Feb. 14, 2019

Contributed by Shaundor Chillingworth

Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi senior and UNLV-commit Kaila Ambrosio decided for her senior legacy project, she’d try and create an opportunity for athletes in her community.

She has put together a soccer showcase called “Kick It to the Future” for middle school students in East Hawaiʻi to create a competitive environment for young soccer athletes to get exposed to college coaches and to get direction on how begin the process of getting identified by college coaches.

“The reason why I made this event my senior legacy was because I have been committed to UNLV since 2016 and signed my letter of intent on National Signing Day,” shares Ambrosio.

“Growing up here, I know that there are many high quality student-athletes in our community. I also know that they are not being given the right opportunities to showcase their skills. I was extremely lucky; I was identified by and subsequently joined a club that gave me the opportunities and guidance I needed to play at the next level.”

The event will feature the following coaches:

• Gene Okamura 
  University of Hawaii – Hilo Women's Soccer Head Coach
• Paul Regrutto
  University of Hawaii - Hilo Men's Soccer Head Coach
• Brandon Porter
  Oregon Institute of Technology Women's Soccer Head Coach
• Keoki Haole
  Chaminade University Men's Soccer Assistant Coach
• Michael Herman
  Holy Names University Women's Soccer Head Coach
• Jennifer Jaques
  JJ's Elite Goalkeeping

Check-in starts at 3:30 p.m. at Paiʻea Stadium and will end with a Q&A at 7 p.m. Athletes should bring a ball and their own personal equipment. The event is open for middle school students born between 2005 and 2007. Interested athletes should register for the camp by emailing Kaila at Kaila.ambrosio@imua.ksbe.edu. The cost for the camp is $50 and participants should register by Feb. 20. 

“I want every athlete to have to chance to play at the next level and it is my mission to give them that opportunity,” says Ambrosio.

As one of the captains of the KS Hawaiʻi Girls Soccer team, Ambrosio led an incredible, dramatic comeback in the final minutes of this year's BIIF DII Soccer Championship game, with a high arching shot off a penalty kick that sent the game into overtime (which the Warriors won for back-to-back BIIF titles).

She officially signed her letter of intent to play with the Running Rebels of UNLV on November 14, 2018.

The senior legacy project is a KS Hawaiʻi graduation requirement. Students select, plan and execute a community service or research project that will benefit their community during their senior year and demonstrate their learning process for a panel of community judges through their Senior Expo.