From MVP to Manoa: Kainoa Wade’s Quest for a Championship and his Dream of Joining Father at University of Hawaii Manoa

Charlie Wade, the father of Kainoa Wade, is a coach at the University of Hawaii Manoa. Kainoa has been considering reclassifying to graduate early in order to join his father’s team a year ahead of schedule. On Wednesday night, Kainoa confirmed his plan after his team’s loss to Punahou. He intends to graduate from Kamehameha in December and enroll at UH Manoa in January to play for his father, starting in the 2025 season.

Kainoa’s performance in the match against Punahou was praised by Punahou coach Rick Tune who called him “Superman”. Kainoa has been in contact with UH freshman setter Tread Rosenthal, who also graduated early to join the team at a young age. If everything goes as planned, the upcoming state tournament in May will be Kainoa’s last chance to try and secure a championship for Kamehameha, who last won the title in 2011.

Despite Kamehameha’s current standing in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Kainoa remains confident in his team’s abilities and believes they have what it takes to compete for the championship. He gave his verbal commitment to play for UH last June, after a standout performance during the state championship match in which he was named the unanimous state player of the year. Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii and can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.