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Kalani coach and teacher moves on to Niu Valley
Hall of Famer Joe Lileikis shares his expertise and passion for swimming
by KEONI SUBIONO
Sun Correspondent
*Archived July 2006 article
"He's like the Energizer Bunny! He's encouraging, very enthusiastic and he really wants you to reach your goals!" said one swimmer of Joe Lileikis, who is the director of the Masters Swimming program at the Oahu Club in Hawaii Kai.
And anyone who knows Joe would absolutely agree. His zeal for life is obvious, his passion for swimming is contagious and his expertise as an instructor is unparalleled both in the classroom and on the pool deck. His dedication as a father is just as evident.
Joe himself puts it like this, "You gotta have balance, I teach the kids during the day academics, I coach the adults at night swimming, and all the time in between I dedicate to my family."
His balanced life can only be outweighed by his accolades. Joe was recently inducted into the Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame along with other Oahu Club coaches John Flanagan and Shari Smart. Joe conquered the Waikiki Roughwater Swim and was crowned champion three times in 1981, 1982 and 1984. He was a scholar athlete at University of Hawaii, the swim team captain and an All American swimmer. He topped off numerous other visits to the podium with the honor of United States Masters Swimming Champion in 1993.
"After competing, so many swimmers just can't wait to hang up the suit, they're so sick of it. I was never like that, swimming was such a great thing for me, I loved being in the water, I loved seeing how far I could push myself."
Joe has also enjoyed much success outside of competition, coaching both in California and here in Hawaii. He coached at Kalani High School, but most local swimmers know him from the University of Hawaii Masters Swimming program where he coached from 1987 through 2003.
Donna Robinson used to swim for Joe at the UH Masters program and she boasts, "I am a great swimmer to this day because Joe was such an extraordinary coach back then. He's so energetic and motivating, but more importantly his teaching style is so dynamic, he knows how to break everything down for you so you can apply every technique and every adjustment immediately to your stroke. So you become a better swimmer so much faster. His voice is still lingering in my head, 'Lets go...Rainbow tough!'"
Eventually with so much aptitude coaching, people started urging Joe to pursue teaching in the classroom. "Joe, you're so good on the deck, you should try teaching," one friend said. "So I did. I went back to school and got my professional diploma in secondary education and I love it," Joe stated of his career move.
For the past 14 years, Mr. Lileikis taught world history, behavioral sciences, economics and numerous other courses at Kalani High School. He loves teaching, he enjoys the academic arena during the day, but ultimately he's stoked on the kids.
"It's the wonders of learning. I love when the kids discover the life connections, it's cool; you present the academics in a life enhancing way and kids, they just get excited. Connecting the subject matter, the kids are thinking, it's creative thinking. Identifying the meaningful aspects of life and building on them, connecting them, reinforcing them and living them and growing with them. It's the appreciation cycle: you know something and appreciate it, then they learn it and appreciate it. It's the continuous progression and learning. I use a lot of imagery and visualization techniques so the kids can get more creative and make more connections to life."
The same thing goes for his swimmers in the pool when he coaches at night at the Oahu Club.
"Some people view swimming and looking at the black line in the pool as an extremely boring and limiting experience. Seeing the black line can be boring and limiting; however, if you use your creative aspects and creatively find or build your techniques or improve your technique, if you use improvement strategies and drills, the pool becomes yours to build more ease, efficiency and power. Imagery will get you there faster. My experience is by using imagery like swimming down river so you're going with the flow, or reaching for the wall or holding on to a rope that's being pulled by a helicopter, you can enhance your swimming so much faster."
A common question Joe gets is "How do you become a better swimmer, a more efficient swimmer?" He broke it all down.
"Three components: balance, breathing and timing. Balance is making sure that you're floating at equilibrium on the surface and rotating evenly through your stroke. Breathing would be making sure your breath is taken at the appropriate time without creating resistance. Not struggling for air, not against your body, with your body with ease. You should not have to struggle to get air. Timing is making sure that you're rotating through your stroke applying power at the right parts of the stroke, maximizing power through your stroke cycle."
Another question: "What is it that gets you to show up every day to coach the Masters Swim Program?" He broke it down again.
"It's all levels. I like working with all levels of swimmers, I get excited or enthusiastic watching them become more efficient. I love watching them progress, but not just me identifying their improvement but them identifying their improvement, I just get excited. But it's the appreciation from the swimmer that is making big gains that gives me the energy to want to continue on. Again it's that appreciation cycle, I appreciate them coming and they appreciate the continuous progress. The swimmer allows me to want to give more and keep coaching. It's all about the swimmers."
But teaching and coaching would not be possible without the loving support of wife Yuki who is also a teacher at Moanalua High School where she specializes in Japanese Language. Joe and Yuki will be celebrating their 6th anniversary this July.
"It's Yuki's positive teaching strategies and insight that carry over and add to my strategies in the classroom, in the pool and at home. Our passion and commitment to education definitely assists us with caring for and raising our two daughters Kiara, 4 and Reina, 8 months."
Family time is important to Joe so he can maintain the joy and excitement that life offers and the new discoveries and accomplishments of Kiara and Reina.
After a long stand at Kalani High School, Joe will start doing his magic with the younger generation at Niu Valley Middle School in the fall. He'll continue on with his equilibrium in life being the family man, educating our kids and coaching the Masters.
Roll down your window when you're driving down Hawaii Kai Drive, as you pass the Oahu Club around 6:30PM, you'll probably hear him shouting "Let's go...Oahu Club tough!"
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