Joined OCC: January 19, 1950
Elected to Winged “O”: January 15, 1968
Volleyball great Tom “Daddy” Haine was elected to the Winged “O” in 1968, one of the original members of the elite organization.
Tom was born in Minot, North Dakota on January 6, 1933, moved to Hawaii as a youth and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1950. He didn’t go out for sports while at Roosevelt, but when he attended Monterey Junior College and San Jose State he made his mark in football, basketball, water polo and swimming, in which he was twice named All-American.
Tom’s volleyball exploits read like something straight out of a rags to riches Hollywood script. Going from humble beginnings in 1947 as a teen-aged sand eater on the beach fronting the OCC, he rose all the way to captain of the 1968 U.S. Olympic Volleyball team and the United States Volleyball Association Hall of Fame.
In 1951 he won the Hawaii Territorial Doubles Championships and then went on to win the State Doubles Tournament 12 times. In 1956, he was a member of the first team from Hawaii to qualify for national play. The team finished third but Tom returned to the Nationals every year after.
Tom was named U. S. Volleyball Association All-American 18 times. He was named Golden Masters Player of the Year in 1982 and received the USVBA All-Time Great Player award in 1990. In 1991 he was the first Hawaii player inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He was inducted posthumously into the YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame on May 26, 2006 during the USA Volleyball Open Championships in Austin, Texas.
As a member of the team that participated in the Pan American games, he received a silver medal in 1963 and a gold medal in 1967. He also captained the 1968 U.S. Olympic team in Mexico City which had the distinction of being the first U.S. Olympic team to beat the Soviets in international competition.
Tom participated in practically every sport at the OCC, including paddling.
Tom served on nearly every Club committee. He was elected to the Board of Directors for the first time in 1968, working his way through all the offices to Outrigger Canoe Club President in 1972. In 1984 he was again elected to the Board and served as President for a second term in 1987. Elected again in 1994, he was Secretary at the time of his death.
The Outrigger Canoe Club was a second home to Tom; his friendships were deep and his devotion to competition was legendary. He could be found on the volleyball courts most weekends, as well as lunch times. Being his partner was an honor as well as a bit intimidating to young players who idolized him.
Tom was known as “Daddy” to most Club members and around the volleyball world. The nickname was given to him by his wife Marilyn, and caught on because of his imposing, amiable presence and ferocious success on the volleyball court. Off the sand, Daddy was a banker and served in the Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard as a jet pilot, attaining the rank of major. He was also on the Nissan Hall of Honor selection committee.
Tom suffered a massive heart attack at the Club after a workout on September 10, 1994, going the way he probably would have liked, doing what he liked best at his home away from home.
A member echoed the sentiments of many when he said “If someone had to be identified as a winner it was Daddy. He competed harder than anyone I know but he never sacrificed sportsmanship or goodwill for winning.”
The sand volleyball courts at the Club were named after him following his untimely death. Every Labor Day weekend a four-man draw volleyball tournament is held at the Club in his honor. A sportsmanship award is also given each year to a volleyball player in his name.
Tom’s son Marc and daughter Kisi have followed in his steps as both were elected to the Winged “O” for their athletic success and service to the Club.