The Wildcat program of Konawaena hoists up, yet another HHSAA Girls Basketball trophy. How fitting for a program that has defied the odds that population counts. In a smaller population market such as upper mauka Kona and Kealakekua areas of the Big Island, Konawaena has overachieved. The 2009 HHSAA Championship was won several months ago. The High School season is just a continuation of the program the Wildcats have.
The Awa’s (Bobbie and Donnie) started the Stingrays several years ago and is the nucleus of the Wildcats success. With now an army of coaches and alumni (boys and girls) helping, the program may reach a pinnacle of supremacy in the whole state.
The girls enter several tournaments throughout the year and practice religiously, and that includes Sunday, in which the Konawaena gym is opened up for the community to hone their skills. The Onizuka gym is filled with Wildcats and Wildcat wannabes, most times numbering close to 40-50 players.
The Girls always play with and against the Konawaena (Stingray) boys. This has made the girls more physical and play at a quicker pace offensively and defensively.
The high school season (3 months) is just a blip in the Wildcats all year round 24/7 basketball game and practice schedule the Stingrays program provides. The system works, and evolved due to the low number of basketball teams (youth and feeder teams) the West side of the Big Island has. The East side (Hilo, Hamakua, Puna) out numbers the West side of the island in terms of players and youth teams. The East side probably has 5-8 times more youth teams than the West side. That is where the Awa's had to be creative and evolve and make their program 24/7. But what evolved is a more concentrated group of dedicated and committed players than the larger groups on the Eastside. The Eastside youth teams funnel into more teams (Hilo, Waiakea, Keaau, St Joseph and Kamehameha), thus the players don't have the same continuity and chemistry that the Stingrays have, with the exceptions of Honokaa (Paauilo) and Pahoa.
The Awa family also has taken advantage of every basketball event the Big Island offers, including the 3 on 3 tournament the County and New Hope puts on. Every club tournament on the Eastside almost always has a team from the Stingrays. The World Youth Basketball Tourney (high school division) hosted in Konawaena has been a training ground for the 7-8th grade players. The Stingrays have gone to Oahu, Maui and Las Vegas and other states pursuing experience and skill enhancing.
The Stingrays have used local resources such as former UHH Coach Jimmy Yagi and skills coach Dennis Agena to give their community a taste of some of the best basketball minds in the State. Their program is ohana. When they travel to Hilo for a tournament, they usually stay at a hotel for the weekend sharing rooms and meals together, becoming closer, and actually that is the secret. The bond and chemistry they have for each other is phenomenal. Some of the Stingrays have played together for 10-13 years since they were five. You can’t coach that.
The Wildcat program eats, sleeps and plays basketball together 24/7, a recipe to success!
The Awa’s (Bobbie and Donnie) started the Stingrays several years ago and is the nucleus of the Wildcats success. With now an army of coaches and alumni (boys and girls) helping, the program may reach a pinnacle of supremacy in the whole state.
The girls enter several tournaments throughout the year and practice religiously, and that includes Sunday, in which the Konawaena gym is opened up for the community to hone their skills. The Onizuka gym is filled with Wildcats and Wildcat wannabes, most times numbering close to 40-50 players.
The Girls always play with and against the Konawaena (Stingray) boys. This has made the girls more physical and play at a quicker pace offensively and defensively.
The high school season (3 months) is just a blip in the Wildcats all year round 24/7 basketball game and practice schedule the Stingrays program provides. The system works, and evolved due to the low number of basketball teams (youth and feeder teams) the West side of the Big Island has. The East side (Hilo, Hamakua, Puna) out numbers the West side of the island in terms of players and youth teams. The East side probably has 5-8 times more youth teams than the West side. That is where the Awa's had to be creative and evolve and make their program 24/7. But what evolved is a more concentrated group of dedicated and committed players than the larger groups on the Eastside. The Eastside youth teams funnel into more teams (Hilo, Waiakea, Keaau, St Joseph and Kamehameha), thus the players don't have the same continuity and chemistry that the Stingrays have, with the exceptions of Honokaa (Paauilo) and Pahoa.
The Awa family also has taken advantage of every basketball event the Big Island offers, including the 3 on 3 tournament the County and New Hope puts on. Every club tournament on the Eastside almost always has a team from the Stingrays. The World Youth Basketball Tourney (high school division) hosted in Konawaena has been a training ground for the 7-8th grade players. The Stingrays have gone to Oahu, Maui and Las Vegas and other states pursuing experience and skill enhancing.
The Stingrays have used local resources such as former UHH Coach Jimmy Yagi and skills coach Dennis Agena to give their community a taste of some of the best basketball minds in the State. Their program is ohana. When they travel to Hilo for a tournament, they usually stay at a hotel for the weekend sharing rooms and meals together, becoming closer, and actually that is the secret. The bond and chemistry they have for each other is phenomenal. Some of the Stingrays have played together for 10-13 years since they were five. You can’t coach that.
The Wildcat program eats, sleeps and plays basketball together 24/7, a recipe to success!
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