KALAHEO — More than 40 students opened the week-long break from school with a three-day clinic at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. The clinic, which wrapped up Sunday, was led by Dennis Agena of Kalakaua Basketball and coordinated by the Kaua‘i
KALAHEO — More than 40 students opened the week-long break from school with a three-day clinic at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The clinic, which wrapped up Sunday, was led by Dennis Agena of Kalakaua Basketball and coordinated by the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association and the County of Kaua‘i.
Attracting youth from different parts of the island, the clinic started Friday evening and continued through Sunday afternoon.
“We could have had more students,” said Karen Matsumoto, the KYBA coordinator. “But the students who came had a good time and learned a lot.”
During the intense three-day outing, Agena recruited the help of community basketball coaches in running the hands-on court drills, including a point guard drill where the players had to rip past a defender on a drive in the paint.
Players ranged in age from beginning community basketball, or under 10 years old, through high school, several being involved in other weekend activities, but managing to effectively juggle the clinic into their schedules.
“Next week, I’m on the Big Island where about 150 students are expected,” Agena said.
Agena and the Kalakaua Basketball clinic makes two appearances through the coordination of KYBA and possibly one, or two clinics for high school players.
Coach Agena loves teaching the “fundamental skills” of basketball, states the Kalakaua Basketball website through Scoring Live.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Coach Agena’s mother passed away when he was 7 years old. His family of five children was separated, each going to live with different relatives.
Graduating from Farrington High School, Agena was a participant in basketball, volleyball and track. His team on the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Intermediate Basketball Championship during his freshman year, the only public school to compete in the ILH at that time.
During his 10th grade year, he won the ILH Junior Varsity Basketball Championship and also the ILH Varsity Volleyball Championship.
Agena went on to coach at ‘Iolani, Punahou, Kamehameha and the University Lab School, adding a tour with the University of Hawai‘i Women’s Basketball team.
His coaching started in 1966 at the old Kalakaua Recreation Center where he worked with kids from broken homes and poverty, many of the kids high on drugs. But Coach Agena continued to persevere and help coach any kid who was willing to work hard, both on and off the court.
The Kaua‘i clinic comes on the heels of the Kalakaua Fall Basketball Camp 2012 where more than 200 students participated at the Moanalua Gymnasium during the Labor Day weekend.
Visit www.scoringlive.com/kalakaua/ for more information.
