Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of University of Hawaii Hilo

Lillie Overcomes Shy Nature to Become Leader On and Off the Field

Jodi Lillie (Mililani, Hawai`i/Mililani HS) is a four-year starter for the Hawai`i Hilo women’s soccer team, is a four-time All-Pacific West Conference selection and has helped lead the Vulcan program reach unchartered territory as an annual conference title contender.

Now, she is also an NCAA Women of the Year nominee.

Lillie is UH Hilo’s nominee and advances to the PacWest selection table. The NCAA Woman of the Year recognizes female student-athletes who have played four seasons and have distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers. The award was established in 1991 and is gaining even greater national attention this year with it being the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

Bria Beale was UH Hilo’s nominee in 2021, advancing all the way to semifinal status. Over 500 nominees were selected across all three levels of the NCAA, and Beale was in the final pool of 30.

Lillie graduated this past spring with a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She graduated with High Honors and a 3.78 grade point average. She will return to campus this fall to play one more season (NCAA Covid-19 waiver season).

“Jodi has been at the forefront of our programs transformation over the past few years and I couldn’t be more proud of her growth and success,” said her coach Gene Okamura. “She is very deserving of this recognition and honor.”

Lillie, a defender from Mililani (Oahu), came to Hilo after earning the All-Hawai`i Girls Soccer Defensive Player of the Year award while helping to lead Mililani to three straight OIA Division I titles. Despite that success, she was shy and reserved when she arrived on campus. 

“When I first started college I was very passive and insecure, giving too much thought to the ways others viewed me,” she recalled. “Small things like asking a professor questions during class or stating my honest opinion around others, made me uncomfortable. My self-consciousness was restricting and I didn’t allow myself to enjoy and experience everything that college and life had to offer.”

But after her freshman season in 2018, when she helped lead the Vulcans to a 10-4-2 record and a near berth in the NCAA tournament, she was named captain of the team and has held that role ever since.

“When I became captain it was very intimidating, but I learned to embrace it,” she said. “It’s helped to improve my confidence both on and off the field. I learned to hold myself to higher standards and to lead by the things I did as well as the things I said. After practice, I started to stay and train longer to improve my fitness, encouraging others to as well. During halftime talks, I started facilitating conversations on ways we could improve during the second half, rather than relying on others to speak.

“I’ve addressed teammates who talked down on others or created negative environments during the heat of a game, even though it made me feel anxious. Throughout my years I’ve challenged myself to go outside of my comfort zone and found that the confidence I pretended to have when I first became captain, had become real.”

Her coach could see the potential in her leadership abilities even when Jodi couldn’t.

“Jodi has grown in so many ways since her freshman season,” Okamura said. “Most specifically, in her ability to be a leader on and off the field. She has always been a model student-athlete, performing at the highest level both on the field and in the classroom. She has become a selfless and supportive teammate as well.”

Lillie has started every match since first putting on a Vulcan uniform. This past year, she was a First Team All-PacWest Conference selection and a Second Team All-West Region honoree. The Vulcans went 12-4 on the season and 9-1 in the PacWest to win a share of their first-ever league title and an NCAA tournament berth. 

Over her four seasons, the Vulcans have a 21-8-3 PacWest record and are 28-15-10 overall. She has anchored a defense that has been one of the best in the west region. In 2018, the Vulcans gave up just 10 goals in 16 matches. In 2019, they posted nine shutouts. Last fall, they allowed just seven goals in their first 14 matches. 

Off the field, she is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection (NCAA D2 West Region). She was honored by her teammates as their Most Pono Vulcan. She has been involved in a dozen community service projects, including Special Olympics, the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Hawai`i Home for Recovery meals program. 

In addition to numerous academic awards, she is a Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society member and was chosen to represent all University of Hawai`i Hilo student-athletes in makig a presentation to the Hawai`i Board of Regents.

None of that would have been possible without the confidence and experience she gained as a female student-athlete, thrust into a leadership role.

“Being a scholar, an athlete, and a leader throughout my college experience has given me a newfound confidence that has impacted not only my life but also others around me,” Lillie said. “In soccer, my role has empowered me to speak up for those who didn’t have the same status or advantage of that leadership position, and that same sense of responsibility for others now follows me into life outside of soccer. Simple things that used to make me feel uneasy, like going out of my way to include someone whether that be in a class project or a friendly hang out, are second nature to me now. I’m now comfortable standing up for others.

“While my insecurities are still present, I’m more willing to face them head-on and represent myself, my university, and my community in a positive way that brings pride to the people who have given me so much. Although my competitive soccer days are coming to an end, the confidence and insight I’ve gained have greatly impacted my life and others around me.”