Four years ago, Chas Okamoto graduated from Kapaa High School. He was a four-time Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys singles tennis champ and was the individual state winner in 2011. Pretty soon, he’ll be graduating again — this time with a
Four years ago, Chas Okamoto graduated from Kapaa High School. He was a four-time Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys singles tennis champ and was the individual state winner in 2011.
Pretty soon, he’ll be graduating again — this time with a civil engineering degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Okamoto, too, enjoyed success on the tennis courts at UH. He helped the Rainbow Warriors capture the Big West Conference regular season team championship in his final year. In addition, he was given conference second team honors and was a four-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association all-academic honoree.
Over the summer, Okamoto was in Guam, where he coached the country’s national and junior national teams. Now, he back at UH for his final semester studying civil engineering and is set to graduate in December.
Despite his hectic schedule, Okamoto took some time for The Garden Island via email and talked about his tennis career at UH, his experiences in Guam and his plans for the future.
What interested you in civil engineering? For those who don’t know what it is, can you describe it? Is there a specific field you’re hoping to get into?
Growing up I really enjoyed building and designing things.
At first, I wanted to pursue a degree in architecture, but I eventually gravitated towards civil engineering because I met a few tennis players that were civil engineers.
Civil engineering involves designing, constructing and maintaining physical environments like roads, bridges, waterways, etc. I really like hydraulics, but I’m open to any field.
What are some of your best memories at UH? What will you miss about Manoa after you graduate?
I will miss spending all the countless hours with some of my closest friends in class and with my teammates on the tennis court. It’s nice to be with people who are going through the same things as I am — same classes, same assignments, same workouts, etc.
Has it hit you yet that you’re about to graduate? How do you feel now that your time at UH is winding down?
It definitely has hit me that I’m about to graduate! This semester has been rather stressful. I’m sad because I’ve had an amazing college experience and it’s coming to an end, but I’m also excited and really looking forward to what lies ahead.
You were a four-year athlete, yeah? What would you say was the highlight of your tennis career at UH?
Yes, I was. I think I’ve had many highlights during my tennis career at UH, but my best memories were winning the 2014 Big West regular season team title and having my family there to support me at almost every match.
I know of some others from the KIF who play for UH. Pono Tokioka with the men’s golf team, Ulu Matagiese with the softball team, and Daezsa Tomas women’s golf team to name a few. Do you ever see other KIF alum around campus? Do you keep in touch with other friends from the KIF, whether at UH or elsewhere?
Yes, I do see other KIF alum around campus. Tennis and engineering has kept me busy and I haven’t kept in touch with other friends from the KIF as much as I wish I had.
What advice would you give to high school student- athletes who aim to play at the collegiate level?
I would tell high school student-athletes to always keep your options open and to look at a variety of colleges. Division 2 and 3 athletics are most times just as competitive as Division 1 athletics.
You brought up you were coaching overseas. How did that opportunity come to you?
Over the summer, I took a coaching job in Guam. At first, I was only supposed to coach the national team, two men and two women, for the month of June and at the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea in July. But after a few weeks there, the Guam National Tennis Federation asked me to coach the junior national team as well. I ended up extending my stay in Guam and took the junior national team to the 2015 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji.
I wouldn’t have had that amazing opportunity if it wasn’t for Brad Lum Tucker. He called me last semester and told me that Guam was looking for a national coach. I inquired about the position and somehow everything worked out.
How did your teams do? Was this your first coaching gig? What would you say was the most rewarding part during your time in Guam, and the most frustrating?
The Pacific Games was very tough. My team was overwhelmed with the level of competition of the other countries. For example, teams like New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Tahiti are full of players that either played college tennis at a high level or have competed on the pro tour. My POJC team did fairly well. I believe five or six players placed top-3 in their respective divisions and will be competing in Australia and New Zealand in January.
Yes, this was my first official coaching gig. I’ve coached on Oahu before but it was nothing compared to what I did in Guam. The most rewarding parts of my time in Guam was making many tennis and professional connections and seeing my players succeed on the tennis court. The most frustrating part was learning how to coach a fairly large junior team because the players’ parents also play a very big factor in the coaching dynamics.
How would you describe coaching compared to playing? How well would you say you did as a coach? The players under your tutelage, how well did they respond to your instruction? Did your experience at UH help at all?
In my opinion, coaching and playing have many similarities. There’s pressure, pride and dedication in both. I really enjoy coaching. It’s very rewarding to see your players improve, work hard, and really enjoy the sport.
For the most part, my players responded really well to my instruction. Like anything else, there were some bad days. I think my experience at UH definitely helped with that player response and helped with my coaching abilities. As a player, I’ve been through everything my players were going through and more. I think that helped me to plan practices, to push them more and to understand their abilities, thoughts and emotions.
So what are your plans for the future? Will you continue with tennis, either playing or coaching? Or will you pursue a new path, perhaps related to the degree you’re about to earn?
At the moment, I’m looking for a civil engineering job. If any civil engineering companies are hiring, I’m interested! It would be nice to have a job lined up before I graduate, but I am open to more coaching. The idea of playing the pro tour is also floating around in my head.
When was the last time you visited Kauai? Planning another visit anytime soon? What do you miss most?
The last time I was on Kauai was for a day in August to pack for college. I’ll be home for Thanksgiving and after I graduate in December. Obviously, I miss my family and friends. But I really miss the laid-back lifestyle, Pono Market plate lunches, and lobster rolls from Deli and Bread.
