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Coach Teaches Na Ali’i Lessons In Basketball And Life

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Whether inside or outside the Aiea gym, head basketball coach Wyatt Tau can always get his message across.When he injured his leg last week and realized he would have to miss a practice, Tau quickly called captains James Buchanan and Aldodious Colquitt.

“I told them both,‘If I’ve taught you anything, it is to respect adults,‘“Tau recalled.“I wanted them to make sure they had a good practice and that they were focused for my JV coach (Isaac Avilla), who was going to run it. They said they’d be fine, that they understood. I was out playing with my son over the weekend, and he juked past me, and I slipped and fell. I made it worse on Monday by helping out during the JV game. This is a crucial week, and I can’t ever recall missing a practice.”

That Tau was forced to the sidelines for even a day says a lot about the discomfort he was feeling. Indeed, he can usually be found in the gym. In addition to coaching Aiea High’s varsity,Tau has been volunteering at the Ewa Beach Boys and Girls Club since 1996. He’s also a permanent fixture at Campbell High games.A graduate of the school and a one-time boys varsity assistant coach during the Gary Ortiz era, he likes to track the Sabers he coached during their younger years.Among his former players are current girls standouts Vai Confer and Aloha Dias-Kekahuna.

With his Aiea team likely to be one of the favorites for the upcoming DII state tournament, and the Saber girls completing an undefeated season under Nathan Macadangdang, Thursday night should figure big for both teams. Both the boys and girls OIA championship games will be played that night.

“I keep telling them (Confer and Dias-Kekahuna),‘If you do your part and I do mine, we’ll be playing the same night,‘“said Tau, whose leg is on the mend. “I would be able to go early and watch them play, and they’d be able to stay after and watch us. I love Aiea. I give them 100 percent, but my free time is my free time, and I still like to go and support these kids at Campbell that I used to coach.”

While a big Saber fan - he once interviewed for the Campbell head boys job - Tau has found a basketball home with Na Ali’i,who have been one of the top stories in DII basketball since he took over as head coach prior to the 2006-07 season. Entering their OIA quarterfinal matchup with Kalani last Saturday, Aiea had won 26 of its last 27 games versus OIA DII opponents, dating back to January of 2006 - including a 13-0 record this season.

The OIA Tournament was to continue this week with semi-final games on Tuesday and the title game set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at McKinley. As No. 1 seed, Na Ali’i must finish in the top three to move on to the state tournament. That would seem a sure bet, but they’re focusing in on the present, and for good reason, according to Tau.

Last year, in a bizarre turn of events, Aiea was given new life in the OIA playoffs after an upset loss to Thompson Academy had seemingly ended its season. When Thompson had to forfeit that game because of an eligibility issue a few days later, Aiea regained its footing and went on to win the OIA and make the state tournament.

“I never take anything for granted in life,” said Tau, who has been visited by more tragedy than most. In 1996, Tau lost a younger brother, Maxwell, to a motorcycle accident. An automobile accident claimed another younger brother, Blessing Palimoo, in 2002. I always expected to go before them because they were younger than me,” said Tau, who is the oldest of five boys in a family of 10 children. “I changed after that.I miss them both. Having a son (named Maxwell) helps some.”

Not to mention working with kids in the community. Each spring break, after his season at Aiea has ended, Tau takes a group of BGC kids to Fullerton, Calif., for a tournament with Mainland teams.

“Some of these kids might never get an opportunity to go to the Mainland,“he explained.“I just love giving back to the community. I can see myself doing this for a long time.”

Although he has hit his stride in Aiea basketball, there was no direct line to coaching for Tau, who played one year of varsity basketball at Campbell and two years of football.“I loved to play sports, but I never thought I’d be coaching. I had a passion for playing with my brothers and cousins, and my friend, Gary Ortiz, was working at the Boys and Girls Club and asked me if I’d like to help him coach. I fell in love with it, and I’ve been there ever since.”

Tau also went on to assist Ortiz for two years at Campbell before spending two seasons as Aiea’s JV coach, where he won an OIA title in 2006. He also coaches the offensive line for the school’s football team, where he has found a role model in longtime Na Ali’i coach Wendell Say.

“He’s the dean of (prep) football,” Tau said.“He knows how to communicate with the kids, and he’s an awesome person to be around. I’ve changed some of my ways from being around him.”

Like Say, Tau takes a holistic approach to coaching. “Winning isn’t as important as teaching the kids the right way to play. As a coach, hopefully, I teach life’s lessons. There’s good and bad out there - the choices you make dictate everything else.”