Father Kenneth Bray who was one of Iolani's monumental coaches of the past believed in playing as one team, a philosophy still being taught at the school. Ken Yamase believed in that philosophy and cited it when teaching the American Sports Education Program's (ASEP) Coaching Principles class. Most of the BIIF coaches had to take the class to be certified to coach in the BIIF.
Yamase would cite Bray's philosophy "Respect yourself and others, play as one with unity, loyalty and humility. A philosophy he says he believed in and practiced. He challenged each coach to develop a coaching philosophy and adhere to it. Yamase who died while diving in Puako, August 28, 2008 was a big asset that the BIIF lost. Under his leadership as the BIIF executive director things got done and moved along. Yamase spoke out recently at the HHSAA meeting citing a discrepancy in the way the body weighs making decisions. Under current methods he stated the larger leagues had a substantial advantage due to their weight in the voting process.
Respect yourself and others
Yamase was a BIIF Director that had a very open door policy. He would address your concern or question and listen intently. His answer to you would be justified by the "WHY". Usually his explanation made things clearer and usually answered your question. Yamase would get back to everyone either in writing, office invitation or phone call. This equal respect to everyone, regardless of complaint, or concern was how Yamase conducted his business. People got answers or assistance quick and prompt a characteristic of Yamase that made him known as a doer.
Play as One with Unity
Yamase also believed in having everyone involved in the BIIF. He got the media together every quarter and made a champions banquet for all the BIIF champion athletes. His vision was to bring everyone closer as a unit with unity. Yamase groomed his baseball teams also as a unit. He would make no exceptions for being late. If you were late you could not practice. In some cases, if it was a practice before a game and if a player missed that practice that player would not start. He would mention that late players would be running with shoes in hand and jumping over fences just to make it in time. An urgency you do not see today.
Play with loyalty and humility
Yamase also believed in loyalty, he was very loyal to Waiakea High School and was very prideful to the school. When he was AD there, he had built it into one of the most successful athletic programs in the BIIF. If you walk into the Waiakea Gym and pass their trophy showcase and wall of fame, you see that pride built with Yamase's passion and loyalty. Yamase usually expressed his dislike for arrogance in coaching and in education. Sometimes he would comment about that in his coaching class. Win with dignity and humility, in other words be humble. A mantra passed on from generations past that he practiced. Although some people misinterpreted his busy moving personality as being aloof, you got a different person when you spoke to him personally.
Yamase built a legacy as a coach, athletic director and a league executive. In his tenure at all positions things were not all perfect and there were some players, coaches and administrators that did not understand his philosophy. But Yamase adhered to his philosophy because he knew it was right thing to do and would benefit the league, school or team the best.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hawaii Athletes Makes the Most in August
08 / 08 will be remembered in Hawaii Sports Lore for a long time. 08 is a good luck number in the Asian Culture. Hawaii being populated with more Asians than any other state made a splash of their own in some of the headline sports. In the Olympics, homegrown Brian Clay captured gold in the Decathlon, a phenomenal feat for any American. Natasha Kai and Clay Stanley also captured gold in Womens Soccer and Mens Volleyball. By the way all three are products of public schools. (Castle, Kahuku and Kaiser). Some former Hawaii and Rainbow Volleyball Wahines got silver for their accomplishments including Heather Bown, Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, Lindsey Berg, and Kim Willoughby. Let’s not forget Parker McLachlin’s legends Reno-Tahoe Mens Golf Title putting Hawaii on the Men’s PGA scene and the Hilo Juniors Little league title run coming one game within a championship. To top it off lets put a cherry on the Hawaiian Pineapple Sundae as the Waipio Little League 12 & under team won the Little League championship over Mexico before a national audience. Daryl Huff of KITV said it the best when he mentioned that the secret behind the Waipio Little League teams success was because of the team behind the team. The families and supporters (practically the whole state of Hawaii).
You could say that about Hawaii, It’s uniqueness of support for any athlete or team that competes away from home. We like to call it Hawaiian Pride. The pride of coming from a small island. You know, the us against the world attitude stemming from humble plantation beginnings. The prejudice of being too small, playing against nominal competition, stuck in the middle of Pacific, and not having the tools, or passing the eyeball test.
