CAL Inter game this Sunday

This just in: CAL League Intermediate game this Sunday

Just got the e-mail from CAL League.

H1 Thunder vs. Lanakila, Sunday, 10:20 am, Kilauea gym.
Warmups/stretching on the outside court 9:20 am.
Felcris Ahadain​, Josh M DE Jesus​, Micah, Chazz, Chris Afe​ - I will begin pickup at 8:30 am.
LET'S PLAY SOME BAAAALLLLLLL!!!

Don't forget, 15U/JV/17U/Varsity has practice Sunday afternoon - Tanielu Mosi Afe​, Gabriel Porras​, Kali'a Mielke​, Kyle Moraga​, Jared Elwin​, Kapaa Nishimura​, Sierra, Keanu Ksb Pratt​ and everybody else who plans on playing in Ikaika League (Inter/JV, maybe Varsity) and PAA 15U.
WE LOVE THIS GAME!

Monday funday

Solid workout this afternoon in great conditions at Makiki Park. Got a lot of ballhandling and shooting reps in, plus some 3-on-3 work using our basic halfcourt principles. Daily work adds up to excellence. Good job, Thunder!
Lineup: Jhevin, Walter, Trinity, Jackson, Josh R.
Mahalo to Coach Bino for helping out.
Next:
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Wednesday - No practice.
Thursday, 5:00 pm - Shooting/ballhandling drills (Coach Bino).
Friday - No practice.
Saturday - No practice.
Sunday, 2:30 pm - 13U/Intermediate practice at Makiki Park.
Sunday, 4:00 pm - 15U/JV/17U/Varsity practice at Makiki Park.
WE LOVE THIS GAAAAME!!

Game schedule - update 2/22

OK, I'm catching up on stuff after being out all afternoon and early evening. PAA sent their 13U playoff schedule. We will not have a game until Saturday, Mar. 7. That's a ways off. 

1. PAA is going to have a play-in mini-tournament for the 8th spot. So the No. 8, 9, 10 and 11 teams (Holy Family, Warriors, Kahuku, D Up) are going to play for that spot this week. 

We're fifth in the standings, so we're going to play fourth-place Court Kings on that Mar. 7 playoff date. (See info below.) If we win that game, we're in line to play first-place OTB. This league is totally winnable. 

2. We also have a 15U game in PAA League on that Mar. 7 date in the evening. 

H1 THUNDER game schedule

Feb. 23-29 bye week

Wednesday, Mar. 4, 7:45 pm - vs OTB, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Mar. 7, 11:15 am - vs. Court Kings, PAA League (13U playoffs), McCully gym

Saturday, Mar. 7, 8:00 pm - vs Windward, PAA League (15U), Lanakila gym

Wednesday, Mar 11, 7:45 pm - vs Tar Heels, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

* Thursday, Mar. 12, 5:30 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym

Saturday, Mar. 14, 4:00 pm - vs Kahuku, PAA League (15U), Palolo gym

* Wednesday, Mar. 18, 5:30 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym

Wednesday, Mar. 18, 6:15 pm - vs Cats, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

Thursday, Mar. 19, 6:15 pm - vs Sharks 2, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Mar. 21, 10:30 am - vs Court Kings, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Mar. 28 - 13U championship, PAA League, Palolo gym

Saturday, Mar. 28 - Quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, PAA League (15U), McCully and Palolo gyms

* These dates are preliminary. We may or may not have games on them. PAA will release the playoff schedule and information later. 

Sunday funday

Fun afternoon for out FT Challenge shooters. Just a handful today, all from the 'Pup Squad.' The leading shooter was Trinity, who made 13 out of 20 attempts. Walter was second with 12 of 20. Good work!

The rest of our 13U/15U/17U will do their FT Challenge later. Work on those sponsors, pile them up high and big!

Good workout with the Thunder (shooting), and then our 15U practiced from 4:00 pm to 6:15 pm. A lot of good work done. Thanks to everyone for a good afternoon of basketball.

Lineup: Jhevin, Jance, Josh R, Trinity, Gabriel, Kali‘a, Ryan, Walter. Mahalo to Bino and Jason (Jance's dad) for helping out again!

Mahalo to Mrs. Patti Chang​ and Sanford for coming to the FT Challenge and sponsoring our keiki!

15U, your first game in PAA League is on Feb. 4, which is just 10 days away.
13U Pups - Playoffs this week, just waiting for the schedule.
Intermediate - Waiting for CAL's schedule. Next game will be in February.

Next:
Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
I'm working at the boys state tournament the rest of the week, so the practice schedule depends on when Bino is free so everybody can get shooting and other drills in. I'll post that Wed-Sat schedule soon.
WE LOVE THIS GAME!

FT Challenge Sunday 2:30 pm

Please note, the Free-Throw Challenge fundraiser has been pushed back 30 minutes to 2:30 pm on Sunday. I have to work (interviewing an athlete for a feature story) at 1:30 pm, couldn't get a different time, so I'll be at Makiki Park no earlier than 2:15 pm (hopefully).

