One of Tausani Tavale’s many strengths as a soccer player is her ability to reset after misfortune.
She can do it on the field as simply as blasting the ball 50 yards downfield to push the negativity away or by listening to her dad in the stands say reassuring words like, “Relax, relax. You’ll do better if you relax.”
But the ultimate recharge for the Kamehameha senior defender so far came when she bounced back from an ACL injury that kept her away for a year from the sport she loves. It was exhilarating for Tavale to watch her Warriors teammates hoist the state championship trophy last season, but it was agonizing knowing she was not in the lineup to help.
“It was frustrating for me that I couldn’t play for my team,” Tavale said after a Friday practice. “I thought it was my fault or that I could have done better or something. But then, ever since my injury, I’ve thought it was a blessing and I thank the Lord for it. It’s just an obstacle in life and it’ll help me get better.”
With Tavale’s return to the starting backfield, where she roamed as a freshman and sophomore, the Warriors (8-0-2) took the ILH title and this week begin defense of their Division I crown in the Queen’s Medical Center/HHSAA Girls Soccer Championships. On Thursday, Kamehameha plays Kamehameha-Maui in the Division I quarterfinals.
During soccer competition, Tavale has an unmistakable game face that includes an intense gaze and a tucked lip.
“Sometimes I see pictures of me playing and I always feel like I’ve got a scary face, like I’m trying to eat the ball or something,” she said. “I feel like when people look at me, they’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s scary.’ ”
Warriors coach Missy Moore is familiar with Tavale’s intensity.
“She’s all business once that whistle blows. But she is able to laugh when she makes a mistake,” the coach said. “She brushes it off easily and that’s a huge attribute. Sometimes, you’ll see her give a smirk on the field after a bad pass or trap. Her being a senior and a starting center back with the knowledge that she brings to the game really helps with our success. She’s very quick, very tenacious, an aggressive defender who is not afraid to tackle or go for the air ball.”
Fellow Warriors senior Kalia Kalua, a striker, knows the two sides of Tavale well.
“If Tausani gets beat, she’ll get back and get that ball however she can,” Kalua said. “And she’s always positive. It’s what we need for the team. She’s always picking up everybody. If we’re not doing good in practice, she’ll make jokes so that we’re staying happy and picking it up and getting better. We’re just goofballs, but when it’s time to be serious, we’re serious. She’s always making the team laugh and I know she always makes me laugh.”
Tavale, who will play soccer at Hawaii Pacific University next season, plans on returning to the Kamehameha softball team this spring as a leadoff hitter and outfielder. As a sophomore, she was a Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State first-team selection in soccer and she made the All-State second team in softball in her first two seasons before sitting out as a junior because of the knee injury.
Asked for her most memorable moment as a Warriors soccer player, Tavale didn’t pick a highlight, which is not a surprise since she appears to be wise beyond her years when it comes to learning lessons through difficulties.
“I’ll always remember freshman year we ran … we ran all practice,” she said. “I thought that was the hardest thing. We ran for almost two hours. It was challenging, trying to dive across the line and getting there on time. I remember we had to throw up there (pointing toward the outside fence at Kunuiakea Stadium) because if you threw up over there (the track), you gotta wash it off. If you didn’t make your time or if you went and threw up in the bathroom, you still had to do more running. I took that to heart … not giving up and pushing all the way through.”
For coach Moore, the comeback from injury is the easiest way to illustrate Tavale’s character.
“When she was hurt, she said she was going to come back stronger than ever and that always sticks in my mind,” Moore said. “She did what she said she was going to do. Sometimes, when there are injuries, kids may not take the physical therapy or training seriously. She came back and she has done really well. She has the mentality to fight through when adversity comes. She knows how to roll with it.”
TAUSANI TAVALE
Kamehameha soccer, softball senior
>> Positions: Soccer defender, softball outfielder
>> Height: 5 feet 3
>> Weight: 132 pounds
>> College soccer commitment: Hawaii Pacific University
>> Possible college path: Business (tourism and management)
>> Career goal: Flight attendant
>> Favorite activity: Babysitting three nephews and a niece
>> Family: Father Michael, mother Jolynn, sister Teva’e, sister Tessie, brother T’nias
>> Hometown: Waipahu
>> Ethnicity: Samoan, Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese
>> Favorite TV show: “Shameless”
