Happy New Year (and more)!

Happy New Year everybody! It was a crazy fun 2012. We played (by my last count) 121 games as the H1 Thunder from 12U to 17U. That's a lot. I mean, we may never play that many games again, no matter how much we try. We were in the island's best leagues (CAL, NJB), some new leagues (PAA, AIEA 16U) and we were blessed with the opportunity to play in the Maryknoll JV and Kalani varsity summer leagues.

But that's behind us now. (I have a lot of game videos to edit and I'm catching up slowly.) The new year is going to start earlier than ever for us thanks to the CAL middle school division coming up this weekend. If we play in PAA 13U, that's the first week of February, and PAA 15U starts in mid-February. I still have mixed feelings about that league because the games are so short. They run the clock through all free throws, so games end super fast, like 30 minutes fast. We could wait until CAL league finishes, then starts again with their 15U and 13U in March. Or do all of the above.

HEADS UP! I just got an e-mail from CAL commissioner Greydon Espinda and only now realized that our first game is on Saturday, 3:50 pm. I didn't see that on the schedule (my fault) and thought that our first game was on Sunday. As of right now, the league may postpone the Saturday game to help out another team.

So keep your calendar open for Saturday, 3:50 pm at Kilauea Gym. We're scheduled to play Crush 1. That will be a lot of fun, if we play them. The Sunday, 3:00 game against the Blue Devils is on. Totally on.

Practice is Wednesday, 6:00 pm at Kalakaua Gym. Bring it on! WE LUB THIS GAME!

P.S. - SHIRTS ARE IN. These are the warmup T-shirts we're wearing for the winter season. Designed and produced by James Davis (The Chocolate Factory), a talented artist and a former player of mine from Kaimuki JV back about 12 years ago. He did this on short notice and he did beautiful work. Thank you, James!

The shirts are for our players in the CAL League. The guys who will play in February (PAA 15U/13U) and March (CAL 15U/13U, NJB 15U/13U, AIEA 17U) will get T-shirts when their leagues start. Extra shirts are available to parents for just $10. For everybody else, the shirt will be one of our fundraiser sources, selling for $20 each. 

We ate at Pizza Hut and McDonald's on Sunday, and along with the bottled water and Gatorades, expenses are already kicking off the 2013 year. Let's make some money, fund our entry fees for the leagues, get new uniforms and more T-shirts, and start funding a summer mainland trip. 

No practice on Monday (update)

Head's up: I just realized Monday is New Year's Eve. Kalakaua Gym will probably be closed. So ... NO PRACTICE MONDAY. Enjoy the time off. We got a lot of work done today. Enjoy New Year's Day off, too, with your family. We'll get back to work on Wednesday, 6:00 pm at Kalakaua Gym.

If anybody wants to shoot baskets Monday, I'll be free after 4:00 pm. I can meet you guys at Makiki Park or Kalakaua outside courts if you want to get your 200+ shots in.

Update 10:35 pm Chris said some of the Thunder might meet up on Monday morning at Kalakaua. Check with him on that, get those shots in before family time.

Sunday Funday

Good workout today. Scrimmaged the Islanders 12U (girls), ran through halfcourt offense, a lot of shooting drills. I thought we were playing a 14U team, but it was a good chance for our new guys to get some run and learn to run plays and defenses. (Kodee Viena plays on that team and they have a lot of talent.) 

After Pizza Hut, the kids are back at it, Makiki Park, 4-on-4. WE LUB THIS GAME.

The Sniper Conquers

Congratulations to Bryson Quackenbush, who won the 3-point contest tonight at the St. Francis Merv Lopes Hoops Classic (at Manoa Gym). Bryson was 8-for-15 to lead the competition. On top of his game-winning 3-pointer against Saint Louis, Bryson had a great day.

Video captures below. 

Isaiah, Bryson and Mick waiting on the final results.

Sunday scrimmage

Heads up! Coach Dean (Kodee's dad) set up a scrimmage for us against her team (Islanders 14U). They'll meet us tomorrow (Sunday) at McCully Gym. We need to help our new guys get acclimated to competition, to running plays and our defenses against live action, so this is a good opportunity. Just one week before the CAL Middle School opener.