Get your sponsors committed and signed up! It's time to raise funds.

Please note: Optional shooting practice will follow AND the H1 Thunder 15U/JV/17U/Varsity will practice 4:00 pm. 

WE LOVE THIS GAME!

Video: Thunder-PC All-Stars (Inter)

HIGHLIGHTS


FULL GAME FOOTAGE


vs Pearl City All-Stars (Inter) 2/15/2015
CAL (Compete and Learn League) Intermediate Gold Division
∆∆ Full game http://youtu.be/cR6sSrdMBQc
▶ H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars (Inter) 2/15/2015 - YouTube
∆∆ Highlights http://youtu.be/jAb_WU-kRlM
▶ H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars highlights 2/15/2015 - YouTube
video: Jason Apuya.
score: Thunder 42, Pearl City 31.

Video: Thunder-Court Kings East (13U)

HIGHLIGHTS


FULL GAME FOOTAGE


vs Court Kings East (13U) 2/15/2015
ABL (Aiea Basketball League)

∆∆ Full game http://youtu.be/MsqAinjzzTA ▶ H1 Thunder vs. Court Kings East (13U) 2/15/2015 - YouTube
∆∆ Highlights http://youtu.be/PwJGoUz2jho

▶ H1 Thunder vs. Court Kings East highlights (13U) 2/15/2015 - YouTube
video: Jason Apuya.
score: Thunder 49, Kings East 42.

Thursday funday

Mahalo again to Bino Bong for finishing practice after I went to work. We had a good workout, ran through options for Monday (the play, not the day of the week) since our Pups are still learning the playbook. 

Good shooting conditions again. Love the work ethic and dedication! 

Lineup: Trinity, Jhevin, Jance, Walter. 

Next:
Friday, 4:00 pm - Practice. Pau: 5:15 pm. If Bino can stay until 6:30, everybody can stay and work out some more.

Saturday - No practice.

Sunday, 2:00 pm - Free-Throw Challenge. Please get all your sponsors committed so we can raise funds. Shooting starts pronto. ** Optional shooting practice to follow.
Sunday, 4:00 pm - H1 Thunder Varsity/17U/JV/15U practice at Makiki Park. Bring everybody so we can go 5-on-5. First game (PAA 15U) is in less than two weeks.
WE LOVE THIS GAAAME!!!

Tuesday funday

Between the gusts of last week and the muggy, voggy weather of this week, it was a blessing to have another afternoon of good weather for practice. Very slight breeze, great shooting conditions.

Lineup: Jance, Jhevin, Trinity, Chaz, Micah, Gabriel, Walter. Josh R got there for the last 30 minutes after he finished volleyball practice.

Mahalo to Bino for staying an extra 30 minutes when I had to go to work.
WE LOVE THIS GAME!!!

Next:
Wednesday - No practice.

Thursday, 4:00 pm - Shooting practice (Bino). Pau 6:30 pm. (I work at 4:30.)

Friday, 4:00 pm - Practice. Pau: 5:15 pm. If Bino can stay until 6:30, everybody can stay and work out some more.

Saturday - No practice.

Sunday, 2:00 pm - Free-Throw Challenge. Please get all your sponsors committed so we can raise funds. Shooting starts pronto. *** Optional shooting practice to follow.

Game Schedule - updated 2/17

PAA sent out the 15U schedule. Please note the possible dates for our 13U playoff games. At most, we will play three playoff games, could be on any of the dates listed with an asterisk below.

* Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:00 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym
* Thursday, Feb. 26, 5:15 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym
* Saturday, Feb. 28, 10;30 am - 13U playoff, PAA League, McCully gym
* Saturday, Feb. 28, 3:15 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Palolo gym
* Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:15 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Lanakila gym

* Wednesday, Mar. 4, 6:15 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym
Wednesday, Mar. 4, 7:45 pm - vs OTB, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym
* Saturday, Mar. 7, 11:15 am - 13U playoff, PAA League, McCully gym
* Saturday, Mar. 7, 7:15 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Lanakila gym
Saturday, Mar. 7, 8:00 pm - vs Windward, PAA League (15U), Lanakila gym

Wednesday, Mar 11, 7:45 pm - vs Tar Heels, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym
* Thursday, Mar. 12, 5:30 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym
Saturday, Mar. 14, 4:00 pm - vs Kahuku, PAA League (15U), Palolo gym

* Wednesday, Mar. 18, 5:30 pm - 13U playoff, PAA League, Kilauea gym
Wednesday, Mar. 18, 6:15 pm - vs Cats, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym
Thursday, Mar. 19, 6:15 pm - vs Sharks 2, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym
Saturday, Mar. 21, 10:30 am - vs Court Kings, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym

Saturday, Mar. 28 - 13U championship, PAA League, Palolo gym
Saturday, Mar. 28 - Quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, PAA League (15U), McCully and Palolo gyms

* These dates are preliminary. We may or may not have games on them. PAA will release the playoff schedule and information later.

