Aloha spirit

Thursday, October 8, 1998

Aloha spirit

FEATURE: A true team player,

Eric Helfer knows what waterpolo at UCLA is all about

By Steve Kim

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The word "aloha," known to most mainlanders as the universal
Hawaiian greeting, is more than just a warm welcome or friendly
goodbye.

When someone says aloha, it’s more like an exchange of
sincerity, respect, love and many other synonymous attributes
valued and practiced by the Polynesian culture.

"It’s called the aloha spirit," said senior Eric Helfer,
co-captain of the UCLA water polo team. "Growing up in Hawaii,
you’re rarely thinking about yourself. You’re always thinking of
what you can do for others instead."

It’s the aloha spirit, which imbedded itself into Helfer over
his many years at Hawaii, that makes him a true team player.

"For me to say I did this and that would be disrespectful
because there’s no way I can do anything without my teammates.
There’s 20 other guys on our team who practice together every day.
So, the success of an individual has to be attributed to everyone
else."

Much of Helfer’s selfless wisdom comes not only from his
Hawaiian culture, but also from a global experience. Coast to
coast, he’s covered just about all of the Pacific and its various
cultures.

His father, an import-exporter from Chicago, decided to make a
conscious move to Japan. There, he met and wed Helfer’s mother. The
couple moved on to do business in Hong Kong, where Helfer was born.
He attended British school as a child in Hong Kong until his family
finally settled in Oahu, Hawaii.

"I’m pretty much … worldly," he said of the Helfers’ island
hopping.

Hawaii is where Helfer excelled as a swimmer and found his
passion for waterpolo. As a high school waterpolo player in Hawaii,
UCLA was his (and many others’) college of preference. Many of
Hawaii’s top players entered and prospered on the UCLA waterpolo
program, so Helfer’s desire to come here was apparent.

"I tell everyone this is the mecca for Hawaiian players," he
said. "Growing up in Hawaii and seeing them play when UCLA visited
there, I aspired to come here."

Once he got here, Helfer recalls, he had some minor adjusting to
do.

"The weather seemed extremely cold at the time," he said,
laughing, "but it really isn’t compared to anywhere else except
Hawaii. I love surfing, but the water is freezing here. Talk about
adjustments.

"The culture is a bit different here, but being on this team is
the closest thing to being home. There’s a lot of aloha on this
team."

Helfer’s adjustment on his game, however, was tougher. Having
entered at a time when UCLA just came off winning the national
championship and was returning many of its top players, he
redshirted and didn’t get much game experience and playing time for
a couple of years.

"I started as a redshirt," he recalled from his earlier years,
"and every year, you think, ‘I’m ready to be starting and I should
be starting.’ But you keep on going and keep on going."

Helfer still made progress during that time of uncertainty, and
as a junior he finally got playing time.

Now a senior, Helfer not only gets more playing time, he shares
responsibility as one of the team captains.

"Eric is definitely a person who’s put his time in and paid his
dues," sophomore teammate Adam Wright said. "He’s finally getting
around to his playing time, and I’m stoked for him."

"I’ve always dreamed of being captain at UCLA," Helfer added.
"It’s an honor, and I definitely want to wear it proudly and
represent my team the best I can."

Helfer doesn’t consider himself as a vocal leader, nor do his
teammates and coaches.

Instead, he leads by example, and one of his most respectable
traits is his devotion to the team.

"He’s always been a team player, and I think he had it before he
came here," his coach Guy Baker said of Helfer’s attitude. "You’ve
got to give a lot of credit to his parents and high school coach.
We emphasize team play, but Eric has always seemed comfortable with
it, while for some guys, it’s not always easy."

With no irony whatsoever, Helfer said the most enjoyable part of
water polo is in team play.

"A good team play is the best thing," he said. "I get pretty
physical and I thrive on competition and pressure. It gets the
blood going."

And once the blood gets going, Helfer takes no prisoners.

"Eric is such a fiery type of guy, he really gets everyone
pumped up," said Sam Grayeli, Helfer’s teammate and co-captain. "He
has a lot of passion."

It’s true, Helfer does have a lot of passion – for the game, for
the team and for anything else that he feels valuable.

In his final year of eligibility, Helfer is not only leader by
title but leader by exemplifying maturity and selfless team
devotion.

"I would do anything for my team," he said. "I take a lot of
emotion to what I do, and hopefully, that transcends to everyone
else."PATIL ARMENIAN

Eric Helfer is senior co-captain of the men’s waterpolo
team.

Comments, feedback, problems?

© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]