It is called discipline. Everyone knows the kind of athletic talent that sprouts from Kaua’i’s soils. Kids here are nimble. They may not always be the tallest or heaviest of athletes, but they are agile in nature and have unparalleled
It is called discipline.
Everyone knows the kind of athletic talent that sprouts from Kaua’i’s soils.
Kids here are nimble. They may not always be the tallest or heaviest of athletes, but they are agile in nature and have unparalleled athletic instinct.
It’s the best quality to have. With athleticism there is always potential. It’s not about what you do, but what you are capable of doing.
But what this island has that many other sports-drenched towns don’t is distractions. Nice beaches, beautiful terrain, incredible weather: these are all things that can, if abused, stand in the way of potential.
If these distractions are concerns to many island coaches and parents, take a quick look at Waimea’s football program. You might just learn a secret of success that will bring your team the kind of success it has brought the Menehunes for the last 10 years.
It is a secret that has brought its heralded coach, Jon Kobayashi, nine straight KIF championships. It is a method of mechanics that turns a group of laid back Hawaii kids into a state-recognized machine. It’s the oil that keeps this machine running smoothly year after year.
It is called discipline. Not the age-old, slap-on the-wrist, punishment type. But a serious and stern approach that puts emphasis on expectations: knowing when it’s time to have fun and when it’s time to go to work.
Kobayashi and his staff perfected it. They took over when the idea was initially instilled years before, and they maintained it to its highest level until now.
You don’t show up in a Menehune uniform without knowing what is expected of you. There is no first person discussion during practices and games.
“There is no place for first person talk here,” said Kobayashi. “We are a team, and my kids understand that when they show up to their first practice freshman year. They don’t go into this program blindfolded. They understand what they are here to do.”
For these kids, understanding Waimea’s philosophy isn’t easy.
These kids train year-round. They weight-lift three times a week in the winter, run five-day conditioning and lifting practices during the summer and spring and work with their playbook over and over again to achieve a universal understanding of how the Menehune system works.
“Repetition is the key to execution,” says Kobayashi. You have to drill the game plan into their minds in order to get results.
Kaua’i has good kids. They have respect, humility and athletic prowess. Beach life and good weather might distract youngsters from their potential, but one program on this island has been consistent in dodging these distractions.
Tell these athletes what is expected of them, and with a staff that does its homework a program that cares, they will listen.