Next workout: Sunday, 11:00 am, McCully gym and 4:00 pm, Makiki Park. Make sure to call Coach Roy for a ride. Or call me (551-1054).

Also, practice Monday 6:00 pm, Kalakaua Gym. WE LUB THIS GAME.

Saturday shootout

Good morning workout with Tanielu, Sierra and Chris at Kalakaua outside court today. Got a lot of basic work done. Our core players are almost ready for the CAL League that starts next week Sunday. Getting our new players on the same page - learning the plays on both offense and defense - is crucial.

After lunch, Tanielu and Chris went back and they're shooting in Kalakaua Gym until it closes around 4:30.

Next workout: Sunday, 11:00 am, McCully gym and 4:00 pm, Makiki Park. Make sure to call Coach Roy for a ride. Or call me (551-1054).

Then Monday, 6:00 pm, Kalakaua Gym.

WE LUB THIS GAME.

Note: Congrats to our Roosevelt boys, who beat Saint Louis (Haka is one of their top guards) on a last-second 3-point shot today at the Merv Lopes Classic. 

Friday: Informal practice

I'm working this afternoon and tonight at the St. Francis Merv Lopes Classic (Manoa gym), so I'm not going to be at practice. I still want everybody to go to Kalakaua Gym and work on plays, play some 3-on-3 (or 4-on-4), do shooting and ballhandling drills, 3-point drills, INBOUNDS PLAYS. Get your 200 shots and 50 free throws in.

A lot of your phones aren't working, so I called Jerry. 

Tomorrow (Saturday), we're practicing for sure 10:00 am at Kalakaua outside court.

Sunday, 11:00 am, McCully Gym, lunch, then 4:00 at Makiki Park. 

I'm sorry for the last-minute change, but Roosevelt plays Farrington at 1:30, then Punahou and Kalaheo at 3:00. It's a great opportunity to see these teams and how much they've progressed, especially our Thunder boys at Roosevelt. (They beat Kahuku in overtime yesterday.) Then I cover the tourney semifinals after that. Hope I see you guys at the tourney tonight. 

Workout: Friday 2:30, Kalakaua

A good afternoon of 2-on-2 and shooting, real casual, at Kalakaua gym and outside courts. It wasn't planned. The guys had some time and wanted to go play. Tanielu, Chris. Then Jimark, Josh, Jerry. Jimark stayed back to work on his game while the rest of us, plus Coach Roy and Kyle, went to the Kamehameha-Punahou girls basketball game. That turned out to be a great finish.

Friday (tomorrow), 2:30 pm, Kalakaua Gym. We'll be done by 5, and I have to go work. Covering the Merv Lopes Classic at Manoa gym.

Note: Congrats to the Roosevelt boys, who rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Kahuku 59-54 in overtime today. Just saw that boxscore. Way to go, Rough Riders! On the other side, Kawe Johnson had a solid game for the Red Raiders. Kawe played on our 17U two summers ago. Great guy. All great guys. Nice win, Roosevelt.

CAL League: Thunder begins Jan. 6

Just saw this in my e-mail: The brand-new CAL schedule (for Week 1 only) and (Commissioner) Greydon's e-mail to the CAL League teams. Note that he asks everyone to keep their shoes clean before they step on the court at Kilauea BECAUSE ... they renovated the gym and revarnished the court. So please keep your shoes on only when you play, don't walk around in them and get them dirty.

Week 1: Thunder vs. Blue Devils, Sunday, Jan. 6, 3:00 pm, Kilauea Gym.

We'll get more of the schedule later from the league. CAL is the best, or at least one of the very best, leagues on the island. We've played in it for three years and we've always been treated extremely well and very fairly. Greydon is a very mindful commissioner who constantly looks out for us and every team, making sure we know about schedules, schedule changes or anything else. We're blessed to be in the CAL league!

Greydon Espinda:

Coaches

As you may know the new season will start on January the 5th. I wanted to make sure that kilauea gym will be ready to use. The gym has gone under renovation where they replaced the bump that was located under the basket as well as revarnish the entire court so we wont be slipping on the courts yeah! To help with the longevity of the court, please ask your players to not wear their shoes in the dirt as they come to the game. The dirt acts as sandpaper and will sand down the court in no time.