Presidents Day funday

After all the wind of the past week, Makiki Park was perfectly sunny, cool and barely breezy. Perfect. We saw some old faces with our newer ones and got nearly 90 minutes of work in at optional shooting practice. Shooting challenge around the key and 3-point line. Triple-threat work. Triple-threat 1-on-1 drill. That was it. My estimate is each guy got in about 150 to 200 shots. Everybody's improving gradually. Confidence is building. Again, big mahalo to Bino (Jhevin's dad) for filling in last week to give our Thunder a chance almost every day to get their shots in.

Lineup: Jhevin, Jance, Kali‘a, Gabriel, Jackson, Josh R.

Next:
Tuesday, 4:00 pm - Practice. I leave for work at 5:00, but Bino will be there for everybody who wants to keep shooting until 5:45.

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAME!!

MAHALO MRS. CHANG :)

Patti Chang, thank you for today's generous gift to the H1 Thunder keiki. All your donations and kindness have literally made a major difference in helping our guys who need the most assistance, as well as myself.
You're da bomb!

This Week (Feb. 16-22)

Note: We have a bye in CAL for the rest of February, and we have a bye in PAA 13U until the playoffs start. It's good to have time to work on our fundamentals, strength, speed, conditioning and accuracy.

Monday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice. Pau 6:30 pm.

Tuesday, 4:00 pm - Practice. Pau 5:15 pm. (I work at 5:30.) If Bino can stay until 6:30, everybody can stay and work out some more.

Wednesday - No practice.

Thursday, 4:00 pm - Shooting practice (Bino). Pau 6:30 pm. (I work at 4:30.)

Friday, 4:00 pm - Practice. Pau: 5:15 pm. If Bino can stay until 6:30, everybody can stay and work out some more.

Saturday - No practice.

Sunday, 2:00 pm - Free-Throw Challenge. Please get all your sponsors committed so we can raise funds. Shooting starts pronto. *** Optional shooting practice to follow.

H1 Thunder 42, PC All-Stars 31 (Inter)

CAL Intermediate Gold Division, Kilauea gym

Good effort from start to finish. A little sluggish after the morning game, but overall, a lot of solid defense and fullcourt pressure against another taller team.

Good work, Thunder! We're now 4-0 in CAL League.

H1 Thunder 49, Court Kings East 42 (13U)

Aiea 13U League, third-place game

Nice comeback after being down 21-12 in the first half. We stayed focused, kept working hard on defense and eventually our threes started falling. A big torrent of threes, including one by Javan at the buzzer to give us a 31-29 lead at home.

We kept rolling in the second half and led 40-29 late in the game. Got sloppy in the final few minutes. That's something we'll work on. 

Good game, Thunder!

FINAL ORDERS, new uniform(s)

While we wait to see the sample of the new orange uniform from our friend in the P.I., I'm double-checking with everybody on their order. If you are not on this list, let me know immediately. Or if you're not a player and want to order one.

Note: Some players may need new teal uniforms due to physical growth. Available via Sportsthing (P.I.). Cost: $30 per set.
If you are a parent or former player or supporter and want to order jersey only, it's $40 each (teal and/or new orange). Coaches get a jersey free.

TEAL (new orders only)
# Name Jersey Shorts
0 Micah Visoria L L
1 Keanu Pratt L L
2 Kapaa Nishimura XL XL
3 Kyle Moraga
4 Chase Santos XL L
5 Jared Elwin L L
6 Ryan Higashionna L L
7 Josh De Jesus no order (teal)
8 Tanielu Mosi Afe
9 Lorelai Ramos Child L Child L
10 Josh Roberts M M
11 Javan Montiho M M
12 Jance Apuyo M M
13 --
14 --
15 Sierra Murobayashi L L
16 --
17 Jayden Ramos L L
18 --
19 Ihaka Johnson
20 Thomas Baptiste Takahashi M M
21 Chris Afe 3XL 3XL
22 Kali‘a Mielke 3XL 3XL
23 Felcris Ahadain L M
24 Jonah Gromley L L
25 Jayden Ramos L L
30 Colin Ramos L L
33 --
34 Chaz Enos S S
35 Gabriel Porras no order (teal)
88 Walter Berthold
jerseys only
33 Paul Honda XXL
52 Bo Kekaluna XXL
42 Larry Visoria XL
16 Roy Moraga XL
15 Kimo Anderson XL

