Senior Mae Kunihiro has made her mark at M-A as a standout tri-sport athlete, balancing roles as a captain for the varsity flag football, soccer, and lacrosse teams. While juggling three competitive seasons isn’t easy, Kunihiro has found purpose, community, and confidence through the sports she loves.
Her first athletic passion was soccer. She began playing for the American Youth Soccer Organization in elementary school and later joined the Mountain View Los Altos Soccer Club, where she continued throughout middle school. “I started playing soccer when I was a baby, like really young,” she said.
Kunihiro grew up in an athletic family, as her mom played lacrosse in high school and her dad is a former collegiate soccer player.
Kunihiro joined varsity soccer and varsity lacrosse at M-A as a freshman. “I was really scared because all the upper class were so scary,” Kunihiro said. “But everybody was so nice, and it kind of taught me that I have to be that way when I’m an upperclassman,”
One of her proudest moments came when she was voted captain of the lacrosse team her junior year. “I didn’t expect it at all,” Kunihiro said. “Before, I was pretty shy and I didn’t think I was a leader at all, but then when people voted me captain my junior year, I was like, ‘Whoa. Do people think I can be a leader? Okay, maybe I can do this.’”
Early experiences like those shaped her own approach to leadership. “When I became captain, my main goal was to make everyone feel included,” Kunihiro said.
Kunihiro added flag football to her list of sports during her junior year in the sports’ inaugural year at M-A. Without participating in a fall sport at the time, she decided to join the team and quickly fell in love with it. She ended up earning the starting quarterback position and eventually stepped into a captain role.
Kunihiro has earned multiple awards in her flag football career, including second Team All- League, Team MVP in 2024, PAL MVP, and First team All-league in the 2025 season. She has also received various Defensive Player of the Game awards from Coach Jason Knowles, which he gives out to the strongest players in the game.
While the sports themselves have helped her grow into the person she is today by pushing her outside her boundaries, Kunihiro said the biggest influence has been the people around her. “I think not really the sports have shaped me, but the people within the sports,” Kunihiro said. “I’ve learned to be more inclusive and how to work as a team more.”
Sports have also become her escape from the pressures of her busy high school life. “It’s kind of how I relieve stress and get to hang out with my friends. I just see it as a way to forget about everything else,” Kunihiro said.
However, playing three varsity sports comes with its own set of challenges. During the busiest parts of the year, she doesn’t get home until around 10:00 p.m. most nights. “I can never do my homework,” Kunihiro said. “It’s crazy to balance it all.” Her advice to other student-athletes: “Just don’t lose focus on school.”
Looking ahead, Kunihiro hopes to lead her soccer team to the state playoffs this year and continue building strong connections within each team. “I think I really want to make sure the team is kind of like a family, because I feel like that’s how everybody plays better on the field when everybody’s like, comfortable with each other,” Kunihiro said.
After high school, Kunihiro plans to study environmental science in college. While she may step back from intense competitive play, she hopes to stay involved through intramural sports.
Reflecting on her journey, Kunihiro is pleased with her athletic career. “’I’m pretty proud of myself, and it’s taught me a lot, and I’m really glad I did it,” Kunihiro said. “I think it’s brought me some of my closest friendships,”
Kunihiro’s advice to anyone considering joining a sport at M-A is simple: “You should do it, because it’s been the best decision of my life. I think it’s the best part of M-A.”
