2009 All-Time Great Player - Ernie Suwara
Ernie Suwara
2009 All-Time Great Player
Ernie Suwara was born March 15, 1945, in the Bronx borough of New York City to Ernest and Erna Suwara. Erna was a German immigrant and Ernest, a New York City patrolman, was raised by German foster parents. They had six children of whom Ernie was the third in line. The emphasis at home was work hard, get a good education, and excel at sports.
The family was members of the American Turners of New York - Turn Verein. The NY Turners were primarily a gymnastics society that offered additional activities such as track and field and volleyball.
Suwara went to elementary, junior high and high school in the Bronx. At Samuel Gompers High School, he lettered in swimming and gymnastics. A typical after school day would include swimming, gymnastics, and last but not least volleyball.
Suwara's first year of competitive volleyball was in 1959-60 at age 14 as a setter for the New York Turners. At Schenectady, he received All Tournament as a setter and big brother Rudy, of rival West Side Y, received All Tournament as a hitter.
Suwara played for the West Side YMCA during the 1960-1961 seasons. At 15 years of age, he joined the "B" team as a hitter. He was also a benchwarmer for the "A" Team. The West Side Y "A" Team was undefeated in the East for the season. Suwara became a starter on the "A" Team as a hitter in March 1961 just before his 16th birthday. His first Nationals was at Duluth in May 1961 as a starting hitter. The team suffered its first losing matches finishing a disappointing ninth.
Suwara graduated from High School in 1961 and enrolled at City College of New York with engineering as his major. The 1961-62 season was also dominated by the West Side Y "A" Team. The team featured three starting Suwaras; brothers John and Rudy, along with Ernie. Ernie was a setter hitter on the team which used the revolutionary 6 hitter 2 setter - system. The 1962 Nationals were in Philadelphia and the West Side Y again was defeated by a variety of California teams and finished a disappointing 9th again. Ernie watched a well-coached and disciplined Santa Monica City College finish fourth. Santa Monica would play an important part of his life six months later.
The Pan American tryouts were at the USVBA nationals in 1963 at San Antonio. The West Side Y again dominated the East with Suwara and George Fetz setting a 6-2 with brothers Rudy and John hitting along with Alex Valow and Joe Widmer. At the Pan Am tryouts, the West Side Y again finished a disappointing ninth place and the California teams again dominating. Ernie was now 18 years of age and had another terrific nationals as did his brother Rudy. Neither, however, was given serious consideration for the Pan Am Team.
The next season Suwara enrolled at Santa Monica City College and played volleyball for Colonel DeGroot. Along with his new roommate Butch May, Suwara loved the two hour, four days a week practices, stressing individual and team fundamental skills. He started playing on the beach as well. Santa Monica City College won the USVBA Collegiate Nationals in 1964 edging UCLA in the finals. Suwara was selected First-Team All American.
The Olympic Trials and Nationals were held in New York City the summer of 1964. Suwara was a member of the Hollywood YMCA Stars as a starting hitter. The Stars won the Nationals and Ernie was selected MVP and First-Team All American. Suwara, now 19 years old, was also selected unanimously to the 1964 Olympic Team.
After the Olympics, Suwara received UCLA's first scholarship for volleyball. He dominated as a hitter during his era like none other and was one of the best in the country during the 1960s. Scates' first two collegiate championships were in 1965 and 1967 with Suwara, who was Collegiate All American in 1965, 1966 and 1967 at UCLA and MVP in 1967. Twenty years later in 1987, he was selected to the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. Suwara also won several Open Men's Beach titles in 1967 with partner Mike Bright. In 2002, he was selected to Volleyball Magazine's All-Century Collegiate Team. Suwara could have been a two- time Olympian, but had to decline participation in 1968 because of employment obligations. He continued to dominate in the 35, 40, 45 and 50 and over age group divisions when he could compete, earning 11 additional All American selections, eight as a member of the First-Team.
Suwara has three daughters; Deana, Elisabeth and Felecia and four grandchildren. He is married to Paula Wulff whom he met in 1989 at the Toledo USVBA Nationals. He worked as a stockbroker starting in 1968, retiring in 2003. Ernie now plays golf a lot and beach volleyball occasionally.
