Kaʻū Kōkua: Kaʻū ʻOhana Athletics

That Thing That’s Good for Your Heart

By Mekhia Desfor and John Desfor

There’s a hard thunk to your side, the cool swish of grass across your belly, and you’re twisting through the air, free-falling for a moment, until you land hard, head crashing into the earth, no time to recover, or even recoil, until another, sharper thunk sends vibrations down your spine, and you’re airborne again, flying faster this time, until you smack into a porous material, and settle on the ground beside it, fibers wrapping around you, cradling you, so you can finally rest — for a few seconds, until you have to do it all again. But you wouldn’t trade this for anything, because you’re a soccer ball at Kaʻū ʻOhana Athletics (KOA), and you know you’re making a difference.

For John and Mekhia Desfor, youth sports in Kaʻū isn’t just an activity — it’s a way to build community.

Those two and their ʻohana love to get involved: volunteering with OKK, assisting the Kaʻū Hospital Foundation, supporting our local keiki by attending performances and competitions, working at beach cleanups, maintaining Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park areas, teaching at our schools, and coaching youth sports at Kaʻū High School. Through those latter experiences, they saw firsthand how much keiki in Kaʻū love being active — and how few opportunities they have to do so.

In 2025, their family, along with other community members, decided to do something about it. They founded KOA, a volunteer-run nonprofit focused on bringing safe, low-cost, and free sports programs directly to the community.

Since then, KOA has already served more than 75 keiki through several soccer, basketball, and baseball programs, all rooted in teamwork, compassion, self-confidence and growth. What started as a small effort has quickly grown into a movement supported by over 15 volunteers, local coaches, and families who believe in creating more opportunities for youth.

Together, they continue to expand programming at Kahuku Park, with new offerings this summer for youth including tee ball and volleyball, along with kickball, badminton, and exercise programs that welcome kūpuna, mākua, and keiki alike.

Still, the need is growing. Many families face long drives, high costs, and limited access to organized sports. KOA hopes to reach even more families in the coming year while keeping programs free, accessible, and community centered.

KOA is entirely volunteer-powered and welcomes support from the community, whether through coaching, donations, or simply spreading the word.

To learn more, get involved, or donate, visit kauohanaathletics.org or email kauohanaathletics@gmail.com.