A Piece of the Past

Every day at 3:58 p.m., as I sprint towards the athletic complex desperately hoping to make my 4:00 P.M. practice, I pass under the entryway bearing the words, “Father Kenneth A. Bray Athletic Center.” Two grueling hours later, I put my hand in the circle with the rest of my teammates and inadvertently pay tribute to the Ol’ Man one last time saying, “All right, guys! ‘One Team’ on 3. 1, 2, 3, ‘One Team!’” Since I entered Iolani in the seventh grade and began playing water polo, I have heard the phrase “One Team” echoed around the pool numerous times. Coming up through the ranks from middle school and finally to the end of my high school career, there was always an itch in the very back of my mind to know what was so special about Fr. Bray or, as some called him, the Ol’ Man.

Throughout most of my time at Iolani, I had no idea who Fr. Bray was, even though I had constantly heard his name around the school and bumped into him a few times a day. Ironically, although I saw his face in virtually every classroom and passed under his steely gaze each day as I entered the sports complex, I never understood his significance. In seventh grade, I remember thinking to myself after seeing The Ol’ Man in several classrooms, Who is the Ol’ Man anyway? Why would anyone write a book about an old man? To be honest, after hearing his name many times over, I did not really care who he was because I thought that he was a person of the long gone past. Later when I found out that Fr. Bray was a football coach, I wondered if he was remembered for legendary feats like other famous sports coaches. However, he was not usually mentioned in the same breath as a brilliant record or championship list. The questions began to pile up: What was he known for? How could someone from a different era still be remembered with such reverence today? and Why is he associated so closely with Iolani athletics?

My knowledge of Fr. Bray slowly grew by bits and pieces, but not until reading the The Ol’ Man did I gain a full understanding of the man who had such a great impact on Iolani. After finishing this book, I have not so much changed my views as I have learned of a vital part of my school’s heritage. I now see why Fr. Bray and “One Team” are synonymous with Iolani School and its athletics program. “One Team” was Fr. Bray’s greatest coaching philosophy, emphasized above conditioning, following directions, and fundamentals. It meant that every single player on the team worked in unison with the other members toward a common goal. Fr. Bray stressed this concept in every aspect of sports: practices, games, and after games. He expected third stringers to practice just as hard as the first team, did not elevate all-star players, and mandated that after games, if one player received a lei or a cup of juice, the whole team also received one. This great concept was passed down through the decades and today the “One Team” spirit is still a powerful motto that inspires Iolani sports teams.

Although I applaud Fr. Bray’s “One Team” concept and the values he tried to instill in his players, I disagree with his methods of coaching. His practice of withholding water from his players was very detrimental to their health. By today’s standards, that action would have been deemed illegal. Fr. Bray was sometimes also overzealous in his demand for 100% effort. He viciously scrubbed a scab off of a player’s arm so that he would not worry about it during practice, another disagreeable approach he utilized to get his message across to his players. In spite of these episodes, Fr. Bray had the right ideas in mind when coaching his boys. He tried to teach them the value of discipline, honesty, and hard work. This was evident in his generosity when he rewarded his players not for their performance, but for their effort, and when he replaced the team’s stolen valuables without question. The young men who played for Fr. Bray grew up to be successful, upstanding citizens- something they would not have been without him. Fr. Bray not only developed Iolani’s sports programs, but was also instrumental in serving the community and building the school’s positive reputation.

After studying Fr. Bray’s life for the past two weeks, I have found an important piece of Iolani’s past and added it to my heritage. My ties to the school have been strengthened and my understanding of the “One Team” philosophy has deepened to a more personal level from reading the stories in The Ol’ Man. I now know that Fr. Bray was not only recognized for his unique coaching ability, but also for touching the lives of his players and molding them into the honorable men they are today. I will remember his commitment to hard work, fairness, discipline, humility, and God and apply these principles to my life. In doing so, I will perpetuate the Ol’ Man’s timeless legacy.