Nissan Hawaii's commitment
to local athletics is well known: sponsors
of the Nissan Hawaii Hall of Honor, the
Nissan Hawaii State Volleyball Championship
and Higher Faster Stronger. In addition,
both Nissan Hawaii and individual dealerships
support many of the UH coaches by supplying
them with vehicles. This support is not
so much for athleticism, but more for
the underlying principles of teamwork,
sportsmanship and community pride. Perhaps
the most fitting example of these theories
at work is the 2002 NCAA Championship
men's volleyball team. Although statistically
not the tallest or strongest team on
the court, the Rainbow Warriors pulled
out win after win through teamwork and
determination.
Here, Head Coach Mike Wilton shares with SHIFT his formula for success.
"Winning this championship is not why I coach," Mike Wilton explains. "We
are out there 365 days a year. A game like that is just one of them. The real
importance lies in the other 364 days."
Having spent the past 10 years as head coach of the University of Hawaii at Manoa's
men's volleyball team, and with his first NCAA Championship win, that's a lot
of days of preparation. "The win is very enjoyable," Wilton says, "but
team development is just as important." With Wilton's words comes an uncharacteristic
humility; after all, fierce egos and only-in-it-for-the-win mindset are the stereotypical
threads of head coach DNA.
"It's the journey," he adds. "That is the most important thing." These
are not the words of a coach who, in the eyes of many, has just reached the pinnacle
of his coaching career. They are the words of a man who reacts the same to every
minute spent out on the court.
"This is a philosophy I realized very early on in my coaching career," says
Wilton.
Wilton feels he faces a bigger challenge: trying to employ local talent. "It
is very apparent that a lot of our local players want to leave Hawaii when given
a chance to talk with mainland schools," he explains. Hawaii is a volleyball-crazy
state, with a large talent pool; today's players at the Nissan Hawaii State Volleyball
Championship tournament may be tomorrow's Warriors, but only if Wilton and his
staff can convince them to stay on island.
The theory is that young athletes from Hawaii are continually looking overseas — not
only in search of opportunities, but because wanderlust is developed at a very
early age.
"It has been ingrained in them since grade school," Wilton says. '"Go
to the mainland and experience something new.'"
Another challenge is the fact that the University of Hawaii does not have the
funding to send coaches overseas on recruiting trips. Instead, the process involves
sifting through piles of e-mails, conducting telephone interviews and reviewing
videotapes.
"The downside of this [recruiting method] is that it's an inexact science," Wilton
says. "When you are there in person you can really see what these players
have to offer, but with a videotape, it is hard."
In an ideal world, where funding falls from the sky like autumn leaves, trips
to the mainland, Europe and even the Middle East to recruit would be possible.
But with budget belt-tightening and an ever-present challenge to keep it local,
Wilton knows that sustaining a good volleyball team may be his biggest battle.
"Geography is against us," Wilton explains. "We would like to
have as many locals as possible, but we need the blend."
With talent retention a serious issue, Wilton relies on increased funding to
help spawn an increase in overseas recruiting. He looks to UH president Dr. Evan
Dobelle, whose energetic approach to UH athletics may be the springboard to keeping
a championship-level athlete. But for fans and administrators alike, the question
for Coach Wilton may be: Is he ready to protect the title?
"This championship is not ours to defend," Wilton deflects. "It's
something that must be won every time."
There may be a deeper implication to what coach Wilton is really trying to say.
A philosophy on things in general: live one day at a time; treat each game like
it is the most important one you’ll ever play; go humbly, but demand excellence.
"We need to develop the mentality of a hunter, not of the hunted," he
affirms.
Mike Wilton chooses his words carefully: words of wisdom for the future of UH
men’s volleyball. But perhaps more importantly, words of wisdom for life. |