Attached is the roster/waiver form. Please submit payment of $400 to CAL basketball league; 3255 George Street; Honolulu, Hi. 96815 or give it to me on the first game of the season. If you do send it, please email me so that I can look for it in the mail.

I will be sending out the first week schedule to give everyone a headsup hopfully tonight, tomorrow the latest. Let me know if you have any questions or concern.

Have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year.

Greydon

Friday spontaneous

I've got work tonight, but Chris called and said some of the 13U/15U will meet this afternoon at Kalakaua. The gym should be open until 4:45 pm. I'll be there until 5:00. It's 3:20 right now. I'm waiting for my lunch, should be at the park/gym by 3:45. We'll probably just run through some plays, do basic drills and try to sharpen up.

First game is less than two weeks away. Who else is hungry for some basketball? Nom nom...

Friday: Check with Coach Roy for practice in the evening at Kalakaua.
Saturday: 10 am, practice, Kalakaua.
Sunday: 11 am, practice, McCully. Sunday 4 pm, shooting drills, Makiki Park.

Video: 13U vs Laie (updated)

Third game of the CAL fall league. When I look back, sometimes it's amazing how well a team so young passes the ball. There is a lot of trust out there. I don't think Laie got a single steal on their press. They ended up calling it off. That makes me feel good, when we play together and play smart basketball.

This is part 1. Part 2 will be loaded up by tonight.
Update 8:45 pm Here's part 2

Christmas Eve: Enjoy the gift

OK. It's occurred to me that tomorrow is Dec. 24. Christmas Eve. So Kalakaua Gym probably won't be open. The courts probably will be. I mean, I sorta knew it was Christmas Eve today, but the busy-ness of it never really materialized in my brain until tonight. There's a lot of stuff going on from last-minute shopping to church events to parties and all that.

So ... anybody who wants to get in some shooting and drills, let me know and we can meet at Kalakaua or Makiki at 4:00 pm tomorrow (Monday). Otherwise, please enjoy your family time and the spirit of the Lord in this awesome Christmas season. Your family is yours alone, the greatest gift you possess. Enjoy them now while you can. Life passes quickly, in the blink of an eye, like a vapor, as scripture says. So enjoy them all you can and without hesitation.

Btw, had a solid shooting session with Sierra, Jimark and Josh at Kalakaua this afternoon (Sunday). No wind for a change. They must've gotten up 200 to 250 shots each. We shot for about 2 hours. Funday!

Next practice is Wednesday (Dec. 26), 4:00 pm at Kalakaua Gym. I have to work but Coach Roy said he'll be there, so be there and get straight to working hard, playing hard and having fun.

Sunday funday

Good workout today at McCully Gym. Kyle, Tanielu, Chris, Jimark, Josh and Jerry came down with Coach Roy. Mickey ran the guys through conditioning drills. Alleck came down and joined Mick on the court when we ran drills and plays. A lot of good work today. Long way to go, our new guys are learning and soaking everything up.

Workout this afternoon 4:00 pm has been switched from Makiki Park to Kalakaua outside courts. Kyle has a family function this afternoon, and so do Chris and Tanielu. Transporting the guys from Kalihi to Makiki would be a problem, but we can get more work done if the boys just walk to Kalakaua from their homes.

Sunday 4:00 pm at Kalakaua outside courts
Monday 6:00 pm at Kalakaua Gym
Tuesday TBA
Wednesday 6:00 pm at Kalakaua Gym

We're just two weeks away from our season opener in the CAL Middle School Division. WE LUB THIS GAME.

Warmup shirts

Fyi: I just ordered the warmup shirts. We'll have enough for the 13U who start playing in January. If you are not on the 13U but want to order, let me know ASAP. Like today or tonight. the printer goes to work on this tomorrow (Friday).

I ordered sizes from children's medium up to adult XL.

The shirts will be free for the current players. Everybody else has to buy so I don't go broke. (I'll know the price per shirt soon.) James Davis, one of my former players, does a lot of work with art and shirts, and he's giving us a really awesome deal. (You guys who are in 15U and 17U, you'll get these warmup shirts free when your leagues start in March. If you want one now, let me know and I'll save one for you, but you won't get it free.) 