ORANGE (all new orders)
# Name Jersey Shorts
0 Micah Visoria L L
1 Keanu Pratt L L
2 Kapaa Nishimura XL XL
3 Kyle Moraga
4 Chase Santos XL L
5 Jared Elwin L L
6 Ryan Higashionna L L
7 Josh De Jesus M M
8 Tanielu Mosi Afe
9 Lorelai Ramos Child L Child L
10 Josh Roberts M M
11 Javan Montiho M M
12 Jance Apuyo M M
13 --
14 --
15 Sierra Murobayashi L L
16 --
17 Jayden Ramos L L
18 --
19 Ihaka Johnson
20 Thomas Baptiste Takahashi M M
21 Chris Afe 3XL 3XL
22 Kali‘a Mielke 3XL 3XL
23 Felcris Ahadain L M
24 Jonah Gromley L L yes
25 Jayden Ramos L L
30 Colin Ramos L L
33 --
34 Chaz Enos S S
35 Gabriel Porras L L
88 Walter Berthold M M
jerseys only
33 Paul Honda XXL
52 Bo Kekaluna
42 Larry Visoria
16 Roy Moraga
15 Kimo Anderson
85 Shawn Cambra XXL
23 Isaiah Visoria XL

Sunday pickup route

7:45 am - Micah? Chaz?
7:50 am - Felcris Ahadain.
8:00 am - Chris Afe?
8:40 am - Stretching/warmups at Aiea gym.
9:50 am - H1 Thunder vs. Court Kings East (Aiea 13U League).
11:00 am - Josh M DE Jesus.
11:00 am - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym.
12:00 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars (CAL Intermediate Gold)
WE LUB THIS GAAAAAME!!

Saturday practice cancelled

In case you were wondering, today's workout is rained out. It's been soaking all morning with the rain, and though there's a tiny chance the court dries out (if the sun comes out), I have to cover wrestling at Campbell for work all day. Don't know any dads who are free, either.

Stay dry, get some shooting and drills in at a gym if there's one with open play today. Do your crunches and pushups. See everybody tomorrow morning at Aiea gym. Warmups 8:40 am, game time 9:40 am.
WE LOVE THIS GAAAME!!

Thursday funday

Coach Bino said, "Great shooting practice" on the Thursday workout at Makiki Park.
Lineup: Jance, Micah, Chaz, Trinity and Jhevin. "Good job, Thunders!!!

Way to keep working, everybody! Every shot, every day, everything matters. Do your 100 pushups and crunches, do your daily running. While the world slacks off, you're working hard every day.

WE LOVE THIS GAAAME!

This Week (UPDATED 2/13)

Note - Sunday's game at Aiea is earlier than I posted the other day.

Saturday, 3:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. 

I have to work at a wrestling tournament (Campbell High School). Bino Bong​ will be there. If not him, I'm going to leave two of the basketballs with one of our other dads (Ray-Marlyn Ramos​, Larry Visoria, Nathan Higashionna, Jason Apuya​, Carl Montiho). Sorry guys, I wasn't expecting to work this late on Saturday.

Sunday, 8:50 am - Streching/warmups, Aiea gym outside court. 9:50 am - H1 Thunder vs. Court Kings East (Aiea 13U League, third-place game).

Sunday, 11:00 am - Stretching/warmups, Kilauea Gym outside court. 12:00 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars, CAL Intermediate League, Kilauea gym. NOTE: THIS GAME MAY BE MOVED TO A LATER TIME.

We'll be missing Jonah (he's playing with his original team, PC All-Stars, in CAL League), Colin and Jayden (clinic). We need ALL HANDS ON DECK!

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAME!!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Hope your 14th birthday is awesome, Chris. We miss you.

Thursday Shooting Practice

Reminder that Bino and Jhevin will be at Makiki Park today from 4 to 6:30 pm. They have the basketballs and everybody can go working on shooting drills. I'm working again at the state tourney, which ends on Friday. Work hard, play hard, Thunder :)

Tuesday funday

Good work by the Thunder who worked out this afternoon at Makiki Park. Mahalo to Bino (Jhevin's dad) for being there for the kids.

Lineup: Jance, Trinity, Micah, Chaz, Josh R, Jhevin.

Bino will be there on Thursday from 4:00 to 6:30 pm for everybody who wants to do more shooting drills. (I'm working at the girls basketball state tournament all week.) 

Next:
Wednesday - No practice.
Thursday, 4:00 pm - Optional shooting practice at Makiki Park.
Friday - No practice.
Saturday, 3:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.
Sunday, 10:40 am - Aiea 13U League, third-place game.
Sunday, 12:00 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars, CAL Intermediate League, Kilauea gym. NOTE: THIS GAME MAY BE MOVED TO A LATER TIME.
WE LOVE THIS GAME!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAVAN!

Hope your 14th was a great one, Jav!

