LIHU‘E — More than 50 young basketball players, both girls and boys up to sixth grade were surprised on Saturday when they showed up for the third University of Hawai‘i-led basketball clinic.
The first surprise was their welcome to the new Kaua‘i High School gymnasium, which is rarely used for events not involving Kaua‘i High School.
Secondly, was the introduction and arrival of Olympian Akira Jacobs to help lead the free clinic that was made possible through many community sponsors, including Meridian Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines, Wilcox Health, Somers West, Grove Farm, the Kekaha Agricultural Association and more.
Beside hands-on experience with basketballs, University of Hawai‘i (UH) men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot and members of the basketball team, including Jacobs and Zigmars Raimo, who were selected to participate in the Olympic Summer Games, guided the young hoopsters through warm up and conditioning exercises, various court skills exercises and more.
Restricted by NCAA and other collegiate basketball rules, the field was limited to players younger than sixth grade.
Players and coaches who were beyond that age limit were allowed to watch from the stands. They picked up lessons simply by being in the presence of the Hawai‘i coaches and players as Ganot divided his time between the players on court, as well as parents and spectators seated in the new facility.
Freshman Jacobs, making his hometown in Yokohama, Japan, was named to Japan’s 12-member Olympic team in Paris. Former UH forward Zigmars Raimo earned one of four spots to the Latvia 3×3 squad. At just 20 years old, Jacobs is just one of three UH men’s basketball players to compete at the Olympics.
According to the UH Sports Information Office, it has been more than 50 years since Hawai‘i has had a basketball Olympian. Tom Henderson was a member of the 1972 United States squad that dropped a controversial gold medal game against the Soviet Union.
University of Hawai‘i Beach Volleyball Coach Evan Silberstein was also part of the visiting Hawai‘i contingent. He visited with the clinic support staff, including the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League group, to get a feel for a scheduled UH Beach Volleyball Tour that also includes a “Meet and Greet” segment and contests during the Thanksgiving weekend.
