![]() ![]() “My grandparents on my dad’s side came here from American Samoa,” Faraimo said. Her teammate, Faraimo, also believes family and community play an important role in her athletics. Malau’ulu, alongside fellow Asian American and Pacific Islander Division 1 softball players, coaches girls as young as 8 years old in the clinic – her way of giving back to the community and impacting the younger generation. “We’re a bunch of little girls coming up to the field who are Polynesian who don’t know too much about softball but are getting into it for the first time.” “When I knew that I was going to be able to play at that next level and UCLA came into the picture, my dad was like, ‘Maybe we should do this for softball players as well,’” Malau’ulu said. ![]() But with Malau’ulu headed to play softball at the collegiate level, the sport became the next camp. “I take pride in all the different backgrounds I am, but I am more Samoan than anything else,” Malau’ulu said “So I hold that really close to my heart.”Īlong with organizing football bowl games and showcases in front of college coaches, the organization hosts clinics for adolescents to improve their skills.įor years, the foundation was dedicated to just football. Thessa Malau’ulu said her father’s full Samoan roots have guided her aspirations beyond her athletic career. (Kaiya Pomeroy-Tso/Daily Bruin senior staff) ![]() Malau'ulu and her cousins participate in the AIGA Foundation, whose name means "family" in the Samoan language. Sophomore infielder Thessa Malau'ulu picks up a bat. The foundation, whose name means “family” in Samoan and stands for “All Islands Getting Along,” was co-created by George Malau’ulu. With her cousins, Malau’ulu participates in the AIGA Foundation – a nonprofit organization that aids student-athletes from the contiguous United States, Hawaii and American Samoa in their quest to compete collegiately. Her father George Malau’ulu played quarterback at Arizona, her aunt Miya played volleyball at Oregon State and her uncle Arnold donned the blue and gold as a football player. Together with Tautalafua, Malau’ulu comes from a family full of athletes. And I was like, ‘I wish I could go to UCLA,’ and she’s like, ‘You can.’ So she would give me her old UCLA gloves. “One of my cousins was actually here – Brianna Tautalafua. “I didn’t realize how much I looked up to my older cousins’ playing until now,” Malau’ulu said. Similarly to Faraimo, Malau’ulu said the interactions take her back to her childhood. “You can see the kids’ eyes light up when they see us. “It means the world to me,” Faraimo said. Two Bruins caught in the crowd are redshirt junior pitcher Megan Faraimo and sophomore infielder Thessa Malau’ulu. Win or lose, members of the UCLA softball team file through the blue barricades in an orderly fashion, signing autographs and snapping pictures. A line of young girls waits for the Bruins to emerge from the clubhouse after every home game. ![]()
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