It was a true inspiration as a UH Warrior fan to have the opportunity to cover UH Warrior Head Football Coach Tim Chang and his Bruddahhood coaches and players during their visit on Thursday to the campus of Palisades Elementary School in celebration of Fitness Day. Coach Chang and the Bruddahhood spent time with the entire student body and Palisades ohana as they talked and held Q&A sessions and also ran the students through fitness drills. They capped their visit with lunch in the school cafeteria.
Upon arrival, Coach Chang and the Bruddahhood received a very warm welcome which continued throughout their visit from the excited and energetic students who had fun and enjoyed every minute with their Warrior Bruddahhood Heroes. This is a unique and special group of 2023 Warriors who reached out to the Palisades Suns with their hearts while embracing them as amazing students who represent success and accomplishments in and out of the classroom.
As Coach Chang enters his second year at the helm of the Warrior football program, he is building upon a perpetual foundation of Bruddahhood / Sistahhood outreach while connecting his program with our schools, Pre through 12, the community, and corporate and Warrior supporters and fan base in Hawaii and around the world. This is a special group of young men led by Coach Chang, who are sharing their talents, skills, vision for the future for our youth, while having fun with their adoring fans.
Timmy Chang, Head Coach, Hawaii Warriors Football
“This means everything for our university, our football team, and our athletics program. We really feel that we embody the state and represent the future of state like this elementary, so it’s important for us to be here. My guys are going to have fun and are going to learn more from these kids. It’s really exciting for my players and myself to get out here and meet the kids and say hello and have them dream and aspire and be great.
This is really important for my guys. They get caught in their everyday grind and they’re in a routine. They wake up at 5:00 in the morning, they’re tricking in at 6:00am for workouts, and they go to school. Life is starting to hit these guys, and this is a reminder of how special they are as players. It kind of brings up why they’re doing this, and what they do this for, and it brings them back to this stage where things were light and little simpler. It reminds them, as they go through the grind and they’re just trying to be their best.
To me, it’s just a beautiful thing and it reminds my guys how simple life should be and the choices that we make. They’re just playing a kids game, but the stakes are a lot higher at our level. Giving back to these kids and seeing their faces, if we can make a difference, we’re going to do it.
We have a special connection as Warriors. There’s a lot more trust, and there’s a lot more understanding. The bond is there, the Bruddahhood is there. It’s a great tagline, but there’s a lot of respect, and a lot of grind that goes into it, and being a part of this culture. It really started here for me personally at Palisades Elementary and behind here in the baseball fields and playing those Pinto baseball games. That’s where it all started for me.”
Gavin Tsue, Principal, Palisades Elementary School
“This is a great opportunity for our kids and I’m so happy that the UH football team, the Bruddahhood, that they did this community outreach to a school like Palisades Elementary School. For me, it’s coming back full circle with Coach Tim Chang. He once spent the whole day with my third grade classroom, and just to honor his late Father who was my former Principal at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School. He was a great mentor for me. I saw Timmy grow up as a football player at St. Louis High School. A star football player, stayed at home at the University of Hawaii and set those records there, and now coming back as the UH Head Football Coach. Our kids are so ecstatic to see the Bruddahhood just come here and spend the day with them and be a part of our Fitness Day here at Palisades Elementary.”
The Palisade Elementary School Hui ‘Aha ‘aina Culinary students and their advisor Cherilyn Evangelista, created a special UH Bruddahhood Energy Bar as a gift for Coach Chang and his Bruddahhood Warriors.
Jan Kanaeholo, Vice Principal, Palisades Elementary School
“Today for our event, the culinary class Hui ‘Aha ‘aina actually made energy bars as a gift for a thank you for the players who are coming today to work with the kids. The kids were very, very excited. They have been cooking a lot and putting things together, but this is the first time they’re actually putting something together for somebody outside of the school. They are very proud and very happy and worked really hard on Wednesday.”
Thank you to Head Coach Tim Chang and the Bruddahhood for spending time with the Palisades Elementary School ohana, Also, thank you to Principal Tsue and Vice Principal Kanaeholo for the invitation to attend such a wonderful event and inspiring event.
It was an honor to see UH Warrior football legend and current Warrior football coach Nate Ilaoa at today’s Palisades Elementary Fitness Day. Also, thank you to Pearl City/Waipahu Complex Area Superintendent Richard Fajardo who also attended and supported today’s Fitness Day.
Mahalo to the Warriors who participated on Thursday: (My apologies if I missed a Warrior)
#4 Cam Stone
#16 Logan Taylor,
#33 Peter Manuma
#42 Jonah Kahahawai-Welch
#43 Tariq Jones
#48 Malachi Finau
#96 Andrew Choi
GO WARRIORS!
Photos by Barry Villamil | MyPearlCity.com
