Whitford Ohana Rules Water
By Jack Danilewicz
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Around her family home in Laie, Minnie Whitford still may be the “little sister.” But around the Kahuku water polo team, she’s “a big sister”- at least in the mind of her coach and older sister, Makana Whitford.
“She could hide and just play last year,“Makana said of Minnie, a senior and leader of the Red Raider team. “This year, she had to learn to be more vocal and lead. She understands the game, and she’s really our only senior who has been playing since seventh grade. She’s learned to talk to the other girls in a loving way and be a leader in that sense.”
Unlike Makana,who starred at Kahuku and later at University of Hawaii, and her other older sister Keala, who also was a key performer for Kahuku, Minnie is normally soft-spoken and shy, making it difficult to transition to “coach in the pool.”
“It was hard at first,” said Minnie. “I had to get out of my comfort zone, but as one of the only seniors, I have a responsibility to help the younger girls.When we yell at each other, it isn’t personal,” she added with a laugh.“Our team is very close, and that’s made it easier.”
The Red Raiders are regrouping following a 9-7 setback to Roosevelt last Wednesday, which was the program’s first loss to an OIA opponent since water polo became a sanctioned sport in 2003.
“It was hard to lose, but the girls know now we’ll have to work harder to beat Roosevelt
(in a future meeting),” said Minnie, who plans to major in either accounting or business at BYU in Provo, Utah beginning in the fall. “We’ve worked a lot better together since the beginning of the season.”
Kahuku, which went 9-1 during the regular season,won five OIA titles under Aukai Ferguson from 2003-2008 and claimed another last year under Whitford, who was in her first year.
Kahuku’s quest for a seventh straight OIA title continues this week in the league’s post-season tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at Central Oahu Regional Park.The top five finishers there move on to the state water polo championships. OIA pairings were to be finalized over the weekend.
Regardless of Kahuku’s quarterfinal opponent on Thursday, the girls will anticipate a solid game from Minnie Whitford, who tallied 29 goals during the regular season. She had two in the loss to Roosevelt, allowing the Red Raiders to remain within striking distance in the second half.
Minnie’s love of water polo is tied to her love of family. In addition to being around two older sisters who played
the sport at a high level, father Joe Whitford also coached Kahuku water polo for a couple of seasons before Ferguson returned to the program after a stint living in Oregon. Minnie also is on the Kahuku girls’ swim team, also coached by Makana Whitford.
“She saw me and my older sister play and felt that was a way to bond with us and continuing the family tradition,” Makana explained.
Added Minnie:“Especially with my dad coaching me,too, it (water polo) has been a good thing (for the family). My sisters gave me their pointers,and they support me. I’m able to use the knowledge I got from watching them.”
The state championships are set for May 6-9 at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center at Central Oahu Regional Park.
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