As our ohana celebrates a milestone birthday today of my aunt and godmother Sandra Lee, much of the conversation will be about and include her grandchildren (she has quite a few), in particular Kanoa Hironaka and Taylor Suwa since they just competed in state championships last week. Both for Mililani, Kanoa in baseball and Taylor in track. And both just graduated, too.

Another cousin’s son, Wendell Au, is a Leilehua softball coach. We are also very proud of him and his daughter, Chenoa, the Mules’ starting shortstop who played great in the state tournament.

We have a large extended family, but three members in states in one week is a bumper crop and served as a reminder for me how special it is to have a real emotional stake in how a young athlete performs.

While watching Kanoa pitch against Mid-Pacific on Tuesday, I looked around Les Murakami Stadium at a scene I’d witnessed hundreds of times. This time it really hit home. This was culmination and celebration for so many families like ours.

Moms, dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunties, teachers, youth league coaches and teammates, neighbors and classmates. A stadium full of them; many who had been with the Owls and Trojans seniors from the very beginning, some from the start of youth baseball. Some, like me, seeing a cousin’s child play for the first time, but wanting to be there to support him in the biggest moment of his sports life.

Kanoa pitched superbly for six innings, and Mililani led 1-0. When Mid-Pac finally broke through to win, it was obvious Kanoa felt terrible. With the help of supporters his broad smile eventually returned. Still disappointed, coming so close. But he and his teammates had reflected on all they’d accomplished.

SOMEONE WHO also has a relative on the Mililani team said the Trojans would be the story of the year in Hawaii high school sports if they won. When I suggested a closer look at other possibilities, he agreed and quickly recalled Kalani soccer and its star, Leo Klink.

Leo’s story is so sad, it’s difficult to even ponder. His mother, Hiroyo, after cheering Leo’s first-half goal, suffered a stroke in the stands while the underdog Falcons were beating Punahou 2-1 to win the state championship. When Leo scored the final tiebreaker penalty kick, his mother was at a hospital.

The greatest moment of his life had quickly turned to the worst, and Hiroyo died two days later.

But Leo was allowed that great moment because his mother asked while falling ill that Leo not be told what happened yet, that he be allowed to continue to play. It is very possible that if Hiroyo’s request had not been granted, Kalani would not have won. Leo was that vital to the team.

"If he knew his mom was on the ambulance, he would’ve been on the ambulance," said Leo’s coach, Michael Ching.

Not that the outcome of a game really mattered anymore. But it was everything for Hiroyo to allow her son and his teammates those final minutes of childhood and joy.

Leo Klink is an only child, but that February night he became part of all of us. Ching said community support has been incredible.

And, though tragically brief, Kalani did have its moment of culmination and celebration.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.