Athletes Demonstrate ʻŌiwi Leadership at Kīpaipai Fridays

Kīpaipai Fridays is a weekly opportunity for high school athletes to cheer on their younger Kamehameha Schools Maui siblings as they arrive for a new school day — helping to build pilina between students and leadership skills of athletes.

E Ola! Learners

Sept. 15, 2022

As a black SUV pulled into the driveway of Paiʻea at Māhele Lalo, senior volleyball player Shyra Dudoit-Caban rushed over to hold the door open for a haumana emerging from the car. With a smile on her face, the young haumana gave high fives to the other volleyball players standing at the curb to greet her.

“It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day,” Dudoit-Caban said.

She and the rest of her junior varsity and varsity teammates — suited up in their game-day jerseys — were gathered outside of the Māhele Lalo drop-off area as part of Kīpaipai Fridays. It’s a weekly opportunity for Māhele Luna athletes in grades 9-12 to cheer on their younger Kamehameha Schools Maui siblings as they arrive for a new school day.

“I didn’t have this kind of interaction with older students when I was their age,” Dudoit-Caban said. “I think this helps to increase the visibility of athletics, and hopefully they’ll be inspired to get involved with a sport.”

A few haumāna gathered around a large-screen television stationed off to the side of the learning center. A highlight reel of the volleyball team’s greatest plays flickered on loop. The haumāna whooped and cheered as they watched players block and spike balls.

Since the Fridays began just a few short weeks ago, Assistant Principal Lisa Correa says she’s already seen the impact on the ʻōpio. At the pre-season football game against KS Hawaiʻi, Correa recalled seeing many Māhele Lalo haumāna with their ʻohana.

“They don’t even have siblings in Māhele Lalo. They were just there because they feel a sense of connection to what our older haumāna are doing,” she said.

Azariah Borrero, a freshman volleyball player, said she participated in Kīpaipai Fridays because it's part of her kuleana to be a good role model for younger haumāna.

“Playing a sport teaches you so many skills — communication, building pilina, working together and leadership,” Borrero said.

Off in the distance a stream of Māhele Lalo haumāna exited from the school bus. They were greeted by high fives from volleyball players lined up along the sidewalk.

Kaholo Rickard, associate athletics director, wasn’t sure if the whole project would take off. But he’s been in awe that he can put out a kāhea for participants and a flood of emails will come back from his student athletes.

“At the end of the day this is really what ʻōiwi leadership looks like,” he said, “They care about their kuleana as someone the younger haumāna look up to.”