CdM’s Chaney resigns

Aaron Chaney announced his resignation Monday as girls’ water polo coach at Corona del Mar High, saying it was extremely difficult to leave after nine seasons.

He is moving in July to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he grew up.

He said he cried during an emotional meeting with players Monday in the team room near the pool at CdM.

Chaney, who guided the Sea Kings to CIF Southern Section titles in his first five seasons and averaged 25 wins per year, cited his 87-year-old mother, Betty, and his 1-year-old daughter, Kaia, as major reasons for resigning.

“My mom is getting older and life hasn’t been fun for her,” said Chaney, 53. “When I had my daughter the last two times I went home, I saw her face light up and now she has a reason for living … I saw my mom laugh and smile the most I’ve seen in the past five to 10 years.”

In addition, Chaney’s wife, Hermie, was hired as a history teacher at Punahou School last week. At one point, he actually asked his wife to reject the offer, but ultimately he believed it was time to leave. He has always wanted his daughter to grow up in Hawaii.

Chaney said he has a video-conference interview later this week with Punahou, his alma mater, to teach junior high math. He’s said he’s not sure if he’ll get back into coaching high school water polo.

Heather Moody, the new junior women’s national team coach, asked Chaney to be his assistant Thursday, he said, and he accepted.

Chaney had a sense that this could be his last year at Corona del Mar after his daughter was born in March of 2009. He resigned after 26 years as a referee after Kaia’s birth. He worked the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, and was also a referee at the World Championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

“When I first came out here I was just coming to ref,” said Chaney, who is a teacher in his third year at Harbor Day, a private K-8 school in Newport Beach. “I never imagined I would have all that I’ve experienced with the players and the parents I worked with. And, to be coaching in Orange County, the hotbed of water polo, it was just a great experience all the way around.”

Chaney compiled a 229-60 record with the Sea Kings. He guided CdM girls’ water polo to its first CIF title in the 2001-02 season, when the Sea Kings won the Division IV crown. CdM then captured four straight Division II titles.

He was named the Division IV Coach of the Year in 2002 and the Division II Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004.

CdM reached the CIF Division I championship match in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, and made the semifinals in 2006-07 and this past season.

Chaney’s 2008-09 team finished 33-2 and won a CIF Masters title.

Yet for personal highlights, Chaney said he cherishes the times he shared with the players during trips to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia throughout the years

“It was great just playing competitive games all the time, week in and week out,” Chaney said. “Watching a bunch of girls just work so hard and get better during the season, it’s just a great experience to see kids do that. Winning championships is just fine, but that stuff lasts a week or so and it’s forgotten. It’s the relationships with the girls that last forever. I have some of my former players that I still keep in touch with. To me that’s what it’s all about.”

Chaney said, “it would have been nice to have one of those,” speaking of a CIF Division I title.

Still, he made an impact on his players.

“He cared more about us as people instead of players,” CdM senior Margot Money said. “He really did care about us as young women and wanted us to truly benefit from lessons to become better people. He wasn’t just our water polo coach, he was like a mentor to us. He’s a great man and he’ll be missed.”