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“By any means necessary.”
“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.”
“Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”
The first two quotes aren’t a part of Tyanna Kaaialii’s core values, but they might as well be. That’s because the third one, coined by the legendary, late Vince Lombardi, is her favorite mantra of all time.
“I hate losing, especially coming from Mililani Prep (softball club). We almost always win, and when we lose, it feels like the world is crumbling,” Kaaialii said. “I try to think of every game as a championship game, not just a regular-season game. It’s do or die. Coach Chad (Obara) likes to say, ‘Mental errors shouldn’t happen. We can control those.’ I definitely have those nights when I’m staying up trying to figure out what I could’ve done better. I feed off whatever I did right.”
Called “Peanut Butter,” Kaaialii actually has an “obsession” with the sticky stuff. The Pearl City ace grew up on the continent, moving with her military family to California, Nevada, Washington. It was in Cali, playing for a club team, where her teammates nicknamed each other.
“My really good friend was ‘Chocolate.’ My other friend was ‘Shark Bait.’ Another one was ‘Hello Kitty’ because she did a funny dance. Her hands looked like whiskers and it reminded everyone of Hello Kitty,” Kaaialii said.
That, in essence, is what you get with Kaaialii, who doesn’t like being called Tyanna — a perfectly nice name. Peanut Butter?
“The girl who gave it to me said it was because of my skin color and the way I dance a lot, very smoothly and can do any dance move,” said Kaaialii, who can do hula, Tahitian as well as gymnastics, and spends her fragments of free time as a Chargers cheerleader.
“It was just a coincidence that I have an obsession with peanut butter,” the right-hander said.
The senior not only prefers Skippy creamy, but she considers all other additives to a sandwich absolutely sinful.
“I like it out of the jar with a spoon. The biggest jar that they sell is how much I can eat in one sitting. With no jelly. The jelly doesn’t have the peanut butter flavor. It masks it too much,” she insisted. “You have to take it off.”
Oh, and she likes coffee with her PB sandwich. That combination of pure PB with caffeine in the morning or night — the better to ace her studies and maintain a 3.8 grade-point average. In one food and one beverage, the essence of Kaaialii is on exhibit, whether it’s the softball diamond or anywhere else. She has narrowed down her plans for the future: college, military, a career in fire-fighting or law enforcement. Or get a master’s in civil engineering.
“I always like action. A lot of it is my dad (Roland). He’s a retired Naval chief. I have a brother who’s 25 and currently serving in the Air Force,” she said. “It’s something I would love, serving my country. My dad has instilled that in me, having a passion to serve my country and be a good citizen.”
With Kaaialii motoring as an every-game starter, Pearl City rose to a No. 1 ranking in the Star-Advertiser Softball Top 10 two weeks ago. But the OIA West is a difficult place to find peace. Two losses for the Chargers (6-2) in the past two weeks have dropped them into third place behind two-time defending state champion Campbell and Mililani. Leilehua, which stunned Pearl City 4-3 on Saturday on a pinch-hit home run by Gwen Maeha — a two-time state bowling champion — brought the Mules within striking range right behind the Chargers. In that loss, Kaaialii started and finished with verve and velocity, unapologetic to those in the vicinity who are distracted by her usual grunt as she pitches.
“I’ve had my grunt since I was 12. It’s a mechanism I use to get as much power as I can out of my little 5-foot-1 body,” Kaaialii said. “I like seeing people’s reaction to my grunt. It makes me laugh a lot.”
The numbers have been superb in her senior season: a 2.20 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. Her year-round regimen, playing local and mainland competition, has kept her in top physical condition. If anything, it may be that quest for perfection that can be her own foe at times. Kaaialii has walked 35 batters, including five in the loss to Leilehua. For the pitcher who believes winning is the only thing, what happens if this exceptional Pearl City softball season doesn’t lead to a championship?
“I don’t think it’ll be a failure,” Kaaialii said. “It’ll better our future and the program.”
A few of the Pearl City ace’s favorite things
Athlete: Kalei Kaneshiro
“Kalei is a teammate of mine. She graduated in 2016. She was a transfer on my Mililani Prep team, my catcher. I really look up to her, her intensity and the way she motivated me. She always inspired me and the way I want to play.”
Team: San Francisco 49ers and Giants
“A lot of it is my dad. He’s a big fan of the 49ers and the Giants.”
Hobby outside of sports: Dancing
“I was around 3 or 4 years old when I started doing gymnastics and ballet, and that went to cheerleading and dancing and tumbling and gymnastics all tied into cheerleading. All-year-round softball and I fit in dancing and cheerleading when I can.”
Movie: “Taken,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Furious 7”
“’Taken:’ I love that movie because it’s a dad trying to save his daughter who made a mistake.”
“’Lilo & Stitch.’ It’s Hawaiian. I like the music and it’s a big childhood memory of mine forever. I’ve seen it too many times to count.”
“’Furious 7.’ I’ve seen all of them and love all of them. I consider Dom and The Rock to be my future husbands.”
TV Show: “Scorpion,” “Blue Bloods”
“I like ‘Scorpion’ because of the nerdy/comedy action. I like ‘Blue Bloods’ because I always like action. On top of that, I’m someone who wants to join the military to become a firefighter or join the police force. It’s definitely something that me and my entire family watch.”
Video game: EWWWWW.
“That’s me (writing) ‘ewwwww.’ I don’t like video games.”
Music artist: Christina Aguilera
“I love how strong and vocal her voice is, and the way her music and voice are so powerful.”
College: Undecided
“Plan is to go to a four-year college, and join the military after college. Get my master’s in civil engineering.”
Place to relax:
“At home in my dad’s arms.”
How does the sport affect your life?:
“Softball becomes my life and in the offseason it’s still my life.”
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