For many college athletes, the summer is a tedious time. While their classmates are taking trips around the country and even around the globe, many athletes are stuck working and grinding to perfect their craft.

Auburn Mountainview alumnus Kailalani Ahuna is one of those athletes. The sophomore from Seattle Pacific University is playing soccer for the West Seattle Rhodies in their inaugural season.

“It’s a really great group, it’s really fun. It’s competitive, there is a lot of competition at practice. It really is a great group of girls so it is always super fun,” Ahuna said.

It’s a reunion of sorts for Ahuna as she reunites with Rhodies Manager Lyndsey Patterson, who coached Ahuna back in her youth days.

“All of the coaches are great. I played for Lyndsey when I was like 12 or 13, but playing for her again brought my love for the sport back,” Ahuna said.

The Rhodies are in the midst of a USL-W League that is expanding and creating more opportunities for players like Ahuna. The Rhodies, Salmon Bay and Bigfoot Football Club are all new franchises in the USL-W and are all creating a new avenue for high school players.

“It’s great playing the first season. I think this league can really be something big. I think that women’s sports should be bigger and this is really great to see it all unfolding,” Ahuna said.

Ahuna is competing against some of the best soccer players on the West Coast. Division One players are littered all over the Northwest Division, and for a Division Two player like Ahuna, playing against the best is a special challenge.

“It’s definitely fun being a D2 player and playing with these D1 players and semi-pro and soon to be professional players. I don’t really play with a chip on my shoulder, but it is just fun to be out here,” Ahuna said.

In terms of personal challenges, Ahuna is a natural center back, a defender by nature. But under Patterson, she works as a winger, using her speed and technical ability to the fullest extent. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s finding some success in becoming a more versatile soccer player.

“Transitioning to outside back is a challenge to me. She (Lyndsey) has always wanted me to play outside back, but it’s been great at practice… Playing wing back is something I have always wanted to do. I played wing in high school. But practice makes it really easy to get into it,” Ahuna said.

The Rhodies have drawn really good crowds in their first year at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex. Along with community sponsors around the West Seattle area, the team has developed a level of support that is refreshing to Ahuna.

“I never went into West Seattle until I played for this team, but I can tell it is such a big community. It’s just a big family,” Ahuna said. “We have a lot of community sponsors and we can go to them if we want. They open their doors for us. The owner of the Rhodies Jessica Pierce is at every single game and cooks us home cooked meals.”

Ahuna is officially in the transfer portal after two years with the Falcons, but hasn’t quite made a decision on what to do come fall. But if one thing is for certain, she has contributed and has been involved in the successful West Seattle Rhodies’ first season.