Alex Hernandez is an ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Edge High School for AZPreps365.com 

GOODYEAR — In her hometown of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, wide receiver Haliimaile Alu-Kau found the kitchen was where bonds were built, a lesson she carries into every huddle and locker room for Desert Edge flag football.

Transferring to Desert Edge in January of this year could have been challenging. Still, Alu-Kau found her new family nearly 3,000 miles away from home with the flag football team in the desert, rather than a tropical paradise.

Her Hawaiian roots have helped shape her into the person she is today, as well as her interests. 

Some of Alu-Kau’s favorite memories growing up were making Hawaiian food with her relatives, as it allowed her to spend quality time with her loved ones.

“It takes a big group like a family to do it,” Alu-Kau said.

As a senior, Alu-Kau has developed significantly since her freshman year. She said she has grown most in how she thinks and how she carries herself.

“Honestly, I have matured a lot. I’ve grown emotionally, spiritually, and I have grown as a better person,” Alu-Kau said. “Making sure my emotions are regulated, I can control them, and just thinking through logically.”

Despite meeting at the beginning of the season, teammate Grace Bryant connected with Alu-Kau early, and the two have been best friends since.

Bryant said Alu-Kau’s kindhearted personality gravitated her from the moment the two met.

“She’s just so loving, she cares about everybody no matter what,” Bryant said. “She cares about each one of our teammates on a personal level and wants to get to know us personally.”

Bryant recalled a moment from a game when Alu-Kau showed her bubbly personality. 

Bryant was having a tough week, and making mistakes during a game wasn’t helping. She walked off the field crying before Alu-Kau approached her.

“She hugged me and put her hands on my head and said, ‘You’re good dude, just hang in there, you’re going to make mistakes, so just keep your head up,’” Bryant said.

Head coach Sean Ellicott echoed Bryant’s message, describing Alu-Kau as selfless and emotionally mature. Those qualities are some of the reasons why he said he enjoys coaching her.

Ellicott can ask Alu-Kau to pick up the ball bag or other equipment left on the field, and she always has a positive attitude, always willing to help.

“She’s just not going to complain, she’s just going to do the right thing,” Ellicott said. “In a world where people feel more and more selfish, it’s just always nice to have that.”

Alu-Kau has made an impact not only on his coaching but also on the way he approaches life, Ellicott said.

Ellicott spent most of his career coaching boys. Through coaching girls like Alu-Kau, he has learned he can still have fun while remaining an effective coach.

“Haliimaile has helped me learn that it doesn’t have to be serious all the time,” Ellicott said. “Things can still be productive, even though it’s not always 100 percent serious. You can have fun with it and just be kind of silly, but you’re still doing good things.”

One of Alu-Kau’s favorite memories of playing flag football is spending time with coach Ellicott. She said he is one of the best coaches she has ever had and enjoys building a connection with him.

“It’s just like building that family mentality,” Alu-Kau said.

One of Alu-Kau’s biggest inspirations is her father. Seeing how driven he is and the extent to which he has helped their family is something she hopes to replicate as she gets older.

“I see how hard he’s worked, coming from Hawaii, we don’t have much, and we don’t have a lot,” Alu-Kau said. “Seeing how hard he worked and how much he’s been able to give my family is very inspiring to me.”