This year’s Jimmy Yagi Vulcan Basketball Camp took place under different conditions than usual, but it contained all of the same fun and passion that it’s always been known for.
Local and statewide basketball coaching legend Jimmy Yagi passed away last month at 88 years old, leaving behind an insurmountable local impact on the sport.
At this year’s camp, his memory was at the front of everyone’s minds, especially the University of Hawaii at Hilo coaching staff who run the camp.
“It’s just gratitude for us,” Vulcans men’s basketball Head Coach Kaniela Aiona said. “To me, it’s fitting that at this camp we sold out, we got to capacity. We set our number at 180 (campers) and we got 180.
“We really miss Coach Yagi. He was able to come by and watch some of the camp last year. I think he’d be really proud of this turnout and this outcome for his camp. The community turned out, the coaches turned out to give a really good environment to these campers.”
“There was a certain philosophy Coach (Yagi) talked about,” UH-Hilo women’s basketball Head Coach David Kaneshiro added, “teaching, positive attitude, positive environment — which all of our coaches have done. We’re just trying to carry on his tradition.”
Campers and curators also had to overcome Tropical Storm Calvin. The four-day camp had to be put on hold Wednesday due to the storm warning.
“Unfortunately, we lost a day of camp,” Aiona said. “We were all pretty bummed about that, but the great thing is that the campers all showed back up. We didn’t lose anyone.”
Aiona and Kaneshiro both attended the Yagi camp decades ago when they were kids, and are proud to carry on the tradition.
Yagi’s camp has continued to produce new generations of talented players and coaches. Vulcans women’s basketball all-time leading scorer Mandi Kawaha attended the camp as a kid, then went on to play for Kaneshiro. This year, she helped coach the camp.
The camp’s coaching staff is made up of many UH-Hilo coaches, alumni and current players.
“One of our alumni here, if not the greatest Vulcan who ever played basketball here, is Jay ‘The Bird’ Bartholomew,” Aiona said. “We’re fortunate to have him back here coaching the kids.”
Some lucky campers also received extra support from the outside. Cliff Dias — a Hilo-born retired banker, Saint Joseph School alumnus, former University of Portland basketball player and former UH Board of Directors member — made a donation to the camp which included sponsoring two players from SJS.
Dias, who currently lives in Oregon, felt inspired to contribute to the camp after reading about Yagi’s passing.
“It was like a searchlight went off,” he said. “Coach (Yagi) was a special kind of mentor. What stood out to me with him is that he was just a darned good human being. I said ‘I gotta do something.’ The best thing to do was do some koden and honor his legacy.”
The camp is for keiki aged nine to 17 — and though most campers came from the isle’s East side, some traveled from all around, and Aiona said that there was even a boy from Connecticut who took part in the camp while visiting family.
“All the age groups are working on all the skills,” Kaneshiro said. “Defense, shooting, ball handling, passing and cutting. They cover everything. We’ve got a great staff of coaches, and a great basketball community here — they do a great job being positive with all the kids.”
Campers come from all levels, ranging from 9-year-olds who’ve never played on a team to teens who play varsity.
“That’s one of the greatest things about the camp,” Aiona said. “It’s always been that it’s all skill levels, all age levels. Coach Dave and I both attended this camp when we were children — and going back all the way to then, it’s always been a teaching camp.”
When asked what the campers get most excited for, Aiona and Kaneshiro smiled at each other and said in unison “the games.”
In the morning, the campers work on skills. In the afternoon, they get to scrimmage.
“They really play hard and get enthusiastic about those games in the afternoon,” Aiona said. “We just try to have a lot of fun with all the things we’re doing. the energy we get from the campers is a reflection of what the coaches put in.”
The energy is certainly there. The keiki are ecstatic throughout all of the activities, and are fully engaged.
“It’s just so much fun,” Aiona said. “At the age levels from the little kids all the way to the older kids. If you give them great energy they give it in return, and you just see them having a great time.”
“You see the ones who come back every year and you see them getting better and better,” Kaneshiro said. “That’s the best.”