Former UH QB hosting youth clinic Friday

LIHUE — A youth football clinic will be hosted on-island by former University of Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz.

The camp is a quarterbacks and receivers clinic scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday at Isenberg Park. Check-ins will start at 4 p.m.

“I wanted to do a clinic and be able to reach out to the outer-islands. I don’t think on a regular basis, there’s not as much things that go on on the outer-islands as much as Oahu as far as clinics,” Moniz said Tuesday.

Moniz played for the Rainbow Warriors from 2009-11. Since then, the Wahiawa native has played professionally in the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League.

“We’ll go through quarterback drills, throwing fundamentals and drops,” Moniz said. “I like to do a lot of footwork stuff, where QBs are working on their footwork in the pocket. Hardly in a football game, there’s the scenario where it’s just one, two, three and you got all day to throw it in a perfect pocket. So, I like to do footwork drills, throwing from different angles and off-balanced.

“And then for the receivers, we’ll teach them just some route concepts, some techniques as a receiver. They’re just going to get a lot of reps. That’s the goal — is for the QBs and receivers who come out get a lot of reps, and practice the things I’ll be going over.”

The camp is open to players ages 9 through 18. Cost is $20. Those interested can register online at www.hawaiiathleticfoundation.com/kauai-clinic.

Moniz said, though, drop-ins will be welcome.

“It’s really about helping the kids get some work in. I won’t turn away anybody that shows up,” Moniz said.

The former UH quarterback added after the workout with Kauai’s kids, he hopes they’ll be encouraged to further pursue their goals.

“I hope that they pick up my passion for the sport — how enthused I am about the game and how that’s really carried me to the level that I’ve been able to play,” Moniz said. “I wasn’t highly recruited. I’m sure in the outer-island, unless you’re a outright beast and got great size and everything, it’s hard to get recruited from places like that.

“I think whoever comes and hears my testament of what I’ve been through, they’ll just know that if their football is their dream — playing at the next level or whatever their goal is — it can be achieved through hard work and dedication to do whatever that is whether it’s football or something else.”