Video: Thunder vs Swish (Inter)

HIGHLIGHTS


FULL GAME FOOTAGE


vs Swish (Inter) 2/8/2015
CAL (Compete and Learn League) Intermediate Gold Division
∆∆ Full game http://youtu.be/1VXXVMo3Dwg
▶ H1 Thunder vs Swish (Inter) 2/8/2015 - YouTube
∆∆ Highlights http://youtu.be/nFHlIwqnba8
▶ H1 Thunder vs Swish highlights (Inter) 2/8/2015 - YouTube
video: Ray Ramos and Lorelai Ramos
score: Thunder 46, Swish 32

Monday funday

Good workout on a breezy afternoon at Makiki Park. Basics and mechanics of shooting. It's been paying off. Josh R hit two treys over the weekend. So did Jonah. So did Jayden. Everyone's gaining more confidence with more reps. Very nice.

After shooting drills, it was 4-on-4 with Bino as the 8th man. Good workout today, Thunder.

Bino and Jhevin will be at Makiki Park on Tuesday, 5:00 pm, with the basketballs. Come down, get your reps in. I'm out during the girls basketball state tourney (Tue-Fri). Mahalo to Bino Bong​ for stepping in for the Thunder keiki!

Jackson returned for more practicing. And Bino brought J.C., who is a 6th grader at Kaimuki Middle. He's played some soccer before, not much basketball, but he already has a nice followthrough on his shot. J.C. is 6 feet tall and has nice potential if he keeps practicing. Nice to meet you JC!

Lineup: Trinity, Jance, Jhevin, Jonah, Jackson, JC. Josh R came to practice toward the end after he finished volleyball tryouts at school.

Next:
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice at Makiki Park (Bino).

Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice at Makiki Park (Bino). He'll be there if we have a good turnout on Tuesday.

Thursday, 5:00 pm - Optional shooting practice at Makiki Park (Bino). He'll be there if we have a good turnout on Tuesday.

Friday - No practice.

Saturday, 3 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

Sunday, 9:40 am - Stretching/warmups at Aiea gym outside court. 10:40 am - Aiea 13U League, third-place game.

Sunday, 12:00 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars, CAL Intermediate League, Kilauea gym. NOTE: THIS GAME MAY BE MOVED TO A LATER TIME.

WE LOVE THIS GAME!!

Video: Pups vs Kahuku (13U)

HIGHLIGHTS


FULL GAME FOOTAGE


Highlight video is up.
vs Kahuku (13U) 2/7/2015
PAA League
∆∆ Highlights http://youtu.be/KRX-a1bcvZc
video: Ray Ramos
score: Thunder 39, Kahuku 34

MAHALOS MAHALOS :)

Big mahalos to Ray-Marlyn Ramos and talented Lorelai Ramos for shooting game videos this past weekend. Also BIG MAHALO to Jason Apuya for shooting game video.

Also, thank you to Mrs. Patti Chang and Sanford for coming to so many games to support our Thunder keiki. MAHALO to all our parents to make so much effort to get our Thunder to practices and games, and help give rides to teammates. I know you give the absolute maximum 100% on a daily basis and never, ever complain. Not about the early and late hours. Not about the many, many miles.

I appreciate you guys and feel good about the future because you give so much time and energy and wisdom to your children.

One day, probably later than sooner, they will fully appreciate what you do. Thanks for giving me hope.

This Just In: PAA 15U schedule

Wednesday, Mar. 4, 7:45 pm - vs OTB, PAA League (15U), Kilauea gym
Saturday, Mar. 7, 8:00 pm - vs Windward, PAA League (15U), Lanakila gym

This Week (Feb. 9-15)

Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

Tuesday through Friday - No formal practice. Bino (Jhevin's dad) will have the basketballs and he'll be available on certain days for everybody to come and have shooting practice, scrimmage 3-on-3 and more. I have to work at the girls basketball state tournament.

Saturday, 3 pm - Practice at Makiki Park.

Sunday, 10:40 am - Aiea 13U League, third-place game.
Sunday, 12:00 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Pearl City All-Stars, CAL Intermediate League, Kilauea gym. NOTE: THIS GAME MAY BE MOVED TO A LATER TIME.

WE LOVE THIS GAME!!

The more time passes...

...the more I miss our old 13U from 2013 and 2014. Their unselfishness. Their focus. Their hunger and dedication! Their respect when I coached and spoke. Their funny, funny moments. Their toughness. Their natural wisdom, knowing when to rest and when to have fun. Their true scholar-athlete mindsets! Their unreal work ethic in school and on the court.
Some things just can't be taught. While some players prefer to learn things the HARD way, I rarely had to repeat myself with those guys. I miss them. Can't wait until the varsity and JV seasons are finally over.
#2 Kapaa Nishimura
#3 Kyle Moraga
#4 Chase Santos
#5 Jared Elwin
#7 Josh M DE Jesus
#8 Tanielu Mosi Afe
#15 Sierra Murobayashi
#21 Chris Afe
#22 Kali'a Mielke
‪#‎TrueChampionsAtHeart‬ ‪#‎TrueChampionsInRealLife‬

Can't wait...

...until the middle school season is over because some of our guys who have been practicing only with their school teams (or other teams) have picked up some bad habits that make me want to vomit.

