Side Lines for Friday — August 13, 2004

• Hawai‘i sports covered in California

• Surf’s up!

• UH’s Kai on Hermann Trophy watch list

• Basketball players and coaches wanted

Hawai‘i sports covered in California

By The Garden Island

Waveshift, Inc. announced yesterday that the MaxPreps Sports Information System will implement coverage of Hawai‘i high school sports beginning with the 2004-5 football season. According to Andy Beal, Waveshift president, “The success we’ve enjoyed in California apparently gained us some fans in other states. We were surprised and quite honored to receive invitations from coaching associations in a number of states, including Hawai‘i. Besides offering national coverage of football game results, we will be offering complete stats also.” The MaxPreps Sports Information System provides a web-based system for viewing up-to-date information on high school varsity sports. This includes school, individual, conference and regional results, standings, leaderboards, power ratings, and individual performance statistics. The system can be viewed over the web at www.maxpreps.com.

Surf’s up!

The National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) announces that their Contest #1 of the new 2004-05 season will be held at P.K.’s in Po‘ipu starting at 8 a.m. on Aug. 21-22. Hawai‘i’s best young amateur surfers will be gearing up to compete for points in the new season which will be a series of eight contests across the state. Competitors gain points to qualify for the year end regional contest. Those competitors who gain enough points following the State regional will receive an invitation to compete at California National Contest in June, 2005.

The NSSA is the most prestigious amateur surfing organization in the nation. Well-known local professional surfers Andy and Bruce Irons, Rochelle Ballard, Kaipo Jaquai, and Kalani Robb all worked their way through the ranks of the NSSA, winning national titles. NSSA invites the public to enjoy a day in the sun and watch as Hawai‘i’s young and talented surfers battle in the points race. Interested surfers may pick up entries at Progressive Expressions, Nukumoi Surf Co., and Hanalei Surf Co. Entries for Contest #1 need to be submitted before Aug. 16. Contest #2 is scheduled to be held on Maui Sept. 11-12.

UH’s Kai on Hermann Trophy watch list

University of Hawai‘i junior soccer player Natasha Kai is among the 25 players named to the 2004 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy preseason watch list, presented to the top female players in NCAA Division I soccer. The list was compiled by a committee of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the official selection body for the MAC’s Hermann Trophy. Kai, the nation’s leading scorer last season and a third-team Soccer Buzz All-American, just returned home from a successful stint with the United States Under-21 National Team. The Rainbow Wahine open fall camp today with two-a-day practices at the UH Lower Campus. The regular season begins on August 27, as Hawai‘i will face Saint Mary’s in the Ohana Hotel’s and Resorts No Ka Oi. All home games will be played at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Basketball players and coaches wanted

The National Junior Basketball (NJB), the largest youth basketball organization in the nation, will bring our highly organized basketball leagues to Kaua‘i this year. Coach Maynard Shea is conducting an introduction, free coaches and players clinic at Kalaheo Neighborhood Center on August 28. 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. will be the coaches clinic and from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. will be for grades one to six, and seven to eight grades will have their clinic from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All coaches, from community to high school are encouraged to attend. NJB is 40,000 athletes strong in 135+ cities. Boys and Girls in Grades 1 through 8 are eligible to participate. The first 100 athletes will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more info, call Maynard at 652-6485.