Shinn Expects Transition Year For Pearl City Boys Soccer

Wednesday - November 12, 2008
By Jack Danilewicz
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Pearl City boys head soccer coach Randy Shinn (second from right) with assistant coaches (from left) Wesley Armacoste, Larry Shinn and Kaimi Seminara. Photo from Randy Shinn.

Should the Pearl City boys’ soccer team realize its goal of a return to the state tournament this winter, it will likely look back on a demanding preseason as a contributing factor.

The Chargers, who open the pre-season Nov.19 at home against Mid-Pacific, also will take the field against Roosevelt, Kaiser, Moanalua, Pac-Five and Kaimuki prior to their OIA West opener next month.That’s all part of coach Randy Shinn’s plan to restore the program to the islandwide visibility it enjoyed earlier in the decade.

“We’ll have such a young team that, basically, we’re rebuilding this year,“said Shinn, who began his second year as head coach Monday, the first official date that prep soccer teams can practice.“Preseason will help us to see who fits where, and we’ll go from there. We have a lot of potential. “


 

The Chargers are coming off of a 5-3-4 season in 2007 under Shinn, who was the program’s third coach in as many years. With the “transition year” that coincides with a coaching change firmly in the rear-view mirror, Shinn is eager to begin this season, having been on the job for over a year now. He came to it with “built-in” expectations, having been part of the Pearl City tradition as a player when he was a key component of the school’s 2001 OIA championship team.

“It was a good learning experience,“Shinn said of 2007.“I learned what to do and what not to do.With a year under my belt, hopefully it will be easier. Last year, we were trying to establish a routine and what our philosophy is. They know what to expect from me now.

“We were pleased with the effort last year,” he added.“I was their third coach in as many years, and the upper-classmen, especially, had to get used to me.”

With stability a priority within the program, Shinn has assembled an assistant coaching staff - Larry Shinn, Kaimi Seminara, Wesley Armacost and Justin Kong - made up of former Chargers.

“All are alumni who played for the school, and all of them played together, which makes it easier,” Shinn said. “Expectations are set. They all know the philosophy that we’re aiming at, and it helps that we also played club ball together.”


For his part, Shinn lists his father, Larry, and his former club coach Gottfried Ching as his coaching mentors, along with Pearl City girls coach Frank Baumholtz, who was the boys coach during his playing days.

“Those three influenced me a lot. Every coach had a different philosophy, but they all had a never-give-up attitude. They taught me to leave it all on the field.”

As a coach as well, he has continued to learn. In addition to leading his team through off-season conditioning, Shinn also kept a watchful eye on prospective players who were competing in outside leagues to get a better read on their individual assets. During the school day, he’s a seventh-grade science teacher at Ilima Intermediate.

Since his own playing days, Shinn has seen the interest in soccer on West Oahu multiply, helping to create the parity that is common-place now. “The players are more talented and more gifted,“he said. “It will be a tough year again in the West. Basically, it’s about who wants it more. It’s anybody’s year.”

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