By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Not too long ago, Summer Cassidy wasn’t a strong candidate to land a soccer scholarship, but that didn’t stop her from getting one.
The Waiakea senior midfielder signed with William Penn, an NAIA school in Iowa, where she’ll be among familiar BIIF faces.
Cassidy will be joined by former Waiakea teammate Tori Teanio. And the Statesmen volleyball team has old Warriors in Cassie Emnase, Casi Gacusana, Taniah Ayap, and Brianna Ridgway on the roster.
“I faced a few obstacles while trying to get a scholarship, two major ones were my GPA and weight,” Cassidy said. “I used to be really overweight, which does not make it easy for a coach to decide whether or not to give a scholarship.
“I never thought I would get into college on a scholarship. I was about 203 pounds and in a year’s time, I was down to 156. I just wanted to say this part because I would like to inspire kids or even teen players.”
A turning point was when a coach had a candid talk with Cassidy, telling her he saw potential in her.
“I was thankful that he told me that. A couple of months from then I started dieting and taking things more seriously,” she said. “If you are struggling with something even if it isn’t being overweight, do not ever give up on what you are striving for, work hard in silence and let your success be the loudest noise out there. If I can do it, so can you, work constantly and your results will be guaranteed to make you proud.”
At Waiakea, she rarely saw the field in her first three years. She considered it lucky if she got two minutes in the entire season.
She cracked the starting lineup in her senior season but didn’t receive any All-BIIF recognition. Still, that didn’t stop Cassidy, who put up a profile on the ncsasports.org website.
Statesmen coach Jaymee Highcock liked her style of play and offered a scholarship to Cassidy, who has raised her GPA to 2.5 and plans to major in sociology with a minor in criminology.
She is one of the original seven Hilo members of the Hawaii Surf Soccer club, which started in 2014.
“To start with seven players and see it grow to over 100, I was at first a little shocked. It was a coincidence that once players started getting recruited more and more came to us,” Cassidy said. “Surf soccer has helped me grow immensely. As a player, they pushed me to my limits. Coach Jason Ambrosio and coach Tyrel Cuyo taught me through soccer that hard work is the key to success. This is a life lesson used everywhere, similar to what my parents (Christian and Heather Cassidy) have said.
“I had been to one tournament, which was the Thanksgiving Surf Cup, and I had coaches offering me partial scholarships just from that one weekend. Surf Cup is honestly one of the best tournaments I would recommend a player to go to.”
Cassidy started playing water polo as a freshman at Waiakea but fell in love with soccer first. She started with Na Hoa O Puna Soccer Club, founded by the late Buddy Perry, who died in 2015. The fields at Shipman Park were renamed Buddy Perry Soccer Fields a year later.
Perry was more than a soccer coach for Cassidy. His inspiration is her constant shadow. And he’s had a lasting impact on her.
“Buddy Perry was such a significant figure in my life. He originally taught me to push through it all, to never stop until you reach the top,” Cassidy said. “He made me the player I am today. He taught me diligence, responsibility and the biggest of all was respect.
“He started a fire in me that is burning brighter and brighter every day. I play for him, every hard game, every easy game, every game I have, I play for him because I know he is watching me, and I know I am making him proud.”