Wai’anae, HI

February 20, 2015

Tennis is not commonly recognized as a team oriented sport. Even the greatest tennis players are usually known for their independent achievements and championships. However, for Waianae High School’s tennis team, they can’t spell tennis without t-e-a-m. The idea of teamwork and having fun is the most important concept for these Seariders to understand.

“Its good to build that team bonding feeling so everybody feels like they're being supported no matter who’s on the court, we got someone in their corner rooting for them,” said Coach Brent Yamagata. Building the bond for these players is what makes them different from other teams. While opponents may focus more on wins, this team never forgets to have fun. Fun for them is not just the movie or beach dates, it’s the sport itself.

“We emphasize the sport as competitive, but we also want them to have fun, and when they start to have fun they have a really good bonding experience,” Yamagata said. To find their perfect balance, the team exercises both their bodies and their sense of fun. They create nicknames from adjectives that represents a positive characteristic of each player. This way, the team members will always be positive towards one another and become even a stronger team.

“There will be a day that we will be like everybody call each other by their adjectives and not by their first name.” In tennis they also use their rankings of their abilities to create a stronger bond. They see the players who are struggling and help each other get better both as an individual and a team.

“They start to play with each other a lot more and see each others weaknesses and that way they can help them out,” said Yamagata. Positivity is what also keeps these Seariders going throughout the season. With the help of Freshman Elizabeth Ufi, positivity is not hard to come by. She encourages the other people on the team to do their best both as a team and an individual.

“Sometimes you're gonna need someone to pick you up, I believe that there is no I in team and tennis is not just one man show,” said Ufi. Picking people up is what she does, sometimes literally. On the court Elizabeth encourages people and helps people up, when they fall. One of Elizabeth’s teammates agrees.

“She pushes me by always telling me good things about myself, like with words of encouragement. She always tries to help other people too,”said Ryston Bell. Pushing people to their best is what Elizabeth feels needs to be done to achieve as a team. Weather its on the court playing doubles or playing one on one, these Seariders will there for eachother.

‘We like to support the outside players of the people playing and its like they have their own cheer squad with them the whole time,” Yamagata said.

Wai’anae, HI

February 20, 2015

Moving up is something that everyone does, whether it’s in a job position, class rank, or sport. In sports, it’s not always the easiest thing to go from one position to another, but for the softball girls at Waianae High School, it comes as a second nature. For Sophomore Chrisann Rabanes, there’s no where to go but up.

“Im excited. moving up to varsity I feel like I can accomplish something that you know feels good to me as well as my family.”

Chrisann has been playing on Waianae high school’s junior varsity softball team for the past two years and this may be the year she moves up to Varsity.

“I get to meet new people, play games, wholeheartedly I really really wanna start and be on the team.”

Chrisann is not the only sophomore trying out for Varsity.

“I’ve been playing softball since I was like 7 and my three older sisters played on the Varsity team when they were in high school so I’m hoping to be able to follow in their footsteps.”

states Charlie Pittman. Last year, Waianae’s junior varsity softball team made it to finals, but for this season, the girls don’t know what to expect from their new team and more importantly, their new teammates.

““I feel really confident about the outcome for this year, I just hope I can get along with the other varsity girls.” states Charlie Pittman. Although the “newbies” have many challenges ahead of them, the returnee softball girls are willing to lend them a helping hand.

“I have faith in the new girls on the team and I’m sure they’ll do great. I remember my first year coming up to vars and I was really scared because I knew the girls on the team would expect more from me and the coaching would be more rigorous but I just did what I was told and I got along just fine with the older girls so I just want to be as supportive of the younger girls as the older girls were of me.” states Senior player Breani Simpson.

This year not only do the junior varsity girls face the challenge of moving up, but the varsity girls also face the challenge of a new head coach and new teammates, but the expectations for the team are still as high as ever. Junior Bailey Pittman states,

“I’m so ready for this season. I know it’s going to be a lot harder considering the fact that we’ll have to adjust to the new coaching and her new philosophy, but I’m hoping to go even further than we did last year and I’m sure when we get to know each other as players and realize our strengths and weaknesses, we’ll be able to go far.”

Wai’anae, HI

February 18, 2015

In the sport of paddling, a team has to be in unison to row the canoe smoothly. One motion, one team, in sync or else the boat will fail to move. Waianae High School’s paddling team works hard to embody that concept of unison. “We do everything together. I mean, down to talking to each other, down to exercising together,” head coach, Delveen Eli said.

Their hard work and dedication to a team bond paid off last year when they were OIA champions for the girl’s division, and won the Tesoro Cup, which honors the team that scores the most points in a season, for the second time. “If you have a bond then you’re unbeatable because it doesn’t matter if you win or lose cause you consider yourself winners because you worked together,” Kamaile Academy senior, Kamalani Pule said. In the team, everything is done together, strengthening their sense of teamwork. “We don’t separate anybody here meaning we don’t separate JV. We do it as a team. Meaning we practice all together, we do everything together,” head coach, Delveen Eli said.

This friendship within the team also goes beyond the beach. “For starters we have sleepovers. Most of us sleepover each other’s houses on friday nights, we go movies, we have a connection outside of paddling as well as inside of paddling. Most of the team love the beach so half of the time we’re at the beach,” Kamaile Academy senior, Kamalani Pule said.

As the season goes on, bonds are strengthened, creating one unit. “We all do stuff together, we all work together, we paddle together, we do everything together, so that makes us a family,” junior, Blaise Gonzales said.

Within the team, they know that they can turn to one another. “I know that it I need Aunty Del or Uncle Wil, I can call them or anybody on my team,” Kamalani said. With such a close relationship, their paddling only improves. “The only one that actually supposed to be talking in the boat is #6, but if our powerhouses, meaning 3,4, and 5, is not feeling it in the boat, they let 1, which is our stroker, know that they gotta stretch it out more and pushing each other,” Delveen said. It only brings them a step closer to their goal.

With their past success hanging over them, WHS’ paddling team are training to come back even harder this year. In a few weeks, they will be on their way to Maui for the state championships where 32 of Hawaii’s best will be competing. “Our goal is to reach the state race which is, the top 6 from its its school goes to the state and every island has a different seat inside,” Wil said. This determination to win pushes them to work even harder, but winning isn’t their main priority. “When we go out and go to races, we always tell them the #1 thing is you win here, at waianae, at pokai bay,” Delveen said. Though the team's focal point is teamwork, this focus is what is bringing them a step closer to the win. ¨After a win we feel the adrenaline and you just feel like a champ and that you can accomplish anything,” Blaise said.

In the team, it's the bond that really matters to the coaches. "If they can work together and communicate with each other, their bond is going to be so strong that nothing can break them," Wil said. Whether they win or lose states, the relationship they have as a team will never fade. “I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and i think you can only get that here,” Kamalani said.