I was about to pick up T-shirts from Champs (five for $25), but James called at that exact moment. Found out he can get good blank tees way cheaper. The shirts will be charcoal (dark) gray with white and orange lettering. I was going to keep this as a surprise for you guys, but I'm just proud of James and if he gets more orders with our help, that's great for him and his family. You can reach him on Facebook at this link. 

Thursday update

Some quick notes.

• Tanielu suggested (and I like it) that we have a potluck picnic again. I may have mentioned this on a previous blog post, but if you missed it, let's aim for Sunday, Dec. 30. If we have enough interest, the kids will practice (McCully gym) that morning at 11 a.m., then go to Ala Moana Beach Park (same spot as last time?) around 2:00 p.m.

Whoever wants to do this again, let me know. We're going to need some of the grills and hibachis and, of course, food, like last time, so let me know and I'll get the list going. I'll bring some meat. Probably kal bi or something that Foodland sells, ready for grilling.

• Tanielu and Chris' dad, Passion, said they're looking for a three-bedroom house to rent, town side. I thought I'd post that here and spread the word. If you know of a place available, let me know (551-1054) and I'll pass it on to Passion.

• Next practice is Sunday, 11:00 am, McCully Gym. Pickup games to follow (1:00 pm), then lunch and shooting drills at Makiki Park (4:00 pm).

• Next scrimmage. We don't know if we're going to have one, but Cliff Smith (Jared's dad) said Punchbowl PAL's 14U team might want a scrimmage. Stay tuned.

• Monday and Wednesdays @ Kalakaua Gym. We were there the past Monday and Wednesday for free play (6:00-9:00 pm) and it worked out great. Thanks to everybody for turning out. Getting indoors is CRUCIAL this time of year with all that wind and rain outside. It's a blessing.

• I'll be working the rest of the week, covering tournaments (‘Iolani Classic, Punahou Invitational, maybe Walter Wong Invitational). It's a good chance to see many of the top high school teams in the country and state. Haka is playing for Saint Louis in the Wong tournament, so I want to see at least one game. Tonight (Thursday), it's the slam dunk competition at the ‘Iolani Classic. That normally starts around 10:00 pm and it's always a lot of fun. I'll be there after I'm done at Punahou. Hope I see you guys there!

Scrimmage video (updated with part 2)

Mahalo to Eric for shooting the video. This is Part 1. Part 2 will be done uploading by tonight. Watch, enjoy, learn, move on.


Update 2:35 pm. Part 2 is ready.

Scrimmage 'season' underway

Finally got some competition today. Our 13U/14U scrimmaged Punchbowl PAL - Jared and Micah's team. They were young (12U), quick, talented. Mostly kids 11, down to 9 years old. It was hard for a few of our guys to stay focused from start to finished, but that's what my job is. We got good hustle from everybody, but playing for the first time since October, there was some rust.

Kyle did a really solid job on both ends, grabbed the most offensive rebounds. He's our floor leader, initiating the offense and setting up teammates for easy shots. That's what a good point guard does, in addition to keeping everyone together and keeping everyone accountable. He knows what I ask for every day from everyone in his/her role, and if he doesn't do the job on the floor, you will hear from me back on the bench - about your duties, whether you're doing a fantastic job or a not-so-good one. 

Jerry grabbed a ton of loose balls. He might be one of those guys who just has a knack for that, and we need more guys like that. Jackson is learning, hustled his butt off. Josh did a good job finding open spots, but like Jackson, he needs to get into better shape. Sierra did great on the fastbreak getting to her spot and shooting the open 3, also battling on the boards against two, three opponents. Jimark played tough on both ends. Chris did a good job at times on the boards against Tanielu was super quick on the fastbreak and had some perfect pass-and-cut plays with Jimark. Jimark worked hard, ran the break well. 

I want everybody to be a little more cohesive and fluid offensively, and that takes time. Repetitions. Practice. The scrimmages we get, the better, naturally. Cliff (Jared's dad) said that Punchbowl's 14U team will want a scrimmage with us, hopefully. It's hard to get better against a younger, slower team, but it was good to get some competition. 

