Soccer players were treated to a full spectrum of the game of soccer during a four-hour free clinic yesterday. Produced by First Down Productions in cooperation with the Hawai‘i Fire Fighters Association, the clinic featured University of Hawai‘i coaches Derik
Soccer players were treated to a full spectrum of the game of soccer during a four-hour free clinic yesterday.
Produced by First Down Productions in cooperation with the Hawai‘i Fire Fighters Association, the clinic featured University of Hawai‘i coaches Derik Kato and Josh Fouts of the Rainbow Wahine soccer team leading the clinic.
“We had about 40 kids at the Big Island clinic Saturday,” said Dele Sobomehin of First Down Productions. “There’s about three dozen here, and they’re lucky because this year, we were able to get two of the Hawai‘i coaches.”
Sobomehin said this is the third year for the Soccer Youth Clinic on Kaua‘i, and according to the syllabus in the day’s program, topics ranged from how to maximize practice through actual game play and winding up with the post-game strategy for the next game.
Topics also expanded to include formats for small sided games as well as routines players can use to stay on the edge during breaks and game half time.
William Trugillo, one of the coaches from the AYSO Region 940 that recently concluded its season, said the clinic was open to players from ages 8 through 15, although there were some players who were below the minimum age. No one was turned away.
Some of the older participants included Junior Varsity players from Waimea, and the Menehune assistant coach Pat Patricio manned a video camera for the benefit of those players who were not able to attend.
Lorna Basquez, a mother of one of the Kaua‘i High School JV girls players, was on the phone trying to encourage other players to come to the North Vidinha soccer fields to take advantage of the ongoing clinic.
Throughout the hands-on clinic that involved a lot of interactive play between the participants, giggles and laughter filled the soccer field.
During a ball handling exercise, Fouts told his younger players, “Practice. Practice. Practice. Do it while you’re watching TV, do it with your dog, if you have to. I want you to tell me what kind of drills to do when we come back next year.”
Accuracy rather than strength was the lesson learned by the older group during an exercise involving shooting and defense where half of the group was broken down to defend the goal while the other half took turns shooting against the defenders who could not use hands to stop the ball.
Robert H. Lee, president of the Hawai‘i Fire Fighters Association, expressed his appreciation to the many sponsors of the program.
“Today’s Youth Soccer Clinic with coaches Derick Kato and Josh Fouts will help our youth excel in the healthy competition of soccer,” Lee said in a letter in the program booklet. “We hope all participants always hit their goals.”
As the young players eagerly absorbed the material being presented by the coaches, Sobomehin’s eyes lit up in inspiration when he discovered that Mari Punzal, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, and Emma Makepa-Foley, a Kaua‘i High School graduate, were both Kaua‘i girls playing on the team.
“Maybe we’ll see if we can get them to come along for the next clinic,” he said.
This year’s clinic was sponsored by Clinical Laboratories, Servco Pacific and the Wilcox Health System.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
