• Seniors show that youth is still alive Seniors show that youth is still alive By Duane Shimogawa – The Garden Island With the 2004 State Senior Softball Tournament in the books, it’s time to reflect on the type of
• Seniors show that youth is still alive
Seniors show that youth is still alive
By Duane Shimogawa – The Garden Island
With the 2004 State Senior Softball Tournament in the books, it’s time to reflect on the type of play that was put on display at the Hanapepe Ballpark last week.
You could tell by watching any game on five of fields, that youth was on display, even if the youngest persons on the diamond were the umpires.
Teams from all over the state brought their wives, siblings, children, and their sense of humors. Although most of the games were tight and competitive, there was always a time when a senior mentioned something clever to give the fans and players something to chuckle about.
In addition to their sense of humor’s, the seniors showed that age doesn’t matter at all, as they displayed a ton of talent on the field. The players also showed that physical talent can be replaced by playing smart, as most of the games were played from between the ears, instead of with physical capabilities.
The Kaua‘i Senior Softball League and manager Pat Rosa were presented with a challenge on the opening day of the tournament, which looked as if the seniors came down to do some water rafting instead of playing softball.
However, the dampness didn’t hinder the spirits of the tournament and Thursday’s games were altered to fit in the remainder of Wednesday’s contests.
This year’s state tourney was in honor of deceased players from Kaua’i (Richard “Dickie” Sialana), O‘ahu (Lloyd “Bo” Karrati, Ernest Lau, and Walter Jones), and Maui (Bartolome “Benny” Catugal).
Kaua‘i was very successful in the tournament with two state championship winner’s (The Lihu‘e A’s in the “C” division and East Kaua‘i in the “D” division).
The “D” division came down to two Kaua‘i teams (East Kaua‘i and Kawaihau), who mowed down the rest of the field to make it to the title game. Although East Kaua‘i dominated the contest, sportsmanship showed up throughout the game.
But what made the 2004 Hawai‘i State Senior Softball Championships a big success wasn’t the way the seniors played on the field, instead it was the way they conducted themselves off the field.
After each game, you could definitely tell that every player on every team had mutual respect for one another. At times, when the jerseys came off and the rubber slippers, t-shirts, and shorts were on, you couldn’t tell who was from Kaua‘i, Maui, the Big Island, or O‘ahu.
A good example is Kuku’s Aces player, Stanley Rita, who paraded in his golf cart to every field to watch the action and of course have a beer or two, but Rita made the atmosphere festive and light with his signature laugh (sounding like the starting up of a diesel truck) and his contagious smile.
Peter Rayno Jr. and Maurice “Joe” Munechika had a lot to smile about, as their team was able to capture the “C” division crown.
The A’s, who were down at some points of the game, were able to pull through and play as a team for a successful title run.
East Kaua‘i and Norman Holt Sr. showed their dominance throughout the tournament and capped it off with a championship win (“D” division) as well.
However, the winner’s won’t be the only things to remember at this year’s senior state softball tourney, it’s the friendships that were made that will be treasured by all the participants.
Duane Shimogawa, Sports Editor can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) and kauaisports@pulitzer.net