We've got some bugs to work out, but I love the aggressiveness that we play with (most of the time). I want EVERYBODY running the break, but also to do this within his or her responsibilities. When we all do this, things balance out and everyone will have fun playing fast, smart team basketball with great energy. Maturity will be the difference between winning championships or not. For the most part, everybody is mature for his/her age. But we need to get to a championship level mentally and emotionally.

We can do this.

Tonight, Sierra, Jimark, Josh, Jerry, Kyle, Coach Roy and I are at the ‘Iolani Classic. Some good basketball. Kalaheo was up on Yates (Texas) by 16 in the third quarter, but they got tired, sloppy and lost by 2. Oak Hill is still jumping over everybody. La Lumiere (Indiana) is very solid and smart.

Wednesday: Practice 6:00 pm at Kalakaua gym. Coach Roy will be in charge. Work on plays, pressure defense, pressbreakers, drills on low post, high post, wing, 3-point shooting. Do it all, boys and girls. Everything you dream of is within your grasp if you're willing to put the time and sweat into it for your team.

WE LUB THIS GAME!

Rain, wind and a warm gym

Tuesday: Call Coach Roy for a ride. He will leave Kalihi around 2 pm. We meet at Makiki Park 2:30 pm and caravan to Papakolea to scrimmage with Punchbowl PAL. They start practice at 3:00 pm. If you haven't been there before, they have an outside court with a roof, kind of like the one in Palolo and the other one at Nuuanu Elementary School.

Side note: All the guys who have jerseys, please contact me so I can collect them for the scrimmage. I have no jerseys at this time. Everybody took them home after the last game. Or bring the jersey in when we meet at Makiki Park.

Monday: Good, good workout at Kalakaua Gym with Jimark, Josh and Kyle. Did a LOT of 3-point shooting drills, ran Monday and Tuesday drills over and over. Wing shooter. Pick and pop corner shooter. A lot of running with fastbreak drills/3-point shooting in transition. Free throws. The weather is so bad right now — constant wind and rain — it's a blessing to have the gym.

Btw, Jimark and Josh shot really well, usually at least 3 out of 10 from each spot (corners, wings, top). Josh hit 5, 6, even 7 at some spots. Jimark hit 5 to 6 out of 10 normally and had 8 out of 10 from the corner (I think) for the best accuracy for one spot. We went about 4 rounds. Kyle got there in time to shoot two rounds before we did everything else.

Sunday funday, new unis and more

Good workout today with Kyle, Walter, Jimark and Josh. Big Josh and Youlun joined us for drills, too. Windy again, so we did a lot of ballhandling/on-ball defensive work, ballhandling against traps and 41 trapping. Also did a lot of three-man game work in our Princeton/UCLA set. Got some shooting challenge work done when it wasn't too windy.

Next workout is Monday, 6:00 pm, Kalakaua gym. Then Tuesday 4:30 pm, Kalakaua outside courts. We might work out again Wednesday night (6 pm) at Kalakaua gym if Coach Roy is free. I have to work the rest of the week nights.

We're only 3 weeks away from the CAL League opener, so getting work done together is CRUCIAL. I still don't see 8 to 9 guys at practice, so it's hard to expect us to have the depth we want for the league. Without depth, it's tough to run for a full game. I want us to RUN.

If you can't make practice, no sweat as long as you call me (551-1054) or Coach Roy (693-6777). Btw, Coach Roy is working on ordering us NICE jerseys (embroidered numbers) so reserve your two favorite numbers before someone else claims them. I'll also be ordering a new set of mesh reversible jerseys.

Check the Facebook page, check the blog, check your e-mail, check your texts for info on practices and leagues and uniforms. Let's get to work so we can have a lot of fun this winter season. WE LUB THIS GAME.

Good Wednesday

Nice workout on Wednesday with Jimark, Dennis, Chris, Josh and Tanielu. Dennis' first practice, but he learned quickly. We went over on-ball pressure (41), handling backcourt traps, a few halfcourt offensive sets, shooting drills, pressbreakers.

In reality, we could run Princeton and UCLA combined over an over and over without verbally yelling a play, but that would take a lot of reps together as a group. Once that happens, it would be a self-running machine. All about reading and positioning, screening and cutting, precise passing and smart decision-making.