On ESPN during the Little League 12U World Series Championship game, Georgia’s Dalton Carriker (2007’s LLWS hero) was to comment about the Louisiana’s shortstop Kennon Fontenot. This appeared when it seemed Waipio was going to lose 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Carriker quoted that Fontenot was a five tool player….. Now, if you know about the MLB scouting jargon, a tool is an athletic measurement. Tools such as Speed, Power, and Arm Strength and so on… are assessed on upper level baseball prospects. Wow, Carriker only 14 and already knows the jargon. BUT someone forgot the other five important tools that sometimes gets overlooked and not taught enough but usually determines a champion.
Attitude
Commitment & Desire to Accomplish
Hard work
Humbleness
loyalty
All tools the majority Hawaii athlete’s posses. If any college recruiters out there reading this try giving our Hawaii Kids a chance and you will see… That Hawaii has unique athletes. We might not pass the eyeball test or have all five tools but they will pass the heart test.
You could say that about Hawaii, It’s uniqueness of support for any athlete or team that competes away from home. We like to call it Hawaiian Pride. The pride of coming from a small island. You know, the us against the world attitude stemming from humble plantation beginnings. The prejudice of being too small, playing against nominal competition, stuck in the middle of Pacific, and not having the tools, or passing the eyeball test.
On ESPN during the Little League 12U World Series Championship game, Georgia’s Dalton Carriker (2007’s LLWS hero) was to comment about the Louisiana’s shortstop Kennon Fontenot. This appeared when it seemed Waipio was going to lose 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Carriker quoted that Fontenot was a five tool player….. Now, if you know about the MLB scouting jargon, a tool is an athletic measurement. Tools such as Speed, Power, and Arm Strength and so on… are assessed on upper level baseball prospects. Wow, Carriker only 14 and already knows the jargon. BUT someone forgot the other five important tools that sometimes gets overlooked and not taught enough but usually determines a champion.
Attitude
Commitment & Desire to Accomplish
Hard work
Humbleness
loyalty
All tools the majority Hawaii athlete’s posses. If any college recruiters out there reading this try giving our Hawaii Kids a chance and you will see… That Hawaii has unique athletes. We might not pass the eyeball test or have all five tools but they will pass the heart test.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Caray Was The Original Cable Guy
It was a sad day in Major League Baseball as one of the best announcers in cable TV died. Skip Caray was the voice of the Atlanta Braves. For those of us that grew up in the antenna days of TV you would come to appreciate the world of cable television. When cable came to most towns and America, It was probably the most appreciated thing happening to sports television since sliced cheese. There was a wealthy man with a vision to capture the world by connecting them to 24 hours news and programming via cable. Cable began as a small television market. Ted Turner had a vision that the world would be ready for world news and sports. Thus came CNN or Cable News Network and his WTBS broadcast cable stations.
However, Ted also bought a baseball team. Ted's team was the Atlanta Braves. Claudell Washington, Phil Niekro, Glenn Hubbard, Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss, and Dale Murphy were some of the players that come to mind. Believe it or not Ted gave a young manager a chance to manage one of the Atlanta teams, he came out to be one hell of a manager, oh by the way his name is Joe Torre. But this team was special; it became America's team. How, well with cable television growing by leaps and bounds in the mid to late 70's people knew these players and team better than their own hometown team. How was this possible? Cable television and Ted Turner.
If you were growing up in Hawaii, and you are 50 years old and above you remember the days of black and white television. You probably are not too keen with there being only one or two stations that came in regularly by rabbit ears or that big metal ornament above the roof line. Hey, there were great a many memories of dad yelling "turn it a little more", or "Whoa, whoa, go back just a little bit", as you were turning the metal ornament known as the antenna in the rain or in the dark. You were lucky to get a baseball game once a week. The teams you would see were not your favorite. Cable changed that, with WTBS you could now see most of the National League teams face off against the Braves and it was clear color! Even with the cable technology, you still had to have a good product for the Atlanta Braves broadcasts. Those broadcasts delivered the goods by a son of the most heralded announcers in major league baseball, Harry Caray.
