CHINO HILLS, Calif. — Brothers Shawn and Joey Quarles started a softball club over 10 years ago with the goal of providing a higher level of competition for their own daughters and guidance to athletes and their parents with the college recruiting process.

Meet the Ohana Tigers.

The meaning of the team’s name is deeply rooted in the founders’ family heritage. According to their website (ohanatigers.com) “Ohana” means “family” in Hawaiian. The site describes the attributes of the largest of all cats, the tiger, being one of the fiercest predators in the world and represents strength, courage, patience and loyalty.

The Ohana Tigers are a 14u, fast-pitch, travel softball team with 11 girls and led by head coach Chuck Abellon and assistant coaches, Brian Darwin, Robert Konrad and Ringo Manalac. The shared sentiment among the players and the coaches is family and appreciation for one another as well as dedication to their sport.

Coach Abellon, the father of player Therese, has been leading the Tigers for the past two years. The Tigers ended their Spring/Summer 2021 Season with a 31-18-3 record, and they have a batting average of .385, an on-base percentage of 446, 411 hits, 285 RBIs, and 334 runs scored.

Abellon says he got into coaching because he likes competition, and sports have always been part of his life. While it is a sacrifice of personal time, he says you must love what you do to make it work, like balancing time with other children. He is also an Adult Leader for Boy Scouts of America Troop 2399 for his son Joaquin. His coaching philosophy is to “always go hard and push yourself at practice so that games will be easier.”

Hard work brings rewards. When Abellon sees the players executing what they practice at games, he knows he’s doing an effective job. While it’s not always about winning, he says, developing the athletes and teaching them sportsmanship is important not only for sports but for life. Winning, he said, is icing on the cake.

Assistant Coach Brian Darwin, Jordyn’s dad, has been at Abellon’s side for the past two years. He also admits the challenges of balancing schedules, but he makes it work. He says the most important quality of a good coach is patience. The rewards are watching the girls have fun and succeed.

While keeping his athletes focused without burning them out is a challenge, Darwin says he keeps them motivated with a “let me show you how it’s done” approach. He says this is the best way to show a player how to correct their mistakes, plus he loves getting his glove on to field ground balls, catching some pop flies and running the bases.

Assistant Coach Robert Konrad, Lauren’s dad, has been with the Ohana Tigers for about a year and a half. His coaching philosophy is “to learn it the right way the first time” and approaches the players with positivity. While winning is important, playing the game with minimal errors supersedes the outcome. Konrad admits that it is difficult to see the team lose but he believes it helps them learn from those losses. He measures his effectiveness as a coach when he sees a player believe in herself and when the team works together by trusting each other’s abilities.

Assistant Coach Ringo Manalac, who is the father of Rianna, has also been with the team for two years. He tries to create a positive culture for the players that embraces effort and attitude. There are many questions he asks himself to determine if he’s being effective as a coach: Is the team responding to what’s being said or asked of them? Are they improving? Is their self-confidence growing? Are they having fun and staying interested in their chosen sport?

Manalac loves seeing the girls succeed and having fun but recognizes the distractions this age group brings like school, being a teen, social media, and peer pressure, to name a few. But he says he does his best to be patient and understand there is life off the field. Manalac finds communication and positive feedback helps to motivate the players and show that he cares about them.

The Ohana Tigers are proud of their awards and recognition. Many players stay with the team until they’re 18 and some receive college scholarships.

Team Awards and Recognition:
2nd Place USSSA Rocky Mountain Nationals – Salt Lake City, Utah
2nd Place USSSA Monster Mash Tournament – Mesquite, Nev.
Tier 1 Berth to first-ever Pacific Coast Alliance Nationals
3rd Place ASC Memorial Day Tournament – San Diego, CA
3rd Place Dirt Dogs Thanksgiving Tournament – Bakersfield, CA
3rd Place Memorial Day Tournament – Kingman, AZ

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