NUKOLI‘I — The Speed & Quickness defensive football clinic was reason enough for some coaches to make adjustments in their work schedule starting yesterday. Rich Miano, one of the University of Hawai‘i coaches as well as a partner in the
NUKOLI‘I — The Speed & Quickness defensive football clinic was reason enough for some coaches to make adjustments in their work schedule starting yesterday.
Rich Miano, one of the University of Hawai‘i coaches as well as a partner in the Speed & Quickness program, encouraged the coaches to attend all three clinics and get out to the field where the coaches and UH players will be working with the youngsters.
About 150 players in the 14 and Over age group turned out at Vidinha Stadium to work with the coaches. Bev Pang, who was coordinating the registration for the county, said the morning session had about 40 players with about 10 coaches at the coaches clinic.
Miano said the team of coaches and players headed up by Duane Akina, national champion University of Texas associate head coach, had just come from two sessions on the Big Island where the “kids loved Akina.”
“Despite his busy schedule, he was jacked when he heard about these clinics,” Miano said. “He came back to do this for the Hawai‘i youth.”
Mel DeLaura, strength coach for UH; George Lumpkin, UH assistant coach; Jeff Reinebold, formerly of the Canadian Football League; and Miano make up the coaching staff that was joined by UH player Leonard Peters.
“Peters is busy, but will stop what he’s doing to service the youth,” Miano said.
Also joining the group is Kaua‘i High School graduate Marissa Bonilla, who is a manager for the UH football team.
Akina said that in his 20 years, he’s been to many clinics, but nothing touches the Speed & Quickness clinics in getting messages out.
“I’m still trying to make the team,” Akina said to the coaches who gathered at the Kaua‘i Hilton Beach Resort Monday.
“I’ve been blessed to have good coaches and fortunate to have been in good places. But I continue to grow with the game.”
Akina encouraged the coaches to go beyond the clinics and watch the players on the field. Additionally, he encouraged the coaches “to bring a friend. The message you send touches kids.”
The Speed & Quickness program was founded five years ago so DeLaura could have more clinics, Miano said.
Today, the Speed & Quickness program is available across the state with Kaua‘i having the strongest presence, Miano said. This is due to the efforts of three individuals: Mayor Bryan Baptiste, Michael Tresler and Roy Nishida.
Miano said the Speed & Quickness program is incorporated into the three public high schools on Kaua‘i and there is a possibility of expanding it to the middle school level.
Nishida said the clinics are free to both coaches and players and encouraged everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to work with Akina and the UH coaches and players.
“Even if they follow a schedule, the knowledge you get is valuable because you never know what the coaches are going to say. A topic might not be on the schedule, but depending on the questions asked and the coaches’ replies, you may have your question answered,” Nishida said.
Jett Jasper, a football player who graduated from Kaua‘i High School, was one of the players working out at Vidinha Stadium.
“I would be working out at this time anyway,” Jasper said. “But this way, I get the benefit of college coaches and I have to work really hard because they’re watching.”
The clinic for coaches is from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Kaua‘i Hilton Beach Resort. The clinics for youngsters 9 to 13 years old is from 10:30 to noon at Vidinha Stadium. Kids 14 and older meet from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
As Nishida scanned the Vidinha Stadium field dotted with the 150 students working out under the hot sun, he had to smile.
“This makes me very happy,” he said.
For more information, contact Nishida at 241-6312, or Edie Ignacio at 241-6646.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