Harry's son Skip began what was to be the start of Cable's first big broadcasts. The Braves came in to everyone's living room. Especially here in Hawaii with no professional baseball team since the Hawaii Islanders left town. The Braves became our team. It was weird or special to watch MLB during lunch or in the morning versus of waiting for the weekend.
Skip Caray's voice was not as flamboyant as his father's in Chicago, yet it was soothing and yet interesting. Locals would compare it local sports announcer Don Robbs. Caray, would be, believe it or not one of MLB's most visible broadcaster and baseball ambassadors. Caray was there before ESPN or other cable stations. He set the standard, making baseball enjoyable and interesting. He actually made the ratings work for MLB on cable.
Fulton County stadium would not be the same without Caray at the broadcast. Caray started a generation of baseball lovers in Hawaii. Believe it or not he may be one of the most inspirational baseball personalities in Hawaii Baseball. His counter part on the broadcast was Pete Van Wieren, a younger voice that made the broadcast have a southern feel. The two were classy broadcasters, usually never getting controversial or raising negative issues or comments. Yet they knew the game and knew the players very well. They actually taught us viewers a lot about baseball.
Skip and Harry must be broadcasting for heaven's team now. But Skip must be honored for his contributions to cable television and MLB. He along with Ted Turner must be credited with fueling baseball interest in all of Hawaii. We will miss Skip……..
However, Ted also bought a baseball team. Ted's team was the Atlanta Braves. Claudell Washington, Phil Niekro, Glenn Hubbard, Bob Horner, Chris Chambliss, and Dale Murphy were some of the players that come to mind. Believe it or not Ted gave a young manager a chance to manage one of the Atlanta teams, he came out to be one hell of a manager, oh by the way his name is Joe Torre. But this team was special; it became America's team. How, well with cable television growing by leaps and bounds in the mid to late 70's people knew these players and team better than their own hometown team. How was this possible? Cable television and Ted Turner.
If you were growing up in Hawaii, and you are 50 years old and above you remember the days of black and white television. You probably are not too keen with there being only one or two stations that came in regularly by rabbit ears or that big metal ornament above the roof line. Hey, there were great a many memories of dad yelling "turn it a little more", or "Whoa, whoa, go back just a little bit", as you were turning the metal ornament known as the antenna in the rain or in the dark. You were lucky to get a baseball game once a week. The teams you would see were not your favorite. Cable changed that, with WTBS you could now see most of the National League teams face off against the Braves and it was clear color! Even with the cable technology, you still had to have a good product for the Atlanta Braves broadcasts. Those broadcasts delivered the goods by a son of the most heralded announcers in major league baseball, Harry Caray.
Harry's son Skip began what was to be the start of Cable's first big broadcasts. The Braves came in to everyone's living room. Especially here in Hawaii with no professional baseball team since the Hawaii Islanders left town. The Braves became our team. It was weird or special to watch MLB during lunch or in the morning versus of waiting for the weekend.
Skip Caray's voice was not as flamboyant as his father's in Chicago, yet it was soothing and yet interesting. Locals would compare it local sports announcer Don Robbs. Caray, would be, believe it or not one of MLB's most visible broadcaster and baseball ambassadors. Caray was there before ESPN or other cable stations. He set the standard, making baseball enjoyable and interesting. He actually made the ratings work for MLB on cable.
Fulton County stadium would not be the same without Caray at the broadcast. Caray started a generation of baseball lovers in Hawaii. Believe it or not he may be one of the most inspirational baseball personalities in Hawaii Baseball. His counter part on the broadcast was Pete Van Wieren, a younger voice that made the broadcast have a southern feel. The two were classy broadcasters, usually never getting controversial or raising negative issues or comments. Yet they knew the game and knew the players very well. They actually taught us viewers a lot about baseball.
Skip and Harry must be broadcasting for heaven's team now. But Skip must be honored for his contributions to cable television and MLB. He along with Ted Turner must be credited with fueling baseball interest in all of Hawaii. We will miss Skip……..
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