PORT ORCHARD, WA—The story of how Kai Pahl came to Port Orchard FC is a story of people more than it is of soccer.
The club was contacted by Guam National Team player and Tacoma area resident Eddie Na during the off season. Na wondered, was POFC interested in a young winger with experience on the Guam National U23’s. That player’s name: Kai Pahl.
Club Coordinator David Falk did some quick research and one of the first things that came up was that Kai was playing for Saint Martin’s University in Lacey. Further, Pahl had just suffered the loss of his mother. He was nearly 6,000 miles away from home when he got the news.
Recommended By A ‘Rival’
Eddie Na played for Nido Aguila last season in the CPL2 Final. He even scored a goal against Port Orchard. Still, as history shows, POFC went on to triumph 4-2 and earn promotion. Apparently the “people vibe” of POFC stuck with Na. Here he was months later reaching out to a ‘rival’ as a possible fit for a player in need of not only a team but also time to turn grief into opportunity.
POFC Supporters Pick Kai Up
Pahl was invited to open tryouts but did not have transportation to get from Lacey to Port Orchard. The call was put out on the POFC Fans Facebook Group, and Carrie and Emery Hill came through bigtime. Not only did they drive down and get Kai, they put him up for the weekend and treated him to dinner out.
Two months later here we all are, taking about Kai Pahl, POFC player.
Pahl Invited To Continue Training
Kai was invited to train with the club after a successful tryouts showing. “Kai is a player that I didn’t know much about before tryouts, but I have been impressed by him,” says Head Coach Patrick Leonard. “He has a good playing resume and so far has really seemed to enjoy getting involved with the club. He impresses me with his playing ability but also his willingness to learn and be coached as well. I’m excited to continue working with Kai through the summer.”
Playing Soccer In Guam
“The soccer scene in Guam was competitive for the competition that we could face,” says Kai. “Club soccer was a big impact on the player that I am now. My parents put me into soccer when I was 4 because my dad was a coach at that time. He is still a coach and is the president for the club team that I played for, Wings FC. My parents would take me to practices, games, and invested in me.”
Rising Up, Seeing The World
Pahl’s rise through the soccer ranks eventually led to national team play and international travel. “When I was 7 or 8 years old, I tried out for the “Guam Football National Academy” which was an academy pathway to the national team. I made the team and trained under AFC licensed coaches. When I was 14, I made the U16 team and traveled to China. Since then, I have played in Japan, played with the U16 in Singapore, captained the U20 in the Philippines, captained the U20 in Laos, and played with the U23 in Vietnam.” (Kai’s video channel.)
How did Kai end up at Saint Martin’s? “Just like any other college recruitment process, I reached out to Rob Walker and informed him of my interest in the program and the rest is history,” says Pahl. “I knew that I wanted to be in Washington and I knew I wanted to be at a NCAA Division 1 or 2 program, so it checked all of my boxes. My experience so far has been good. Being able to experience a different level outside of Guam soccer has been fun.”
Losing Mom
We asked Kai about the passing of his mother just a few months ago. “The loss of my mom in February has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to experience,” he says, “and I don’t think I will ever be able to fully grieve her loss. My mom and my dad are my biggest fans, so I am gonna miss seeing her after all of my games and her pregame meals. I am gonna miss everything about her.”
Kai keeps on kicking. He is moving forward even as the world around him shifts. He’s already experienced the kindness of the people of Port Orchard. Now he has transportation and is driving to training. “The team is looking good from the few practices that I have been to and I am really looking forward to seeing us in games,” he says.
“My personal goals are to be playing games, become a starter for games, get some goals and stack up on assists, and overall just get recognition. Team goals are to win games and win the league!”
PHOTOS: Kai Pahl’s personal collection.