Worry not, though. We have the cure.
‪#‎H1Thunderpractice‬

H1 Thunder 46, Swish 32 (Inter)

CAL Intermediate Gold Division, Kilauea gym
A good turnout (11 Thunder) for a 3:30 pm game. Everyone who was sluggish and flat in the morning game at Aiea League had far more energy in this game. We played like ourselves this time. Swish is another tall team, but again, our teamwork, toughness and cohesion made the difference.

We had the lead up to 36-18 in the second half, which gave our Pups (reserves) some playing time. Good effort all round, and having big Josh there to provide experience, hustle and aggression helped a lot. We're 3-0 in CAL now.

Keep moving forward, Thunder. Nobody can stop you ... except you.

Ali‘i 51, H1 Thunder 24 (13U)

Aiea 13U League semifinals
They were tall, long and quick. Normally, we counteract that with our own speed, skill and defense.

Not the case today. We were flat, flat, flat, and I couldn't understand why. We got some good play from our bench, but overall, we simply didn't have the energy to put good on-ball pressure like we always do.

Then I find out after the game that a bunch of our 13U guys went to the Punahou Carnival and stayed out late last night. I guess that means it's not a good idea to stay out late the night before a MORNING playoff game.

It's too bad. If I'd known about that, I would've changed our game plan. We air balled 3-point shots. We missed easy layups. Those are the kind of shots we always want, and we simply whiffed. We attempted chest passes in the paint instead of bounce passes. Mindless basketball — and apparently, by TIRED players — doesn't work for us, not when we're 5-foot-6 going up against 6-footers.

I feel bad for everyone. We were in position to possibly win this league, but we just didn't have our normal strength, speed and aggression.

The two parents who informed about the guys staying out late both told me (separately) that it was a bad idea and that it totally affected their stamina this morning. Staying out late isn't too bad if you have an afternoon or night game the following day. But playing the next morning? Not even college and pro guys do that, not the ones who are serious about team success.

This one hurts. I expected better leadership from our guys, especially our returnees who are key contributors. Chalk it up as a big performance by Ali‘i and (hopefully) a valuable lesson for our Thunder.

It's getting more and more difficult to put my heart and soul into our team when stuff like this happens. I'm talking during practice or at a game, constantly getting interrupted. Guys yakking to each other while the rest of the team is trying to listen. Or yakking to themselves, making noise for the fun of it. I make the effort to pick up guys who need a ride, turns out they were up really late and weren't rested enough to play a big game. I would've been OK win or lose, but being far, far less than 100% with a championship run on the line ... this never happened with our 13U last year and the year before.

The sad thing is, this is the last 13U run for a lot of our guys. We've still got intermediate leagues to play in, yes. But many people just don't appreciate playing in 13U until it's over. They don't understand how rare it is to play with a team this unified, skilled and promising. Until they taste a championship, they might just be content to be average. They might be satisfied with so-so. They might truly believe that height is everything and that we didn't have a chance to win this title anyway.

They're wrong.

Moving on...

Video: 'Pup Squad' vs OTB (13U)

HIGHLIGHTS

FULL GAME FOOTAGE


vs OTB (13U) 2/5/2015
PAA League
∆∆ Full game http://youtu.be/BvH6Vpv3ikQ
∆∆ Highlights http://youtu.be/jfHLwFDjiDk
video: Ray Ramos and Lorelai Ramos
score: OTB 36, Thunder 33

'Pup Squad' 39, Kahuku 34

PAA 13U League, Palolo gym
We led 30-19 and had to fight off a HUGE Kahuku squad in the final minutes. Jonah's free throws with a few seconds left finally sealed the win.

Great hustle today, a lot of Thunder (Jayden, Josh R) hitting shots from long distance. Jonah also played well and is a big factor for us on the post, on the 3-point line, defending, pushing the break.

Micah was on fire through the first half and for a long stretch in the second half. This was about using speed and skill against a team of 5-10 guards and 6-0 and 6-4 posts. Their 6-4 center arrived around halftime. He hurt us under the basket with his size (260 pounds?) and we didn't offer much resistance. I wish our Pups would learn from a guy like Javan, who pushes big guys out, and when the big guys refuse to move, they end up getting 3-second violations. PUSH!

We've got so many good things going for us: playing with heart, toughness, ball movement, smart shot selection, fastbreaks, defensive stops, steals, more fastbreaks. We also make a lot of mistakes sometimes. Today's biggest boo-boos were being impatient with the ball, which led to bad passes, and not boxing out on every shot. Correctible stuff that takes reps and time, and more reps.

We went 4-3 in PAA regular season. Playoffs are next and every team is beatable. Let's see how far we can go, Pups.

It was great to see Ryan in uniform again. I wasn't expecting him to return until late February, but his dad gave the OK and he had his left wrist firmly wrapped. He gave us a lot of effort. The rust will shake off eventually.

Lineup: Jance, Chaz, Ryan, Trinity, Jayden, Jonah, Josh R, Micah.