But for yesterday, it's another good starting point for our new guys. It's also a test for our returnees, a test of their patience and ability to teach.

Practice again today (Thursday), 4:30 p.m. at Kalakaua. Coach Roy and Kyle will be there, so bring your game! Help each other. Teach each other all the details and nuances of offense, defense, rebounding, positioning. Everything.

Tuesday work ethic

Gritty, tough workout today for Sierra, Jimark, Jerry, Jackson and Josh at Kalakaua. Got a lot of shooting and ballhandling drills in, basics on fullcourt pressure defense and pressbreakers, trapbreakers. Also some free throws and conditioning. Boy, that's gonna need a lot more work. 

Even though we've got some inexperienced, new players, it's always good to have coachable players who work hard. It's a blessing! Next workout: Saturday 10 am, but Jackson has one of the basketballs and I expect the Thunder to be at Kalakaua every day at 4:30 to work on their shooting and handles, run some miles and get in shape. WE LUB THIS GAME. 

Palolo tournament: No Thunder

Got some bad news just now from Coach Allen (Palolo). The tournament already had enough teams for 14U and 12U. Hopefully if any team drops out they'll contact us. Think next time I'm not even going to mention any tournaments until we're officially accepted. I know we're going to be pissed about this, but stay focused. We're in the CAL Middle School Division and Aiea 12U for sure. That's just 27 days away and we got WORK TO DO. Channel your energy into that. Once January starts, we're going NON-STOP through the winter, spring, summer and fall.

Tuesday: 4:30, Kalakaua

Been on the road all afternoon and night. PRACTICE Tuesday 4:30 pm Kalakaua outside courts. Time to bolt down our foundation and get to work. Still haven't heard back from Coach Allen about the Palolo Tournament. Hope we get in for both 14U and 12U. If not, we got the leagues starting Jan. 6. I LUB THIS GAME! 

The quest is on. The voyage has begun. It doesn't start on Jan. 6. The work goes in NOW, as it has for the past few weeks and months. That's what love for the game will do. Those who don't love it, get out of the waaaaaay . . . 

Thunder ballin at McCully Gym on a Sunday afternoon.

Life Is Good.

Playbook: Simplicity

A simple play run by the best team in basketball.* Efficient, easy way to get two points. We shall call this "V-RAY".

* Yes, the Miami Heat. I'm not a Heat fan, but it's the truth. For now.

Work and reps equal Funday

Good day overall for the guys who came to work out. Mahalo to Tanielu and Chris' grandpa for providing transportation help. We had those two, plus Kyle, Jimark and Micah to transport to McCully gym. No way they all could fit into my car. We got some solid work in, teaching Jimark the pressbreakers, adding a new, simple pressbreaker, the 41 press. A lot of good shooting work, fastbreak assignment drills. The guys got a lot done, plus some solid conditioning.

Good to see everybody getting more and more comfortable playing pickup ball with the grownups at the gym, too. Sifo came down for some games.

At Makiki Park, we got in some 4-on-4 run before the rain hit and we headed home. Good start to the week, Thunder. Now put the same effort and energy into your schoolwork, if you don't already, and you'll enjoy life a whole lot more. No fear, just ask for help at all times. Nobody's too big to do that.

I like Chris' idea of having a study hall twice a week, with teammates helping teammates. Brilliant!

Next team workout: TBA. Might be on Tuesday. Be sure to do your running and shooting every day. I LUB THIS GAME.

Sunday plan

Sunday: Coach Roy and Kyle not available for workouts, so we have to figure out a transportation plan to get the guys from Kalihi to McCully gym by 11 am. I can car pool but the max for my car is 3 guys (not counting me). Or 4 small guys. Tanielu, Chris, Jimark, Josh, Jackson need rides. Maybe more (Dennis and Ronny?). Probably will do two round trips. One of those times I wish we had a mini-bus.

Sunday

11:00 am McCully gym practice 

1:00 pm McCully gym pickup games

3:00 pm McDonald's

4:00 pm Makiki Park practice/pickup games

Christmas 14U/12U tourney?

