Kaluau ‘Dynasty’ Rolls On With Coach Tamara On The Field
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usTamara Kaluau always knew she would coach - that was a given for one who practically learned to count on a scoreboard.
“I was playing T-ball at age 4,” she said.“Softball and baseball were a passion in our family. I always envisioned coaching somewhere. I was just not sure it would be Kailua, but here I am 20 years later.”
When Kailua head softball coach Bernard Victor retired in June after 32 seasons, things fell into place for Kaluau, who applied and was hired as his successor over the summer. If anything, Kaluau’s background makes her ideally suited to take over. Since graduating from UH in 1992, she coached softball and baseball teams in the community for 17 years and continues to perform the duties of player/manager for a slowpitch Kailua Alumni Team that has won six straight titles.
Kaluau is hard at work at Kailua already, assisting sister Sandra Kaluau with the JV team, which plays in the fall. Sandra played college softball for HPU and is now Kailua’s head JV coach. Another sister, Audra, played college softball at UH.
The Kaluaus are a tight-knit group. When they lost both of their parents at a young age, it fell to older siblings to raise Tamara and the other Kaluau children. Tamara is the third youngest of seven.
“We’ve come a long way,” she said. “We all took care of each other. Softball and baseball were definitely a big part of our lives, and we’re all still active in the community.”
Tamara, who is a crisis therapist for Care Hawaii Inc., was a three-sport athlete during her high school years, excelling in basketball, track and softball. Audra, who is Kailua’s registrar today, played basketball and softball for the Surfriders, as did Sandra, who is a grade-level counselor at Kailua.
“They’re a fantastic family,” said Kailua athletic director Ramona Takahashi, who was the Surfriders’ basketball coach for 20 years.
With all three sisters having played for Victor at Kailua, the softball tradition is ingrained in each of them already.
“(Former Kailua and current HPU coach) Mr. (Howard) Okita and Mr. (Bernard) Victor paved the way,” Kaluau said. “I’ve had a lot of positive role models in my life, and they were a part of my life at crucial points. Softball has always been a focus of mine.”
When Kaluau took her talents to UH in 1987, Kailua continued its success under Victor, who guided teams to four state championships and six OIA titles. The biggest change at Kailua since Kaluau’s own playing days is the home field, perhaps the finest on-campus facility of any prep team in the state.
Built by Victor himself with the help of generous donors and friends in the construction business, the field was completed in 2002 and hosted the OIA Championship game in 2003.
Kailua played home games at Keolu Park during Tamara’s high school years.
“Thanks to Mr. Victor for his connections,” she said. “To have a facility and a field like that on campus is awesome.”
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