BIIF Loses A Big Asset

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.