ALSO ... got word from Coach Allen Fortson that they're hosting a Christmas tourney at Palolo Gym on Dec. 21 or so. The divisions are 14U and 12U so we'll plan on entering two teams. It's a three-day tournament: 14U on day 1, 12U on day 2 and both divisions on day 3. Hoping to hear more from them real soon. Allen said the entry fee is really low, so that's more good news. Hope we can be at full strength. Some of the other teams are Kapolei, Aliis, Kalakaua (Clinic), Palolo.

None of this is 100% definite yet. I'm hoping to talk with the tournament director tomorrow (Sunday). They're looking for more teams, he said, so I'm optimistic. This would be a really nice Christmas present and a good way to prepare for the January league(s). 

Saturday in the park

Good workout today for Tanielu, Chris, Jimark, Josh and Jackson (and Walter!) at Kalakaua. Got a lot of solid work in with fastbreak assignments, halfcourt offense. Good news from the CAL League (Greydon) is that Jimark can play in the Middle School Division. This is huge because Jimark has been learning our system, is at every practice and learning quickly. Same with Josh, but with Jimark, I was concerned that his age (14) might be an issue. Apparently not.

I think there are other teams in the division in the same boat. ILH teams are known to have older players (held back a year). The competition will be awesome.

Mahalo to Mark (Walter's dad) for bringing the boys XL sodas from McDonald's! 

Weekend work ethic

Practice Saturday 10 am at Kalakaua. Lot of work to be done with only 4 weeks until our first game. Sunday 11 am, McCully gym, then 4 pm at Makiki Park. WE LUB THIS GAME!

Roster update 12/5/12

Roster update - let me know if anything has changed. These leagues begin in one month.

CAL Middle School Division (grades 6-8)

(Games on Sundays, Kilauea gym)

Tanielu

Chris

Kyle

Micah

Walter

Jerson (not available Sundays/church)

Sierra (n/a Sundays/tutoring)

Jared (n/a Sundays/church)

Ryan (maybe)

Leo (maybe)

Jackson (maybe)

Aaron (n/a Sundays/church)

Dennis (maybe)

Ronny (maybe)

That's still five definites, a bunch of not availables and maybes. So we need at least 4 players to commit so we can have 9 strong and run all game long. (Note: I'll have to find out if Jimark can play. He's eighth grade, but at 14, he's one year older than most of the kids.)

Aiea 12U League

(Games on Saturday mornings, Aiea Rec. gym)

Note: Age is determined by Sept. 1, 2013 cutoff

Chris

Micah

Walter

Jared (turns 13 after the league ends)

Kodee (turns 13 after the league ends)

Joshua (turns 13 after the league ends)

Leo (turns 13 after the league ends?)

Ryan (maybe)

The league might let us have a couple of exceptions since some of us are still 12 during the entire season. We'll see. Either way, we still need more players. 

CAL Elementary School Division (grades 6 and below)

(Games on Sundays, Kilauea gym)

Chris

Micah

Walter

Ryan (maybe)

This is a long shot. The league needs more gym time to add more teams. This wasn't our focus, to have an Elem team, but if it's available, we're going for it. But we would need at least 5 more players. 

The opportunities are there, you guys. So let's find more players and enjoy the winter season. 

Wednesday work ethic

Good workout today with Tanielu, Chris, Jackson. Jackson is one of their friends from Kalakaua Middle School. Earlier, Ronny and Dennis played some pickup ball with them. Ronny plays some solid defense, quick and boxes out. Dennis can rebound and shoot the 3, and also goes to his left hand on the drive really well. Would be nice if they joined the Thunder, but we'll see.

Next workout is Saturday 10 am at Kalakaua since I work Thursday and Friday. If you guys want to work out on Thur/Fri, give Coach Roy and Kyle a call. That would be excellent. Sunday is definite, 11 am at McCully gym, 3 pm at Makiki Park. I LUB THIS GAME!

Wednesday workout

Tanielu and Chris are free this afternoon (Wed) so I'll meet up at Kalakaua with everybody who wants to practice. 4:00 to 5:30. After that, I have to work tonight, girls basketball game at Radford.

Working hard on a Tuesday

Good workout today with Kyle, Jimark and Josh at Kalakaua outside courts. Taught the brothers the basics on some offensive plays. Did a lot of triple-threat footwork drills from the wings. Just working hard and working smart day by day. The season opener is 1 month and 2 days away. I LUB THIS GAME.

