The name "Brian" etched on his Starbuck’s cup could’ve been a giveaway, but the biggest professional soccer star in Hawaii’s history somehow made it from the parking lot to the coaches’ tent relatively unnoticed, past hundreds of kids and parents.
Later, the younger kids will just know him at first as Coach Brian. Some of the older ones who recognize him as THE Brian Ching will be in awe, until he cracks a harmless joke at their expense. Ultimately, they all learn he came from where they are … and went all the way to the top.
The day after Christmas was homecoming for Ching, sharing his love for the game with another generation — as just another guy trying to get his kicks at Waialae Iki Park.
"For me and the kids here it’s about enjoying the game," Ching said minutes before the start of the first day of the Bulls soccer club’s ProXteme camp. "Go out and be personable with them. Go out and make fun of them and relate to them on that level. Let them know I’m just like one of them. I’ve had similar experiences growing up that they are as they grow up. That’s what, for me, it’s about, making those connections."
The MLS star from Haleiwa and Kamehameha has always made time for this event. This year it’s his first as a retired player.
Ching, 35, the greatest goal-scorer in Houston Dynamo franchise history, said he is at peace with his decision.
"There comes a point you realize you can’t do the things you want to do. … And this year I was frustrated throughout the entire year. It took me a while to come to grips with it. When I did that I finally was able to kind of relax and enjoy the last few months of the season. I was ready to be done playing."
He’d planned to take the next couple of months off, but then accepted a job as director of the new Houston Dash women’s pro team. He has to hire a coach and draft players.
"I’ve got a degree in accounting (from Gonzaga) and I enjoy numbers," he said. "Having said that, I have a lot to learn. I want to use the things that made me successful on the field to be successful in the front office."
Those things that made Ching an outstanding player were many, said Dynamos coach Dominic Kinnear, also here for the camp.
"Physically he played a lot bigger than he was (6-foot-1, 190 pounds)," Kinnear said. " He was great in the penalty area. The best thing about him was he was unselfish. He was a real good finisher. Very brave. He put his head into places where people wouldn’t put other body parts. He missed a lot of time (due to injury) or we might be talking about a top five MLS scorer."
Ching’s new job will keep him in Houston, where he is a huge star. But for the next few days, he’s here, where his heart remains.
Who might be the next Brian Ching? Or the next Caprice Dydasco, another Kamehameha grad working the camp, who plays for NCAA champion UCLA and remembers being inspired by Ching here 10 years ago?
"Hawaii will always be home," Ching said. "For me it’s about the kids getting to see someone who has made it and give them something to shoot for."
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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads
