Nawai Kaupe: A Familial Journey to Become A Softball Leader

Part of the reason why we love sports is because we get to experience the emotional journey that athletes go through. When we see a basketball player drain a game-winning three-pointer,  we see in their celebration the years of hard work and dedication on full display. When we see a runner win gold at the Olympics, we see in their emotion the countless injuries, surgeries and rehab sessions that were endured to get to the top of the podium. Sports tell a personal story of overcoming challenges, adversity, and obstacles in order to achieve greatness. 

Even on the collegiate level — here at the University of Hawai‘i — this type of emotion can be seen. For softball shortstop Nawai Kaupe, behind every one of her home runs is a very personal and emotional journey driven by family. 

A native of Maui, Kaupe’s athletic journey started practically when she was born. With two athletic older brothers, including one who was a fourth-round draft pick of the New York Mets, as well as a father who is also a softball coach, it was practically a given that she would also grow up to be an athlete as well.

The question wasn’t whether or not she would be an athlete, but rather, what sport she would play when she grew up. “The joke among my family was ‘I wonder what Nawai is going to do?’” she recalls.

As a child, her father exposed her to all types of sports - volleyball, track and field, and boxing, before landing on softball’s closely-related cousin, baseball. On the baseball field, Kaupe again found herself surrounded by other males and was the only female on the team. “Playing with boys encouraged me to give out more than my 100 percent,” she said.

She eventually became comfortable with this and it prodded her to separate herself as a competitor. It wasn’t until later on in high school that Kaupe would switch to softball — a transition that would prove to be  rather uncomfortable at first.  “When I joined the softball team and was surrounded by other girls and all that drama, I always secluded myself because I didn’t know how to handle it,” she recalled.

And it did make it any easier that her father Bernard was also involved in a stressful situation. He, along with the rest of the softball coaching staff at Baldwin High School was let go. WIth her father’s departure, Kaupe felt the pressure to transfer schools, going from Baldwin to Maui High, where her father would also join her as a softball coach for the Sabers. While the rest of her family had graduated from Baldwin High, she would eventually become the first to graduate from Maui High.

It’s not a period in Kaupe’s life that she looks back fondly at. The memories of moving schools, switching sports and being involved in a tense situation that involved her own father are difficult to recall. Even with all the negative memories attached, Kaupe had nothing but positive words in regards to her father and her family. 

“When I went to Maui High, all my friends and cousins were there, but what I didn’t know was that what I needed the most was my dad,” she said. “I knew I needed a coach that could help me go somewhere and that was my dad. My dad was my coach my entire life. I loved having my dad as a coach."

While others could have looked at this experience as points of contention and strain between the family, if anything, this experience only solidified their love for one another, helping Kaupe to become a better athlete and a better individual through the process.  Her older brother Branden, who she also looks up to, also served as a coach on the team. 

Kaupe eventually opened up towards her team and cited that the relationships she formed with her teammates were what kept her going. “I could care less about if we make errors or if we strike out,” she said. “It’s about the strong bonds that we build and that we continue to build.” As far as her on-field mentality, she stated, “I always smile. Strikeout? Smile. Make an error? Smile. I still love the game even if it doesn’t go in my favor.”

While she admits she’s bad at pep-talks, Kaupe finds other ways to motivate others. “As long as your head is still in the game and you make your teammates feel like they’re still in the game, that’s all that matters,” she said. 

The warm-loving, friendly and communal side of her spreads even to her volunteer work. In 2020, Kaupe traveled to Cambodia where she worked with Courts4Kids to build basketball and volleyball courts in rural areas and to encourage young girls to get into sports. “It was weird for them to see girls playing,” Kaupe said. “When they saw me throw a ball, they found it odd to see a girl throwing a ball like that.”

Kaupe has already graduated from the University of Hawai‘i with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and is currently in graduate school. As for her future plans, she has high hopes to try out for the Philippines National Softball Team. And in a response that harkens to her family roots,  she stated she’d also like to be a coach one day as well.

#GoBows