Joined OCC: March 18, 1971
Elected to Winged “O”: February 24, 2003
Charlie Jenkins was one of the players who put Outrigger Canoe Club on the volleyball map. A St. Louis High School graduate, he was recruited for the Club team in 1971 after members saw his dazzling performance on the court playing against them.
He played on 10 National Championship OCC teams at the USA Volleyball Nationals in the Open Division (1986) and Masters Divisions (Masters 35–1988, 1991, 1992 and 1994; Masters 40–1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994; and Masters 50–2000). He was also on two OCC National AAU Championship Men’s Open teams in 1975 and 1976. He earned All-America honors 18 times and was the Most Valuable Player at the National Championships five times (1975, 1976, 1986, 1993 and 2000).
Charlie was the setter on the Outrigger team and was considered the best setter of his generation in the islands.
Charlie played on the Club’s winning teams at the Haili Volleyball Tournament in Hilo, being named MVP and to the All-Tournament teams many times over three decades.
He was also a sand volleyball player and could be found on the Club court most weekends. He won the Club doubles championship in 1976 with Jim Iams and the Duke Kahanamoku Sand Volleyball Doubles Championship in 1974 with Dodge Parker and 1975 with Chris Crabb, along with many other sand tournament titles.
Charlie coached Club teams for many years, both youth and adult. Teams he coached with Dave Shoji and Chris McLachlin won the USAV Junior Olympics twice–Boys 14 in 2002 and Boys 17 in 2005. They were runnersup in 2004, Boys 16, and 2007, Boys 18. Two of the boys he coached became members of the U.S. Olympic Volleyball team and won Bronze medals in 2016.