An idea that’s way out there

There is a special term for a volleyball hit long and way out of bounds on the court at an Israeli kibbutz.

It is called "Hawaii." As in, whoever chases down said volleyball has to go to the other side of the world to retrieve it.

It also became a metaphor for chasing down a dream, as Sivan Leoni did when he arrived in Manoa from Kibbutz Hamaapil in 1995 to play for the Rainbow Warriors. Those who watched the 6-foot-5 middle on the court remember his unconventional grunt-serve, the flamboyant headbands that tried to contain the wild red hair, and other idiosyncracies that somehow perfectly fit in during the rockstar days of the Yuval Katz-Aaron Wilton era.

Nearly 20 years later, Leoni again has served another volleyball way long. The term now is "Utah." Lanikai Athletic Club has expanded its youth volleyball club to the Green Valley Boutique Hotel & Spa in St. George, Utah.

Leoni, LAC’s assistant director, and Ed Chun, club founder and CEO, are calling it "the bridge" when bridging the gap between Hawaii and mainland with a standardized program for both coaches and players.

"It all started with us doing a clinic up there," said Chun, who founded the youth club in 2011. "Then we were asked about starting a club there. As we pressed on, more doors opened and there was the opportunity to build out of the hotel.

"When I was up there, it was my time to be the mad scientist in the lab. I came back and presented it to Sivan. It was a crazy idea, but he was on board. The SportCourt will be ready Oct. 27 and first tryouts are Oct. 28."

The concept is as unique as it is ambitious. The hotel partnership translates to an all-in-one facility with living and workout accommodations located about a two-hour drive from Las Vegas.

"We currently have eight coaches on staff, three of whom have won state championships, and we have a director in place," Chun said. "We have a lot of good connections in the area, a lot of Polynesians there, and it feels like a home away from home.

"There will always be skeptics, whether in sports or business. It’s up to us to have a good game plan and we’re confident we can execute our vision. It’s part of the message we try to give our kids. To give it your all. Failure is a must to becoming successful. It’s how you adjust to the failure that leads to success."

The plan also includes players in the windward club that is largely based out of King Intermediate and St. Mark Lutheran schools in Kaneohe. Players will have opportunities to earn a trip to train at the LAC-Utah facility and "spread their wings in the sport they love within their own club," Chun said.

"The vision has always been to touch as many kids as we can," Leoni said. "It’s not only to get them better at volleyball, develop their technique, but giving them life skills that make them the best people, best students, best athletes they can be."

Leoni, who has a computer programming business, created a program that has streamlined the registration and tryout process for the club. Registration is online, check-in is done on iPhones where players have their pictures and info put in the system.

"Last year, within 20 minutes of the tryouts we were able to decide which team players would be on and email that information with practice schedules to them," said Leoni of the tryouts that drew over 100.

Having a facility in Utah has only fueled the desire to have a facility on Oahu. Meanwhile, LAC is working on a location for its offseason circuit training.

Tryouts for the Oahu club are Thursday for 14-under and Nov. 9 for 17-under. The club also has a "jumpstart program" for ages 8-11 that starts Tuesday.