Next:
9:40 am - Stretching/warmups at Aiea gym outside court.
10:40 am - H1 Thunder playoff game, Aiea gym (13U).
2:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court.
3:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Swish, Kilauea gym (Intermediate).
WE LOVE THIS GAAAME!!

Shooting 101: The Brow and H1 Thunder

Great story (link below) on how Anthony Davis put in the work to fix his shooting mechanics in the offseason. There are several of our Thunder players in 13U going through the same adjustment and transition. Squaring the mechanics up through one-hand shooting drills, index finger over the top/middle of the ball (rather than the middle finger, which causes the elbow to pop out of line), keeping both hands in the box through the entire process, snap the elbow and follow through, holding the follow-through - especially during drills.

It takes time to adjust. A lot of reps. But it's worth every minute because it develops a far more effective and consistent success rate. Doesn't cost a penny. Just takes sweat, effort and focus.

Story link at Grantland.com

The first step was diagnosing the problem. “I was shooting the wrong way,” Davis says. “I was more of a push-out shooter, from my chest.”
Hanson didn’t think Davis’s form was terrible, but he did think certain tweaks could make him more effective. “It was a slight adjustment — he already had a pretty good slotting. It was lined up pretty nicely,” Hanson says. “We just wanted to raise it to a more mature shot, a more professional shot. And we really focused on how the ball is leaving his hand.”

Davis spent hours in the gym, learning and relearning how to release the ball higher. It was all about the hands, according to Hanson: “We really focused on one-hand shooting. Shooting 101 is really just shooting with one hand and focusing on the release.”
Davis says his old form was obscuring his view of the target. “When you shoot from your chest and in front of your face, you lose sight of the rim.” One goal of the adjustment was to simply enable Davis to keep his eyes on the prize. “I kind of moved it up to the right side of my right ear, above my head,” he recalls. “Which helps me see the rim a lot easier.”

Sunday pickup route

9:00 am - Micah, Chaz.
9:05 am - Felcris Ahadain (Chris Afe​ has football combine).
9:40 am - Stretching/warmups at Aiea gym outside court.
10:40 am - H1 Thunder playoff game, Aiea gym (13U).
1:30 pm - Josh M DE Jesus​.
2:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court.
3:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Swish, Kilauea gym (Intermediate).

Anybody else need a ride? Call or text 551-1054 today.
WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAME!!

Reminder: PAA 13U game at Palolo

Be there today (Saturday) by 12:45 pm for stretching and warmups on the outside court. If anybody needs a ride, let me know before 11:45 am.

The game is at 1:45 pm, not 1:00 pm. I told PAA League (Lloyd Lee) that one of our guys (Jance) has an earlier game and we can't do 1:00. But in case anything changed, we'll be there at 12:45 to warm up anyway.

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAME!!

OTB 36, Thunder Pups 33 (13U)

PAA 13U League, Kilauea gym
Great job by the 'Pup Squad' and Coach Larry tonight to stay close against a much, much taller, bigger team. Coach Larry told me afterward when I picked up the video camera and basketballs that he is very proud of our Pups. Me too!

The video is loading so I'll get a look soon. Well done, guys. We'll get another shot at OTB hopefully in the playoffs.

We are going to keep working smart and working hard every day. We will get better while other teams are resting on their laurels, depending on their height and reputations to carry them. The taller they are, the harder they fall.

Wednesday funday

Did a lot of work across the board from conditioning to offense vs double-team pressure at midcourt to halfcourt sets to pressbreaker.

It was windy again, so we didn't get much done with shooting drills — which is why it's good we spent a lot of time last week on shooting. But we got a lot of things done in 90 minutes today. Good work, Thunder!

I couldn't get out of work for Thursday's game, but the reason I don't worry is because of my Molokai brother, Larry Visoria. I know Coach Larry will do great with our Pups. If I remember right, he's unbeaten as a coach in the past nine months or so with our Thunder. Our Pups have so much to learn, but they work their tails off at practice, make their good plays, make their mistakes, and keep learning.

(For parents who don't know Larry well, his son, Isaiah, was on our 15U team starting in 2011 and played with us until he graduated from high school as an all-state guard last year. Larry coached Isaiah on many teams, just like he coaches Micah and Chaz on their Manoa League team.)

In both of our PAA 13U games this week (Thur, Sat), we'll be the shorter team as always. We'll have to outhustle teams. Box out taller, bigger kids. Make smart decisions with the ball, get our easy layups and open threes. I hope our Pups make it easy for Coach Larry, because he knows how to win games if everyone listens. Then, it gets to be fun. A lot of fun.

Lineup: Jance, Chaz, Micah, Josh R, Javan, Trinity, Jackson.

Thursday, 6:00 pm - Stretchng/warmups, Kilauea gym outside court. 7:00 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs OTB, (PAA 13U League).

Friday - No practice. (I have to work.) Get your drills and 200+ shots in.