Funday workout

Walter, Chris, Tanielu, Kyle, Jimark, Joshua - Good workout today at McCully (13U ballhandling, defensive work, pickup games) and Jared met us at Makiki Park (low post, high post, wing on-ball 1-on-1 drills). One of the most basic things we constantly work on is creating separation on the wing. Takes time to master the nuances, so we work on it over and over.

The guys work hard, but they're yearning for some fresh competition. Haven't had a game since October. We might get an exhibition game against one of the private school intermediate teams soon, though. That would awesome.

Next workout: TUESDAY. Most likely at Kalakaua Middle School outside courts, 4:30 pm. I'll keep you guys posted. DO YOUR SCHOOLWORK, CHECK IT TWICE. EXCEL. ASK FOR HELP ANY TIME YOU HAVE A DOUBT. No excuses. It's up to you.

McCully, Makiki on Funday

Update: Chris and Tanielu have been asking for this, so here it is. We'll be at Makiki Park at 4:00 pm. Variety of drills.

That'll be after we go to McCully gym for practice/drills (11 am) and pickup games (adults/older kids, 1:00 pm).

Head count for winter Thunder

Still looking for more players — committed players who love the game enough to work hard at it — for our upcoming league(s) in January. 

I need a head count — and confirmation — of everyone who's going to play in January:

1) CAL League - Middle School Division (Sundays)
2) CAL League - Elementary School Division (this is not a strong possibility since the league needs more gym time)
3) Aiea 12U League (Saturday mornings)

Right now, it looks like this: 

CAL Middle School Division roster: Tanielu, Kyle, Chris, Micah, Walter, Sierra, Kamakani. Hoping Kodee is available. New additions may be Joshua (de Jesus), Jerry, Jackson, Aaron from Kalakaua, and possibly Leo (from Coach Larry's Manoa League team).

CAL League - Elementary Division & AIea 12U roster: Chris, Micah, Walter. Possibly Leo (11) and Kamakani (not sure if she's 11 or 12).

Our older guys (15U, 17U) will start playing in March after the high school season is pau. Aiea will have a 17U league (similar to last year's 16U league), and CAL will have 15U and 13U.

Thunder high schoolers in action

13 hours of basketball. Tanielu, Chris and me saw 3 1/2 games at the McKinley Black & Gold Classic. Maryknoll and Kapolei played pretty well. Maryknoll was impressive. (Saw Sifo get plenty of playing time against Maryknoll.) Josh Burnett was everywhere.

Then we saw the Roosevelt-Waipahu games. JV had a lot of Thunder flavor: Brent, Felix, Sean. Also saw Josh (formerly of Maryknoll) playing for Roosevelt. Varsity, a lot of good defense and big shots by Isaiah, Bryson, Mick, Alleck, JJ, Anfernee. This year's Rough Riders are a lot of fun to watch, every single guy working his ass off with fullcourt pressure, hustling for loose balls, aggressive on offense, sharing the ball with open teammates on the 3-point arc. Roosevelt beat Waipahu 60-51. LUB THIS GAME.

Then we picked up Kyle and went to Kalakaua courts. Kyle, Chris and Tanielu played some touch football (yeah football) and they played some 21 for about an hour, mostly in the dark. A good day and night of Thunder life.

SUNDAY
11:00 am Thunder shooting drills at McCully gym, then some work on offensive and defensive plays/sets. 1:00 pm pickup games, then Makiki Park.

Game Day cometh (update)

LOOKING AHEAD: CAL League, Middle School Division, starting date Jan. 6!

THIS WEEKEND 

Saturday: I'll be working/covering the high school tournament at McKinley 10 am to 4 pm. Then watch Roosevelt play Waipahu (JV and varsity), 4:00 to 7:00 pm. 

Sunday: 11:00 am, McCully gym, Thunder drills. 1:00 pm, McCully gym, pickup games for the older kids against the adults. I LUB THIS GAME!

Update: Chris and Tanielu have been asking for this, so here it is. We'll be at Makiki Park at 4:00 pm. Variety of drills.