Passion and purpose.
Those words fueled the Honolulu Little League team to the 2022 Little League World Series championship.
For Honolulu manager Gerald Oda, those words are how he lives his life.
While the journey for his team of 11- and 12-year-old players lasted all summer — from states on Kauai, to the West Regional in San Bernardino, Calif., to the LLWS in Williamsport, Pa. — Oda’s journey to finding his purpose lasted all of his 54 years and was only discovered when he was 40.
“I’ll be honest, if you knew me in high school (Kailua graduate, 1986), my 20s, even my 30s, I was a different person back then,” Oda said in a telephone interview on Friday. “I thought I was a nice person. I thought I was a good person. I needed more direction, I guess.”
But after reconnecting with his faith and relying on the philosophical writings of a mentor, Oda became a changed man.
Oda is now a man of dignity. He possesses honor, high morals and compassion — as well as three, yes, three World Series titles (Cal Ripken 12-under in 2005, Little League 11-12 in 2018 and Sunday’s title).
But it was in 2018 when Oda endeared himself to Hawaii, Little League followers and humanitarians around the globe.
Oda got emotional in a press conference expressing his concern for the people of Hawaii because of the imminent danger of Hurricane Lane.
During that press conference video, Oda stopped in midsentence, looked down, wiped away tears and was unable to speak for 10 seconds. Only an encouraging pat on the back by Little Leaguer Sean Yamaguchi helped Oda get through it.
“Thanks Sean,” he said. Then Oda continued: “Sorry guys, what they’re going through is very difficult. We’ve been there, all of us have been there when storms have come. It can be chaotic. It’s lot of stress.
“We told the kids that this is our opportunity to really give back. We know there’s a lot of people at home watching the game. If anything, for them to watch us, we can give them hope. They can take their mind off. That’s what we hope.”
His vulnerability during a time of empathy illustrated the quality of this man and maybe how far he’s come.
In press conferences in 2018 and 2022 as well as sideline interviews, Oda has always been polite and accommodating. When he was mic’d up during games at the West Regional and at the LLWS, he was cordial and complimentary to coaches and jokingly light-hearted and positive to his players.
Oda also expressed the importance that a team’s needs supersede an individual’s need. That’s why in the West Regional, the Honolulu players didn’t display their names on the back of their jerseys, but instead had “We>Me,” to emphasize that the we is greater than the me.
“I hate that they’re so good, but I also hate that they’re all so nice,” Tennessee coach Randy Huth said in postgame video after the loss to Honolulu. “Their coach Gerald is so great. Their kids are so well-mannered and very respectful. They’re great.”
But his foundational philosophy didn’t happen overnight. It took years and a transformation.
“(It’s) because I have a great mentor in Daisaku Ikeda,” Oda said. “I practice Buddhism and he’s the president of the organization, Soka Gakkai International. He’s someone that really encouraged me through his writings. He really encouraged, that everybody has a purpose in this world — everybody — and one of the biggest things we can do is find our purpose.
“Some people become politicians, some people become doctors or school teachers. For me, it’s being a baseball coach.”
Oda said that conviction is not about the material things like making money, “buying a big house or buying a fancy car.”
“It’s about finding your purpose so that you can make this world a better place and help others.”
But before Oda could help others, he had to help himself.
He admitted that, while he coached baseball for 30 years and has worked in the special investigations unit for GEICO for about 25 years, his life meandered for a long stretch.
Then came the epiphany.
“Oh, yeah, when I was 40 years old,” he said. “I still remember, it was January 2009. That year was a significant year. That’s when everything was put into perspective.
“I remember when I turned 40, I’m still a bachelor, I just broke up with a girlfriend. I was like ‘What am I doing?’
The breakup was only part of the trigger but he said afterward it left him feeling empty, questioning whether he should continue coaching and asking about his purpose.
“I had no direction in my life at the time,” he said. “And I had some personal issues that came up.”
He said it was during his darkest moment that his faith and his practice helped turn it around. He connected with Ikeda and got “back in the right direction” and felt “reinvigorated.” Ikeda’s philosophy, he said, showed him how to live a fulfilling life.
“And that’s what keeps me grounded. That’s like my moral compass. This is what’s important. Not the material things. It’s about this. As I started really studying and reading about him, I find out, “Wow, there’s more to it.’
“Luckily for me, I found my purpose, I found my passion and that’s coaching baseball and helping kids.
“I said you know what, ‘nuf, I’m 40 years old. I do have a purpose in this life. Brah, from 40 to now my life totally changed — I’m married now. I have a beautiful wife who supports what I do.”
And what Oda does well is mold young, impressionable minds and provide positive influence.
He said people have asked him, why Little League?
“Because when we were growing up, the one thing that you ask me and my brothers is, we have nothing but great memories of the coaches growing up and how they took care of us. That was one of the happiest times, playing baseball.”
Oda actually got into coaching because of his older brother Donovan.
“He’s actually the one that got us into coaching. … I would be the assistant.”
Later, Gerald’s twin brother, Keith, became the coach. “Then he got busy and moved to New York. I said, you know, I’m going to be the head coach. I always ragged on my brothers. Out of everyone, I got the best record.”
Not to mention he’ll be coming home with his third World Series title.
Oda wanted to emphasize his appreciation to the people of Hawaii.
“On behalf of our parents, our players, our coaches, we really, really want to say thank you to everyone back home,” Oda said. “Everyone’s getting text messages, phone calls supporting the team … deeply appreciated.
“Even when I was in under COVID (he missed the first three games of the LLWS), Oh, man, I had a lot people praying and supporting, I just cannot thank people enough. I’m a person I totally believe in the power of prayer, whatever your faith is, people just wishing me well, really made a tremendous difference. I cannot thank people enough.”
