From Paradise to the Mainland: An Island Girl’s Journey part 2

Continued from Part 1

You were a pretty good water polo player. In a nutshell, tell us about your career at Villanova.

Haha. Thank you. I wouldn’t say I was always a good water polo player, but once I committed, I made my work ethic my priority and gave myself reasonable expectations.  Once I exceeded my own expectations, it served as motivation. Just to give you some background, I played on the Varsity Division 2 team during high school, and didn’t feel that I could realistically play at the collegiate level. Pursuing water polo in college was a really big leap for me, especially for my self-confidence as an athlete.

When I first arrived at Villanova, the team was in a rebuilding year, and our freshman class held a huge presence because we made up almost half the team. I relied a lot on my classmates because a lot of the upperclassmen quit during my first two years at Nova. I had a few mentors on the team that really helped me to develop my position as the center/set player.

In water polo, however, you have to be able to play every position, offense, defense, set, set guard, etc. This is why it’s such a difficult sport, not to mention the wrestling and swimming.

I am left handed, but I play water polo and many other sports with my right hand. I guess you could consider that ambidextrous. In hindsight, deciding on Villanova was beneficial for me because I was able to play against the better teams in the league as an underdog.

During tournaments, I learned by watching the more experienced players and programs. Then, I implemented what I saw into my practices. Our coaching staff was quite small and we had a different assistant coach every year. These inconsistencies, in fact, helped to keep me focused on my own work ethic.

During my sophomore year, one of my senior teammates shared time with me in set, and taught me some new techniques. By my junior year, I was able to develop my ability to draw kickouts and get position quite well, which is threatening from a center position player.

This was when I increased my chances of scoring and felt comfortable in the position. All of the recognition was unexpected, really, because I wasn’t the highest scorer. However, I learned first-hand that being a well-rounded player and not the highest scorer does make you a valuable asset.

I give a lot of credit to my coach who gave me the ample playing time to develop some of my talents. No matter how I felt in the pool, he was persistent and positive about my abilities.

As a four-year athlete, I would say my career was more focused on contributing to the program and its success, while helping the other girls on the team understand what being a committed athlete means.

As a leader, I hoped to leave the girls with the desire to keep improving. I loved getting to know the group of girls who acted as my family for those four years. “Never being satisfied” is a great way to put my ambition, as cliché as that may sound. I am proud because my career developed into something I never thought it would be.

What’s the best advice someone has given you?

The best advice that my parents have always told me is that all you can do is your best. In other words, only you will know if you do your best because if you do, then you have no excuses. This implies that preparation and practice are crucial, but also it becomes much more of a personal relationship. It taught me that I have to push myself because nothing is worse than regretting or hating myself for not succeeding.  My motivation came from the thought that only I have the control over myself, and my outcome.

If 9 Inning Know it All were to visit Hawai’i, what are a few must see places and local food dishes we must try?

If 9 Inning Know it All were to visit Hawaii, I would say that Maui or Kaua’i are two less crowded islands that you should visit and they are both very beautiful for vacation! However, I live on Oahu, and so I know that island best.

If you were to see Oahu, you MUST go see Lanikai beach on the East Side of the island and there is a cute beach town named Kailua to check out as well. The North Shore is a great trip to make and there are a lot of stops on the way such as the swap meet at the stadium, all the surf shops, and the famous Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach.

There are many hikes that you can do such as Makapu’u lighthouse, Maunawili Falls, and Diamond Head. During the winter, Makapu’u also serves as a whale-watching site! If you want to experience the full Hawaiian culture and don’t mind spending time with tourists, I would suggest seeing a traditional luau.

As for food, there is no shortage of great eats because Hawaii has so many diverse cultures. Traditional Hawaiian food is a must because you can’t find it anywhere else in the world! Shave Ice is similar to a snow cone, but it is a yummy treat that you can even get with Mochi balls or condensed milk.

Poke is also an island favorite that is different from sashimi and sushi. It is almost like a fish salad, which is raw fish mixed with sometimes onion, green onion, soy sauce, spicy sauce, and seaweed. It is unique like ceviche and goes good with rice! Dim Sum is a Chinese favorite of mine and in Chinatown there are some great hidden places to eat it. It is a lot of dumplings or steamed buns stuffed with pork or veggies.

Final question, please give us your top five songs of all time.

These questions are the ones that really leave me speechless! I love so many different types of music, I can’t choose! I will do my best…in no particular order:

1. Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey (I grew up listening to this song!!! I know all the words)
2. Jowenna (Sweet Hawaiian Girl) – Fiji (This song reminds me of home and driving to the beach.)
3. Headlines – Drake (Drake is one of my favorite rappers. This song makes me feel like I can crush any workout.)
4. What’s My Name – Rihanna (I have infamously changed the lyrics to say, “Oh Hannah, that’s my name!” haha)
5. Whatever It Is – Zac Brown Band (If any guy sang this to me, I would melt!!! I love country music and Zac Brown Band always has some good driving tunes.)

Hannah, thank you for chatting with 9 Inning Know it All.   

Thank you for having me!!! I am so honored. See you at the games!