Sometimes, it's just too weird to call them "coach."

"I just call him aunty, dad," Farrington sophomore Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo said as sophomore teammate and cousin Kirsten Liana agreed. "It feels awkward because everyone calls them 'coach,' 'coach Steven,' 'coach Carol.' "

Tatupu-Leopoldo's father, Steven Leopoldo, is the assistant coach for the Farrington High School girls basketball team. Her aunt, Caroline Tatupu, is the head coach for the Governors (2-0), ranked No. 2 in the Advertiser's top 10 poll of coaches and media.

The Governors head into tonight's O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East game at Kailua (0-3) with a strong squad that has become stronger because of family bonds.

Growing up, Tatupu-Leopoldo saw her older sister (Bryanna) and brother (Bryson) play for Dad at Farrington, and she wondered if she'd ever get that opportunity while she was attending Mid-Pacific.

Then, her aunt, the eight-year Farrington junior varsity coach, and father, who has been helping at his alma mater since 2001, took over the varsity program last year.

"My dream was always to play for Dad," Tatupu-Leopoldo said.

Liana, then at Kamehameha, transferred "to play for aunty and uncle."

Leopoldo said coaching his daughter has been a blessing, and he saw coaching as a way to give back. He also helped coached Bryanna (2005 graduate) and Bryson (2008 graduate) at Farrington.

"It's the opportunity that you can get that some other parents don't have, that they can coach their own kids in high school" Leopoldo said. "It's just amazing to coach them and see them, when they're growing up at four, five-years-old, and now they're in high school. It's a blessing."

Playing for Farrington has also brought Tatupu-Leopoldo and Liana back together on the court. Since they were four, the two did everything together, from playing club basketball and volleyball, to going to the movies. But in the fourth grade, the two began attending different schools.

"We knew where each other was on the court," Liana said. "And we hustled, and that's what we try to bring to this Farrington team."

Tatupu-Leopoldo is looked upon as the go-to player for the Governors, while Liana is looked to help out post player Lusina Otineru in the paint. While she's seen her nieces develop for years, Tatupu sees more in the future.

"They've developed and improved a lot," Tatupu said. "Their parents have been fortunate to send them to clinics, they've participated in clubs growing up, they've had opportunities to travel to the Mainland and compete with Mainland teams. They've improved by doing that. They've developed tremendously over the years and I can see them developing more."

Leopoldo and five of his brothers were all-stars at Farrington in the late 70s and 80s. Steven, along with younger brother, Leo, guided the Governors to the 1983 OIA title. Growing up, Tatupu-Leopoldo's last name set off nostalgic memories for people she met.

"I just wanted to be Brydgette," she said. "But it was cool meeting everybody who knew my dad because I didn't know he knew so much people."

Tatupu-Leopoldo said her father doesn't share many of his experiences as a player, but provides pieces "to better you by telling you how I did."

During a meeting with her teammates earlier this year, Tatupu-Leopoldo asked if her and her cousin's relation to the coaches would be a problem. Her teammates didn't think it was an issue.

"My nieces know what I expect of them," Tatupu said. "At the same time, we work well together on and off the court. We're supportive of each other, just like we would be if they weren't playing for us. We still have that family connection."

The Governors went 0-2 at last year's state tournament, but return a talented squad that has already upset nationally ranked Westlake (Ga.).

"As a team, we (need to) push each other and not yell at our team, but talk to our team and to basically push and take every opportunity we can," Tatupu-Leopoldo said. "We need to stay as a team and to win and lose as a team.

NOTES

Bryanna Tatupu-Leopoldo and her Notre Dame de Namur basketball team begin a week-long Hawai'i trip tomorrow at Hawai'i-Hilo. NDNU (4-9) plays at Chaminade on Tuesday, against Hawai'i Pacific on Thursday and at Brigham Young-Hawai'i next Saturday. C'ani Kealoha, a Farrington alumna, is a redshirt sophomore for NDNU.