KAPA‘A — Coaches typically hope to have a profound impact on the players they teach, but often times that relationship ends once there are no more games to be played. Not so for a few hoops coaches who put on
KAPA‘A — Coaches typically hope to have a profound impact on the players they teach, but often times that relationship ends once there are no more games to be played.
Not so for a few hoops coaches who put on a free clinic for Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation basketball players this weekend at Kapa‘a High School.
Kevin Medeiros, Scott Laboy and Keith Spencer all grew up on O‘ahu and were playing in the same Police Athletic Leagues since grade school. Medeiros and Laboy were teammates starting in the fourth grade, while Spencer was a competitor on another squad.
They then all continued their playing careers at Iolani, where Medeiros and Laboy started to play for coach Dennis Agena in the sixth grade, Spencer joining them slightly later.
Now, the three young players who went on to win the 1983 Hawai‘i state championship, were at the KIF clinic, running the boys and girls through conditioning and shooting drills alongside their former coach.
“The opportunity to coach with (Coach Agena)” has been something exciting and enticing, said Laboy.
Medeiros has organized the clinic for the players, with about 80 coming out to take advantage of the quality coaches for the weekend.
Spencer, currently the Saint Louis High School head basketball coach after a long tenure in the same position at Leilehua, said that when his friend notified him, he didn’t have to do much convincing.
“When Kevin called me, there was no hesitation,” he said.
With the combination of the O‘ahu and Kaua‘i coaches all pitching in, it made for a collaboration that should benefit everyone in attendance, Spencer said.
“There are really quality coaches here,” he said. “If the kids learn one thing, then it’s all worth it.”
Medeiros noted that the teachings of coaches can be of great importance to young players in their formative years, with many lessons translating outside the gym into their everyday lives.
“Coaches were my biggest influence growing up,” he said.
Coach Agena, now of Kalakaua Basketball, does multiple clinics a year throughout the islands and has run other clinics on Kaua‘i just this year.
What has become evident to the other coaches over time is the improvement and growing enthusiasm they see each time out from the Kaua‘i players.
“You can see the interest in basketball growing because they are having success,” said Spencer. “When they go over to O‘ahu, they are competitive.”
Laboy pointed out that the girls programs have caught his eye this year because the level of play continues to improve.
“The girls impressed me,” he said. “The quality over the last six years has really improved. Sometimes on O‘ahu, the kids feel like they know everything. Here, there’s a willingness to improve.”
As the players began to wrap up their intense four-hour session on Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m. and finishing up at noon with some question and answer time with Coach Agena, Medeiros said that there is constant movement going on and not much down time.
“It’s a quick pace, so you don’t really know you’re tired — until now,” he said.
