Former head basketball coach for the University of Hawai‘i Hilo Vulcans, James Yagi, will be joined by former NAIA All-American player and sports editor of the Hilo Tribune, Bill O’Rear, Saturday at the Kaua‘i High School gym. The pair will
Former head basketball coach for the University of Hawai‘i Hilo Vulcans, James Yagi, will be joined by former NAIA All-American player and sports editor of the Hilo Tribune, Bill O’Rear, Saturday at the Kaua‘i High School gym.
The pair will lead a free basketball clinic for youth between the ages of 9 through 13 starting from 9 a.m. to noon.
A second session is intended for coaches and will run from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Kaua‘i High School gym.
There is no charge to participate in the clinic, and participants are asked to wear basketball shoes and appropriate clothing for basketball.
Basketball fundamentals including ball handling drills, dribbling, passing, and team building concepts are on the clinic agenda.
This clinic ties in with the opening of the county’s 11- and 12- and Under basketball programs which tip off starting Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The county’s 13 and Under program also starts next week beginning with games scheduled for Wednesday.
In previous clinics hosted by the County of Kaua‘i and Coach Yagi, players from these community basketball programs were given a boost in their court performances by learning the fundamentals of the game from the former coach and his staff.
“We try and schedule the community games so the players have the benefit of being able to attend and learn from the basketball coach,” said Aaron Uyeda of the county’s Parks and Recreation Dept. “Additionally, coach Yagi likes to go to the games, and already, has received inquiries into critique-ing a game.”
Uyeda said Yagi will attend a game, take notes, and review them with the coach during the coaches’ session, Saturday.
During Yagi’s tenure at the helm of the Vulcan basketball program, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo was placed on the map when one of Yagi’s teams reached the NAIA finals.
Following his retirement, Yagi was inducted into the UH-Hilo Vulcan Hall of Honor.
For more information, call Aaron at 822-0511, or Clyde at 332-9770.
