The Maui Sabers have hit the field this year in hopes of securing their 1st winning season in 3 years.
While the team works towards that goal, one member of the program is breaking down barriers and becoming a role model for younger athletes.
“Anytime you’re breaking down the ceiling that’s a big accomplishment for anybody, right. So She comes here with a great attitude. She works hard like I said, she works hard all the time,” said Maui Assistant Coach Keneke Pacheco.
“I honestly love thinking about that. Being an inspiration for girls, I’m just happy that they can look up to me because I didn’t have much to look up to. And I’m happy that I can inspire other girls to play,” said Maui Junior Kaylyn Banaag.
Maui Junior Kaylyn Banaag is a mulit-sport athlete which includes playing Defensive Back for the football team.
This isn’t the 1st year for Banaag either, as she has played tackle football up against the Boys on Maui for years.
“It started when I was small for sure, I think in Elementary School, Kind of started playing flag football. I didn’t like it at first, I didn’t like it at first. But eventually my dad pushed me and I started to learn and understand things and that’s when I started to want to play tackle because I thought if my brother was playing tackle, why can’t I? You know, sibling competitiveness. Honestly I just thought why can’t I, and eventually I started falling in love with the sport even more,” said Banaag.
Now, Banaag is a key piece to the team, as she has started a game at DB and on Special Teams for the Varsity Squad.
“She definitely is good with the aggression of the game and plays the way the game is meant to be played whether it’s male or female. She’s playing a male game and she’s playing it as good as anybody else,” said Pacheco.
Banaag isn’t shy about the physicality of the sport, as in matter of fact she actually welcomes it.
“Hitting gets all of my jitters out,” said Banaag. “I think it helps too because my dad was a DBs coach all my life, so he always taught us DBs stuff. I usually take a big breath before my 1st hit because you know the pregame jitters.”
“She’s not afraid to mix it up. She’ll give you everything she’s got on the hit and she’ll try to bring you down, you got to love that right?” said Pacheco.
Banaag was a Star DB and Wide Receiver for the Sabers Flag Football Team in the Spring, is now making an immediate impact on the Varsity Football Team this Fall.
And While she isn’t the 1st female athlete to play tackle football on the islands, she certainly hopes she isn’t the last.
“I would honestly love to see that. I really love that girls are playing flag football too now, because you know they get the chance and if girls want to play tackle, you know, they can play tackle. There’s no problem. There’s nothing stopping them and eventually the boys will always support them too, and it’ll become like a family, just like how the boys are with me,” said Banaag.