Punahou captain Alex Lam has worked so hard on his soccer skills that he can comfortably take them for granted now. Soccer is so much more than just kicking a ball.

"I am more like a student of the game now," Lam said. "Soccer is like an art; there are so many dimensions of the game. It’s a mind game."

Lam will try to lead the Buffanblu to their third straight title at the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts state boys soccer championships at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park. The first round begins Wednesday and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions’ defense starts on Thursday against either Waiakea or Kalani.

Lam has been a starter throughout Punahou’s latest reign, which began right about the time he stopped trying to prove himself to the team’s captains. He hit the Punahou varsity in 2009 wanting to dribble the ball like it was tied to his shoelace and fit every shot into one of the holes in the back of the net. That didn’t quite work as the Buffanblu lost to Mililani in the state semifinals. That was the last time they were not the final team standing at the end.

"I don’t want to say my game has gotten better, I want to say my mind has changed a little," Lam said. "My approach to the game is different than my freshman year. Coming in as a freshman I wanted to dribble by everyone, wanted to show my stuff, wanted to do everything myself. I’ve learned over these four years that it’s about becoming a better player by making players better around me."

While Lam has built up skills that rival anyone’s in the state, he treats those skills as an afterthought, the base on which to build a higher appreciation of the game. As a captain now, he appreciates the work that the upperclassmen did with him and is willing to pass it along. The difference is that Lam is not big on hierarchy, believing that everyone is on the team for a reason and they should all work toward the same goal.

"I’d say I probably worked harder as a freshman than I did in any of my other years," Lam said. "I don’t know if that’s just because what I wanted at the time or if it’s like me trying to prove myself, but as captains they did a really good job of making sure I worked hard. I like having everyone working toward that same goal rather than having only three people responsible for that goal."

He makes it his business to know where his teammates are at all times, but opponents know that if they take their eyes off him, a goal is sure to follow. Quintin Love leads the Buffanblu with eight goals this season, and Lam is second with three.

"Alex is very good on the ball," ‘Iolani coach Chris Lee said. "He is kind of the quarterback of their team, a good 1v1 player with a strong left foot. He controls the game for them."

Lam has played all over the field between Punahou and his club team, the Honolulu Bulls, but being in the middle of the action is where genetics says he belongs. His father, Kerry Lam, was a point guard for Maryknoll back in the day. Alex is just another Lam setting up shots so others can knock them down.

"I’d say it’s different than a point guard; there is no set play like basketball," Alex Lam said. "I was just brought up to get the ball and keep possession, which is easier said than done. It’s a lot about keeping the ball and using the ball to manipulate the other team."

Punahou won the ILH by a large margin this season but was given the second seed behind Oahu Interscholastic Association champ Mililani. That might be a blessing, though, as the Buffanblu won’t have to see the Trojans or ILH rival ‘Iolani until the final.

"Mililani, ‘Iolani, they can knock the ball," Alex Lam said. "They are smart teams but what we have is our team is really close, good chemistry. I have been playing with some of these guys for years and I would do anything for them. I think we are close. That’s what our edge is."

Baldwin, Kalani and Kapolei are the biggest threats on Punahou’s side of the bracket. Honokaa is the top seed in the Division II tournament, followed by Kapaa, Kahuku and Seabury Hall, which faces ILH champion Mid-Pacific in the first round.