Coaching volleyball all in the family for Ehias

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Coaching volleyball at St. Louis School has become a family affair for the Ehias, who have a hand in leading the intermediate, junior varsity and varsity teams. They are, front row from left, Koa Ehia, head coach for the intermediate team; Amber, junior varsity assistant; and John, varsity assistant; and, top row from left, George, varsity head coach; and Tristan, junior varsity head coach. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Four Ehia brothers — George, John, Tristan and Koa — and one sister, Amber, are guiding forces on the varsity, junior varsity and intermediate levels at St. Louis.

George, 31, is the head coach for the varsity, and John, 30, is his assistant. Tristan, 29, is the JV head coach, assisted by Amber, 20. And Koa, 22, is the intermediate head coach.

The family atmosphere appears to be having a positive effect on the overall program, which has traditionally struggled to escape the shadow of the school's nationally renowned football team.

The Crusaders' varsity volleyball team is 6-5, the JV is 5-3 and the intermediate is 4-1.

"To build this program takes time," said George, who oversees all levels. "Those schools that have dominated for so long, like Punahou and Kamehameha, they have kids who play year-round. We don't have that here yet, and it's not going to happen overnight. Our goal is for St. Louis to be recognized as a top volleyball program, to make a name for the school maybe three, four or five years down the road."

Thanks to the Ehias, the Crusaders are off to a good start. The older siblings have experience coaching together for the Onipa'a Volleyball Club, which George started seven years ago. George, who took over as St. Louis' JV head coach two years ago, began coaching at Farrington a year after graduating from there in 1988 and also has had stints at Roosevelt (one year), Damien (four years), McKinley (one year) and Castle (two years).

This is his first year as the Crusaders' varsity head coach.

"It's tough, because we had zero returnees," George said. "Our best player, Max deWolff, transferred to Academy of the Pacific, and another returnee, Reid Among, tore his (anterior cruciate ligament). Our whole varsity team played on the JV, but my only fear is that they haven't played at a higher level like this."

'Best people possible'

George knows from experience how tough the adjustment can be, since he never played organized volleyball until his senior year at Farrington. But his siblings grew up playing in the PAL youth programs, and they all lettered in the sport in high school.

John and Tristan played for Farrington, and Koa and Amber played at McKinley. That all five of them are now at St. Louis is an irony not lost on George.

"I never imagined this, it never crossed my mind that we would all be here," George said. "I thought I would always stay at Farrington, because that's my alma mater. But we do this for the love of the sport, and it just worked out that we're here. I'm real happy."

George said Crusaders athletic director Cal Lee was receptive to the idea of bringing in four siblings to help him coach, especially since Lee himself coached football for over two decades with his brother Ron. In 1983, Cal Lee was St. Louis' head coach, with Ron and brother Tommy as assistants.

"Whenever you try to find a staff, at all different levels, you want to look for people you can trust and who have loyalty," Lee said. "When it's all in the family, you can get things out in the open and nobody is going to be offended, because you already know each other's personalities. Since George is the coordinator for the whole program, I just told him to bring in the best people possible, and if that meant his family, then I wasn't against it."

Students of the game

The last addition was Amber, who just finished playing two years of basketball at Chandler-Gilbert (Mesa, Ariz.) Community College. Lee said he believes Amber is only the second woman to ever coach at the all-boys St. Louis campus, but the reception from the players seemed warm.

"At first I thought they would be like, 'Ah, she's just a lady, she doesn't know what she's doing,' " said Amber, who coached girls in the PAL leagues. "But they gave it a chance from the start. They're OK with it."

For their part, the Ehia siblings make no illusions about keeping volleyball and family issues separate. The sport is a popular topic at dinner table conversations.

"Sometimes our wives say, 'Eh, this is family time, stop talking about volleyball,' " George said. "But it always finds its way back home. It's our family pastime."

Lee said he can relate to the situation.

"They're all students of the game and have a strong passion for volleyball," Lee said. "They're a nice family and I like the way they work with the kids. They're all working on a system together, and I think that will eventually help the varsity level. My brothers and I were like that — it's not just something you do for three hours and then talk about something else. From when we were small-kids, we talked about football all the time, and we continue to talk about it."

George said he hopes the Ehias' closeness and passion for volleyball are rubbing off on the players.

"I think it helps with the chemistry, and we're trying to build a family-style program," George said. "Our parents raised us to be super close, and we want to have the same thing here. We want it like a family, where you don't leave anybody else by himself."

Lee, the most successful football coach in Hawai'i history, said the family idea works.

"It's beneficial," said Lee, "especially when you win."