SNAPSHOT FROM SAMOA BOWL IX: Farewells Begin

Some members of the Hawai’i All Star football and volleyball teams who participated in this year’s Samoa Bowl, shown here as they prepared to leave American Samoa on Monday night, heading back home. It is hoped, through their experiences at the Samoa Bowl, a connection has been made to their cultural roots and they will continue to have pride and respect as part of the Samoan family — le aiga. [photo: TG]

A ‘tofa soifua’ was bid to some of the participants of the Samoa Bowl IX — the Hawai’i All Stars Volleyball and Football Teams and coaches and the American All Star Baseball Team and coaches — that left on Monday night. The California All Star Teams and coaches are slated to leave tonight.

This year’s Samoa bowl event is considered to be one of the most successful through the high level of performances in competition delivered on the volleyball courts, baseball fields and football gridiron by all participants. The clinics offered in softball are also noted as performance enhancing by many who participated.

And finally, the merging of the fa’aSamoa and sports competition cannot be side-lined, but must be noted as one of underlying principles of the Samoa Bowl games, which brought young Samoan athletes together to recognize their heritage — a living culture — and to embrace it. We are indeed, “Aiga”.

Sponsored by American Samoa National Olympic Committee and the Samoa Bowl Committee, a series of snapshots of the Samoa Bowl IX events and personalities that are adding to this year’s Samoa Bowl tattoo —a ‘ta’ that merges the Samoan culture with the athletic talent of our Samoan youth — giving us all a chance to experience the uniqueness of our heritage through Samoa Bowl IX —Back to the Roots.