LIHUE — Some of the girls are already in Las Vegas, a Central Kauai Lynx Basketball parent said Wednesday afternoon at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School outdoor basketball court. “We want to thank Ms. Debra Badua for allowing us to
LIHUE — Some of the girls are already in Las Vegas, a Central Kauai Lynx Basketball parent said Wednesday afternoon at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School outdoor basketball court.
“We want to thank Ms. Debra Badua for allowing us to use these facilities to prepare for our trip,” said Kauai Lynx coach Clarence Sales. “Some of the girls are already in Las Vegas because they will be rostering with the Upcountry Elite team from Maui who is already there.”
The Kauai Lynx sixth-grade division girls and the eighth-grade division girls will be participating in two tournaments: the Las Vegas Classic which will contest Tuesday through Thursday, and the Las Vegas Grand Finale, which will follow.
“A lot of the girls will be rostering on other teams,” Sales said. “A few of the sixth-grade girls will be rostering with eighth-grade division teams, and some of the eighth-grade girls will be playing with ninth-grade division teams.”
This is similar to the recent Pacific Rim Jam On It tournament contested on Oahu where Amalya Sales and Jessica Cezar rostered on the Hi Lyfe Basketball team from Hilo with coach Donald Yamada. The team finished second place in the girls eighth-grade division at the tournament which wrapped up on Oahu July 2.
During the Kauai Hoops Classic earlier this month, Kauai Lynx also rostered several girls with the Upcountry Elite team from Maui.
“The goal of this trip is to build camaraderie among the basketball players, both within our team, and new players they will meet,” Sales said. “They will also experience different styles of play similar to the Kauai Hoops Classic and bring that home to our courts. It’s about getting our players to grow in basketball.”
A team parent suggested that Sales will also use the tournament as a way to encourage other teams to participate in the Kauai Hoops Classic, which featured at least 100 teams, including several from Alaska.
