University of Hawai‘i footballers Colt Brennan, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess and Kaua‘i’s Kenny Estes and Jett Jasper turned out to help with the Hawai‘i Speed and Quickness Football Clinic yesterday at the Vidinha Stadium. “This camp is good because they
University of Hawai‘i footballers Colt Brennan, Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess and Kaua‘i’s Kenny Estes and Jett Jasper turned out to help with the Hawai‘i Speed and Quickness Football Clinic yesterday at the Vidinha Stadium.
“This camp is good because they break it up into positions,” said Jasper, the former Kaua‘i High School receiver.
“I didn’t have this when I was a kid,” said Grice-Mullen, the University of Hawai‘i wide receiver from Rialto, Calif. “It’s good to see they have something like this to go to. I love interacting with the kids and seeing how much they enjoy it. That’s my fix.”
Unlike his teammate, Brennan from Irvine, Calif., attended similar clinics growing up. But Brennan said, this one is special.
“I did a lot of these growing up, but it wasn’t like this kind where maybe USC players or coaches came out,” said Brennan, one of last year’s Heisman Trophy candidates. “This is where it all starts. I think its neat they get to see the players up close and personal.”
Approximately 180 young athletes attended on the first day of this free camp, sponsored by the Speed and Quickness Program and the County of Kaua‘i’s Anti-Drug Program.
Kaua‘i’s Speed and Quickness coordinator Roy Nishida said even more showed up yesterday.
“There were about 30 more in the morning group and more than that in the afternoon,” he said.
He likes putting on these clinics for the youth because it offers them exercise and it exposes them to good training from top-notch athletes and coaches. On top of that, Nishida likes how it gets the kids motivated.
“Some of these kids who have never played football, soccer or volleyball get motivated and really start to play,” he said.
The statewide Speed and Quickness Program started seven years ago when former NFL football player and current Hawai‘i defensive line coach Rich Miano and football and volleyball head strength coach Mel DeLaura had a vision to help young athletes reach their full potential.
“I’ve always had this belief that when you bring out people they look up to, it’s the best form of prevention and it influences kids in a positive way,” Miano said.
The program, although it officially began in 2000, didn’t branch out to the Neighbor Islands until four years ago.
Miano said that because the program is in Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools and at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, he, the other coaches and athletes are able to reach out to more kids in these schools than on any other island.
“I’ve always wanted to give back to Hawai‘i,” Miano said. “When (the kids) see players like Kanoe Kamana‘o, Colt Brennan and Chad Owens, they’re more likely to listen to that message. We’re serving the Neighbor Islands with clinics they wouldn’t get otherwise.”
Joining Miano for the football clinic, which wraps up today, were DeLaura, Dan Morrison, George Lumpkin, Jeff Reinebold and Terrence Duffield.
There were three stations set up for the different positions. The kids were broken up into groups and then rotated from each station.
There was also two separate sessions, a morning session for the 6 to 12 year olds and a later session for the 13 and older kids.
The final sessions are today from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for the younger athletes, and from 10:30 to noon for the older athletes.
For more information on the Speed and Quickness Program, visit www.hawaiispeedandquickness.com.
For more information on today’s final clinic, contact Nishida at 635-6676.
