career double plays turned. 

Her journey on the softball diamond began with the boys, growing up playing baseball first. She recalls baseball being first introduced to her at the age of four while spending time at her babysitter’s house, playing in the backyard with the sitter’s grandson.

She started to play both softball and baseball at six years old and continued playing both up through middle school. While her baseball career eventually closed out, she just “kept playing softball.” 

Despite her success in the sport, Brown wasn’t a stranger to the mental turmoil of the game she loves. Nobody is a stranger to adversity. Despite that, she remains the upbeat teammate that can lure anybody into comfort. Brown credits her ability to keep a positive mindset and attitude partially to her time at Mililani.

“Of course they taught me a lot about [the game of softball], but most importantly, something I took forward into college was [Mililani] taught me how to have fun with the game,” Brown said. “I think that at the front of my mindset is what keeps me going, because it’s easy to give up on yourself in a sport mainly about failure.”

“I’m really thankful for Mililani,” she continued.

Her thankfulness for the OIA member school continued, understanding the differences between the public-school league versus the experience at an ILH institution in Maryknoll. With two years spent at each, Brown got a good idea of the ins-and-outs presented to her by each school.

While she acknowledged financial resources are typically an advantage for ILH school, the first baseman held firm in her belief that the OIA’s Mililani provided her with an unforgettable high school experience that didn’t leave her feeling shorted after graduation.

“I believe I’m very lucky to have experienced the two leagues and see the differences between, but I wouldn’t say there are too many differences. Obviously, Maryknoll has a lot of money,” Brown said. “The main difference between the two I would say is pride. Playing for my home school and having Mililani across my chest and playing for my community that I grew up in? It was a different feeling and I had [even more pride] playing for Mililani.”

After a successful prep career, she originally committed to a school on the mainland. Brown got cold feet on her graduation day when it came to leaving the islands to continue her softball career and re-opened her recruitment with eyes to schools at home this time.

Chaminade wasn’t the first school to come calling for the platinum glove first baseman, but they did end up being the program to win out the services of the former Trojans star. The ability to have her support system still in place as she approached her college career was a comforting thought. It clearly has worked out for the Swords fifth-year senior, etching her name in the record books for one of her hometown schools. 

Despite experiencing a global pandemic in her first season of collegiate athletics, Brown’s positive attitude continued to shine through. Since then, she has been a mainstay in the lineup and at first for the Swords and been as consistent as they come with the glove.

Brown also discussed her major, the family inspiration behind her career pursuit, her experience growing up playing baseball with the boys, the advice she would offer to her younger self and much more.

Chaminade may not have been the initial destination for Kobe Brown, but the partnership has proved fruitful for both sides. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been or won’t be mistakes, but with Brown around, positivity will always shine through. 

HONOLULU — Naomi Takata is no stranger to bringing programs to high peaks.

Just ask anyone who watched the 2018 Pearl City Chargers girls’ varsity soccer team and their magical run to the HHSAA Division I state championship game and a runner-up finish that remains the school’s furthest run since their 2016 state title win.

During that stretch, the then-high school junior goalkeeper saw a pair of state tournament games on back-to-back days go into penalty kicks for Pearl City.

First, a stunning quarterfinal upset of Kamehameha-Kapālama, the ILH champions and top seed in the Division I tournament. Takata was flawless during regulation, keeping an impressive Warriors attack off the board while the Chargers tried to figure out their woes on offense. 

Two scoreless overtime periods later, penalty kicks would be needed to decide a winner. A save during a second round of PKs by Takata proved to be the cushion needed for the Chargers to advance to the semifinals the next night.

As if that weren’t enough, Takata put her superhero cape on once again against Kaiser in the semis to power Pearl City into the title game. After playing to a 1-1 stalemate in regulation, the two sides remained knotted up through a pair of overtime periods and forced a penalty shootout for a ticket to the state title game.

The Chargers won, 3-2, in penalties after Takata added two more saves to her tally. She set the tone by knocking away the first Cougars attempt before slamming the door shut with the final save of the night. 

While the goalkeeper and team would end up falling short (Pearl City lost to ‘Iolani, 1-0, in the HHSAA D1 title match), Takata was named the tournament’s most outstanding goalkeeper and had given the world a taste of what they could come to expect from her going forward.

Things weren’t all perfect at Pearl City. As with many OIA schools, resources can be limited in comparison to private schools. From rides to-and-from games or practices to uniforms and facilities, student-athletes often have to get creative.

“We had a locker room, but it wasn’t like we kept our stuff in there,” Takata recalled. “You either had to drag your bags around school or find a classroom to leave it in or leave it in your car, but not everyone has a car… You can kind of tell the difference. You can feel the difference between an OIA school and a private school.”

While resources could be scarce, students often could find the missing riches in the relationships with staff as teachers and coaches alike looked to push the kids to be their best. 

“Even at Pearl City, one specific teacher we called Kaji, she coached us as well… She’s a math teacher. She is so supportive of us and just wants what’s best for us, outside of the classroom and inside of the classroom as well,” Takata said when asked about the OIA educational experience.  

“I think having a teacher like that definitely prepared me [for college] because she wants me to be successful, so I’m going to keep working to make her proud as well,” she continued on the benefits of connections with staff. 

While she grew up around soccer, referencing family that participates in the sport too, a move from Moanalua to Pearl City in high school helped push her into another level. The momentous change? 

The love for the game she found with Pearl City was aided by suiting up with one of her cousins, a family affair becoming even more fun as the wins came along with the partnership. 

“My entire family actually plays soccer, so I’ve been at the Waipio soccer field since I was young,” Takata reflected. “I moved to Pearl City and I got to play with my cousin there, so that kind of just changed my entire perspective on it, like ‘this is so different, this is so fun’… it definitely changed my point of view on soccer.” 

Her success came as no surprise with the joy on another level. Using an elite high school career, Takata spring-boarded herself to the next level of athletics and a new challenge. 

Her next stop would be at Chaminade, suiting up for a Silverswords program without a winning season on the resumé.  

That would change quickly with the addition of the Chargers’ alum to the roster.

Since her arrival, the Swords have had three winning seasons (one that was shorted by the COVID-19 pandemic), the only three since the program’s inception in 2006.

Success for Takata has come in heaps since suiting up for Chaminade, owning the all-time program records for wins, clean sheets and ties for any Swords goalkeeper. The impact was immediate, being voted as the team’s most outstanding player during her freshman season. 

The coronavirus pandemic took over the world during her second season for Chaminade, playing a shortened four-game season in the spring of 2021 and once again giving a preview of things to come for fans of the program. 

The fall of 2021, Takata and the Swords set a program record with seven wins in 13 matches while allowing less than a goal per game. She matched her first year in the net with four clean sheets, tying her own program record.

This past fall was the best yet for Chaminade’s keeper and crew. 

Playing in 16 matches, Takata buoyed the Silverswords to their third straight winning season (second straight non-COVID-19 shortened winning season) with her best performance yet.

The junior broke her own shutout record with six clean sheets in 2022, including keeping No. 6 UH-Hilo scoreless during a near full month stretch for the Silverswords where opponents were kept off the board.

Takata has been an iron woman in her tenure in net, playing and starting in all 47 games of her career following her arrival on campus. 

Other topics touched on during Takata’s time talking with Hawaii Sports Radio Network included her journey into the net and what she likes about goalkeeping, the recruiting process from an OIA school to playing at Chaminade, her major and how she settled on studying it, along with much more. 

Every year, Naomi Takata has taken her game to new heights. 

What will the fifth-year senior do for her finale? Well, everyone just has to stay tuned.