Army life sheds new light on Masaniai's love of sport

The staccato shoe squeaks could come from any field house in the country, the intermittent cheering for teams of any age.

The building — with all the musk and humidity of tennis shoes worn without socks — smells like every old gym you've ever visited.

But then you open your eyes and look across the volleyball court. Sitting in the bleachers are two American soldiers, dressed head-to-toe in camouflage, wearing flak jackets and Kevlar helmets.

The Conseil International du Sport Militaire World Military Volleyball Championships is just like any sporting event — and yet completely different.

And that's why Poasa Masaniai is here.

"I think that was one of the main reasons he joined the military — to play volleyball," said his mother, Faatuai.

Masaniai, a Sierra Vista Buena High School graduate, is now a 21-year-old specialist based at Youngsan Army Garrison outside of Seoul, Korea.

Masaniai, the Arizona Daily Star's 2003 boys volleyball player of the year, came to Fort Huachuca on April 23 to try out for the Army volleyball team. He made the team and played well enough in the Armed Forces Championships to be named to the CISM squad, which features players from all four branches of the military.

CISM was founded in 1948 as an international governing body for military athletics. It now features 127 countries. The 27th volleyball tournament is the first to be held at Fort Huachuca.

"From my point of view, the most important part of the competition isn't winning," said Brig. Gen. Dwayne Lucas of the Canadian Air Force, CISM's Vice President for the Americas. "The real issue is they get to meet soldiers from other countries, understand other cultures, get a sense of how they act and operate."

The American team is one of nine — China, Korea, Germany, the Netherlands, Qatar, Cyprus, India and Canada are the others — to participate in this year's tournament at Barnes Fieldhouse.

The U.S. lost 25-22, 17-25, 23-25, 27-29 to Canada on Friday, failing to advance to today's championship.

But that did not wipe the smile from Masaniai's face. The Army gave him another chance to play volleyball, a sport he abandoned when he was not offered a college scholarship after graduating in May 2003.

"There weren't any big hitters out there," he said. "They don't really look at little towns."

Masaniai, who specializes in telecommunications, usually wakes up at 5:30 a.m. in Korea. After a long day of work and a trip to the gymnasium to play pickup volleyball, he gets home at 10 or 11 each night.

At Fort Huachuca, all Masaniai — known as P.J. to his friends — has to worry about is volleyball. Practices start at a relatively reasonable 9 a.m.

And here's the best part: He gets to sleep at his parents' house every night. And eat their food. And be envied by teammates.

"Maybe during the day, I'll wander over to the barracks," he said. "I say, 'Hey, how you doing?'

"They say, 'We hate you.' "

When Masaniai enlisted in March 2004, he wanted to be stationed at Fort Huachuca, the place his father, Ret. Sgt. 1st Class Poasa Masaniai, was based. But being so far away makes Masaniai's return so sweet.

Last month he helped his mom clean the house before his sister, Pelelini, graduated from Buena.

He even got in fights with his kid sister — just like the old days.

"We have our differences," Pelelini said, "but it's nice to have him at home."

That will end Monday, when Masaniai boards a commercial flight from Tucson to Los Angeles to Seoul. There are rumors his unit — the 201st — will be sent to Iraq.

"If we get sent there, it's not going to be a big surprise for us; we've been training for it," he said.

Masaniai — who has taken classes at a University of Maryland satellite campus in Korea — still dreams of leaving the military in a year-and-a-half to go to college.

"Who knows," he said. "Maybe I'll play a little ball, too."

If you go

● India vs. Netherlands, 9 a.m.

● Qatar vs. China (3rd place), 11:30 a.m.

● Korea vs. Germany (final), 2 p.m.

• Games are free and open to the public. Fans must present a driver's license, registration and proof of insurance at the base's main entrance to gain automobile access to Fort Huachuca.