KAPAA — Keone Gaoiran, a junior at Waimea High School, said he was glad he checked into the Dennis Agena basketball clinic which wrapped up Friday at the Bernice Hundley Gym on the campus of Kapaa High School. “This is
KAPAA — Keone Gaoiran, a junior at Waimea High School, said he was glad he checked into the Dennis Agena basketball clinic which wrapped up Friday at the Bernice Hundley Gym on the campus of Kapaa High School.
“This is a good clinic,” said Gaoiran, who played for the Menehune boys basketball team during the last Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys basketball season. “This is my first time I’m here. I came after hearing about the clinic and I thought I would check it out. I’m glad I did because I learned things about basketball I didn’t know before. This is definitely a good clinic.”
Gaoiran was one of nearly 100 students in fifth through twelfth grades who turned out for the Coach Dennis Agena Basketball Clinic which opened Wednesday and wrapped up Friday.
He said he was taking it easy on the final day because he had a volleyball game to play.
“This is Coach Agena’s 50th year of service to basketball,” said Karen Matsumoto of the Kauai Youth Basketball Association. “I’m so glad there are so many youth who take advantage of Coach Agena’s knowledge and coaching in basketball.”
A youth basketball player with Team Lihue only had time to catch his breath and utter, “This is good” between rushing to different stations during a passing drill.
Agena worked his magic in the old school “If you don’t want to learn, I’m not wasting my time” philosophy, bent on getting students instructed in basketball concepts beyond the basics.
John Kaneholani, the head basketball coach for the Kapaa High School boys basketball team, was among the Agena assistants.
“This is a good program,” Kaneholani said. “Kids on Oahu pay more than $200 to attend these clinics, and there is a wait list. The kids here are lucky because they only pay $25, and according to a player who went to Oahu for the clinic, Coach Agena spends a lot more time with the players.”
Matsumoto said the clinic is shared between the Kauai Youth Basketball Association, which provides lunch for the players and staff during all three days of the clinic; the County of Kauai; Stuart Hollinger; the Kalakaua Basketball Foundation, which takes care of Agena’s transportation and accommodations during the clinic; and Agena, who contributes his teaching time.
