The Balanced Heart of Naia Tanuvasa
- David Logan
- Aug 30, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Naia Tanuvasa jogs off the soccer field at Lone Peak High School, her ponytail swinging, the August 2023 sun dipping low over the Wasatch Front. The whistle’s blown, the game’s done, and her teammates chatter as they head to the sidelines.
Naia’s out here, playing the sport her sister loves, her cleats scuffed from a season of hustle. But her heart? It’s on a basketball court, dreaming of a future where she’ll trade these soccer kicks for high-tops, maybe even at BYU. “My older sister is a big example to me,” she says, her voice steady, thinking of the sister who pulled her into soccer. “She played soccer, and I wanted to play soccer.” Yet it’s basketball that calls her loudest, the game she hopes will carry her forward.
Naia’s been in love with sports since she was five, growing up in Oregon where her family lived and breathed competition. “My dad has always been super into sports, and my older siblings always played sports,” she recalls, a warmth in her words. “I just always loved them too.” Her sister’s soccer games were Naia’s first spark, but basketball stole her focus early on, the squeak of sneakers, the rhythm of a fast break. Still, she followed her sister onto the soccer field, eager to share that family bond, kicking a ball under Oregon’s gray skies.
When she was 11, almost 12, her family uprooted to Utah, and the move rattled her. “It was a big change in people’s skill set,” she says, her voice catching as she remembers. Utah’s athletes were intense, their game sharper than what she’d known. “I don’t know if I’d say behind,” she adds, hesitating, “but just… different.” It was a wake-up call, pushing her to work harder, to match the speed and grit around her. Soccer became her proving ground, even as basketball tugged at her dreams.
At Lone Peak, Naia found a new gear. As a freshman, she stepped onto the soccer team and felt the coaches’ expectations like a spotlight. “They held a really high standard,” she says, gratitude lacing her words. “I was able to learn a lot and grow a lot.” No single play stands out, no highlight-reel moment, she can’t pinpoint one when asked. Instead, it’s the steady grind, the daily push to meet those standards, that’s shaped her. On the field, she’s all focus, chasing passes, holding the line, but her mind often drifts to basketball, to the college courts she hopes to reach.
Life for Naia is a careful balance, anchored by faith. “I’m a very Christ-centered person,” she says, her voice firm. “I make sure I get my priorities set straight: God, family, then sports, and obviously school.” School comes first, homework done before practice, no exceptions. “It just becomes easy when I’m doing things I love,” she adds, a quiet joy in her tone. It’s a tip she’d give any teammate: set your priorities, do the work, let the rest fall into place. Soccer keeps her busy, but basketball is her future, the sport she’s betting on, maybe even at a place like BYU, where her values and dreams align.
Naia’s story isn’t about one sport or one moment. It’s about a girl balancing family, faith, and two games, one she plays for love of her sister, the other for love of her own heart. “Thank you so much,” she says after the interview, her voice bright, grateful. She’s out here on the soccer field, giving her all, but her eyes are on a basketball court down the road, where her dreams are waiting. For Naia Tanuvasa, it’s all about knowing what matters most and running toward it, one steady step at a time.
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