Postcards from the Road: Men's Soccer
By Allegra Diaz, photos from Wataru Muto
“We had two trips this season (Oahu and California), but we didn’t just play away games. I experienced American culture in CA. We watched an NBA game, and we visited San Francisco, San Jose, and Fresno. It was my first time visiting California, so the landscape was different from Hawaii. I spent a few years in WA, but everything was new to me. The travel experience was valuable for us, and it was a very good opportunity for me to experience new things.”
The UH Hilo Men's Soccer team lines up on the field.
“Weather on the big island is very unique. Sometimes I get confused because suddenly it starts raining. But I got used to the weather after spending a few months in HI. I think the quality of practice and games is high, but we still need to fix small things to win. However, the quality of them is getting much better than preseason, and we can still improve and learn new strategies.”
“We have had some home games, and now UH Hilo students are allowed to watch our games. The support from UH Hilo students is very helpful and I’m always excited when they come and watch our games.
The UH Hilo Men's Soccer Team poses for the camera.
Personally, I played all games, and I’m a starter for 11/12 games. I think my performance in the last few games was very good because of the supporters and home games. We have a lot of international students, players from the mainland, and players from Hawaii. I always realize how good team relationships are. Everyone tries to understand different cultures, so I'm so comfortable to be part of the team.”
“The training is very helpful for us to improve personal skills and team combinations. We usually have training at 5:45 in the morning, so sometimes it’s hard for us to manage the schedule. But the relationship between each player and coaches is great and we are working together toward one goal.”
“I grew up in Japan, and I've played soccer for a long time in Japan, but the soccer strategy in America is much different from Japan. I'm smaller than other players, so I always think about how I can beat the players who are taller and bigger than me. I especially think and use my brain in games.”
Wataru chases the ball down the field.
“My English is not perfect, and sometimes it's still difficult for me to share my opinion in English, but my teammates always try to hear and understand what I want to say. I really appreciate my teammates and coaches. It's been three years since I came to the United States. When I graduated from high school, I quit soccer once, so the main purpose in going to the United States was to study, but after I decided to play soccer again, everything changed positively. Now I'm focusing on both academics and soccer. I wanna try to do my best for this team.”
'Postcard' from Wataru Muto, junior majoring in business marketing, #18 Left Back on the team