That’s the kind of experience Hewko is bringing back to Corona del Mar this year, as a girls’ assistant to Aaron Chaney and also CdM’s frosh-soph coach.
“It’s definitely a plus having Christina,” Chaney said. “She’s super-positive, super-energetic. These girls were all in junior high when she was playing for CdM. They look up to her.”
Hewko said she has also been coaching the CdM junior girls’ 14-and-under club team one night a week.
“Water polo is such a young, growing sport, and it had such a huge impact on my life,” Hewko said. “To give back to the sport at any time, I love to do that. I also played with Coach Ted [Bandaruk of the CdM junior program]. That’s how I started with water polo. It’s just fun going back to different stages where I was once. I definitely really enjoy it.”
The timing worked out just right for Hewko, the 2003 CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year who helped the Sea Kings to the Division IV title in 2002 and the Division II crown in 2003. She was planning to be a substitute teacher in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, getting her substitute teaching credential over the summer and taking the CBEST test.
She just started with the substitute teaching on Dec. 7, when she was a substitute at — where else? — CdM.
“I called the sub-finder, and they had a job open at CdM,” Hewko said. “I walked over and they had me do PE all day. It was funny, because I had a few of the water polo girls in my classes.”
But Hewko was happy to take the water polo job as well at CdM. Kyle Gorham, Chaney’s assistant for the past two years, became the women’s assistant at Long Beach State.
