14-and-under Olympic tourney in Waimea By JASON GALLIC – TGI Sports Editor The drawback to softball on Kaua’i, according to Pat Baniaga, is the lack of exposure to “tough competition.” That will change a bit this weekend, when Baniaga and
14-and-under Olympic tourney
in Waimea
By JASON GALLIC – TGI Sports Editor
The drawback to softball on Kaua’i, according to Pat Baniaga, is the lack of exposure to “tough competition.”
That will change a bit this weekend, when Baniaga and Kaua’i host the 14-and-under State Junior Olympic Development tournament June 9-12 at Waimea Canyon Park. Action kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning and will continue all day. The championship game should commence around 12 p.m. on Monday.
Baniaga, in addition to his position as Waimea High School’s head softball coach, is the president of the Kaua’i Junior Olympic Softball Committee. He and Albert Santos, the commissioner of the KJOS, are embarking on their third year of hosting the event.
“We’ve got 14 teams signed up right now,” Baniaga said. “There are six from the ‘A’ bracket and eight from the ‘B.'”
Teams from Kaua’i scheduled to compete are West Kaua’i, Kalaheo, Lihu’e and Kapa’a. Baniaga said only West Kaua’i is entered in the ‘A’ bracket.
“It’s supposed to be the more competitive teams,” Baniaga said. “But as of yet, there’s no rating system and no qualification for getting into this tournament. Anyone can enter.”
Baniaga didn’t know exactly how many teams would be coming from each neighbor island. However, he said those traveling here will be talented.
“Girls on the other islands have more chances to play,” Baniaga said. “It’s just based on having more numbers.
“Over here, the same girls compete in all the same sports. That means you have to wait for a girl to finish one sport before you can get her into another.”
Baniaga said playing against better competition gives the impressionable youngsters a chance to evaluate their own skill.
“Events like this show each participant to realize what [they] need to do if [they] want to playing softball,” Baniaga said. “This is an important tournament for our girls.”
But the event is merely a precursor for what’s to come on Kaua’i in August.
Twenty-seven teams from the Mainland have already committed to The Garden Island Classic. Baniaga said he is expecting between 30 and 32 teams total.
“It’s a tournament for 18- and 14-and-unders,” he said. “Last year there were only 15 teams, so the word is getting out.”