Saturday, 12:45 pm - Stretching/warmups, Palolo gym outside court. 1:45 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs. Kahuku (PAA 13U League).

Sunday, 9:40 am - Stretching/warmups, Aiea gym outside court. 10:40 am - H1 Thunder vs. TBA (Aiea 13U League semifinals).

Sunday, 1:30 pm - Free-Throw Challenge POSTPONED.

Sunday, 2:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court. 3:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Swish (CAL Intermediate Gold Division).

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAAAAME!!

What's your daily game plan?

This is how:
5:00 am Study.
6:30 am Breakfast.
7:00 am Head to school.
7:30 am Get some studying in.
8:00 am Class.
10:00 am Recess. Get some studying in.
12:00 pm Lunch. Get some studying in.
12:30 pm Class.
2:30 pm Class pau. Get some studying in.
4:00 pm Practice.
6:00 pm Practice pau Go straight home, no detours, no kissing the gf, no playing video games with friends. No facebooky.
6:30 pm Shower. Dinner.
7:00 pm Study.
9:00 pm Give mom a hug.
9:01 pm Go to sleep.
Wash, rinse, repeat. That's 4 hours of studying even before you get home from practice.

Total studying time: 6 hours. Enough time to do the work and double check.

Social time: 0 hours.

Recreation (video games, facebooky, kissing gf) time: 0 hours. Unless you finish homework and double check it early.

Stay in shape time: If all the homework is double checked the night before, do your workout before school (5:00 to 6:30 am). If the weight room is closed, you'll find a way to do 100 crunches, 100 pushups and run 3 miles and/or 5 to 6 gassers across the field.

Boring, yes. But the most important things in life depend on your consistency, focus and dedication on a daily basis.

FUN? That's what weekends are for, assuming you get your work done for real during the week.

KEY: Associate with other people who have the same drive, the same dreams, the same affinity for success and rewards as you do. You will have friends of all kinds, no doubt. But when it comes down to it, you will be most influenced by your peers — the guys or girls you spend the most time with. Many of them are addicted to mediocrity and failure. Be picky about who you surround yourself with from sun up to bed time.

God is good. Count your blessings. Do the work without fail or whining, you'll see more blessings :)

Monday funday

Breeze was strong at Makiki Park. We got some basic shooting done, but not as much as I wanted because of the wind. Some ballhandling, on-ball defense drills. Fullcourt pressure work. Inbounds plays. Conditioning. 90 minutes is enough to get a lot done. Two hours would be better, but it's a long season and staying fresh is a priority.

Solid work, Thunder!

Lineup: Jhevin, Jonah, Trnity, Josh R, Jackson.

Jackson is 11 and practiced with us for the first time. He's a beginner, basically, and if he keeps coming to practice, he'll get his reps. We don't have an 11-Under team, but he and his mom said they'll keep coming. He got some good work done today, caught on to some basic fundamentals fairly quickly.

Next:
Tuesday - No practice. (I have to work 5:00 pm.) Get your drills and 200+ shots in.

Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. Pau 6:30 pm.

Thursday, 6:00 pm - Stretchng/warmups, Kilauea gym outside court. 7:00 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs OTB, (PAA 13U League).

Friday - No practice. (I have to work.) Get your drills and 200+ shots in.

Saturday, 12:45 pm - Stretching/warmups, Palolo gym outside court. 1:45 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs. Kahuku (PAA 13U League).

Sunday, 9:40 am - Stretching/warmups, Aiea gym outside court. 10:40 am - H1 Thunder vs. TBA (Aiea 13U League semifinals).

Sunday, 1:30 pm - POSTPONED.

Sunday, 2:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court. 3:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Swish (CAL Intermediate Gold Division).

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAAAAME!!

This Week (Feb 2-8) - UPDATED 2/3

UPDATED Tue 8:00 am - Adds CAL Intermediate game on Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday - No practice. (I have to work 5:00 pm.) Get your drills and 200+ shots in.

Wednesday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. Pau 6:30 pm.

Thursday, 6:00 pm - Stretchng/warmups, Kilauea gym outside court. 7:00 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs OTB, (PAA 13U League).

Friday - No practice. (I have to work.) Get your drills and 200+ shots in.

Saturday, 12:45 pm - Stretching/warmups, Palolo gym outside court. 1:45 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs. Kahuku (PAA 13U League).

Sunday, 9:40 am - Stretching/warmups, Aiea gym outside court. 10:40 am - H1 Thunder vs. TBA (Aiea 13U League semifinals).

Sunday, 1:30 pm - Free-Throw Challenge POSTPONED.

Sunday, 2:30 pm - Stretching/warmups at Kilauea gym outside court. 3:30 pm - H1 Thunder vs. Swish (CAL Intermediate Gold Division).

WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAAAAME!!

Video: Thunder-H4C (Inter)

Update 2/2/15 - Adds 3-point highlight video and full game footage video. 

HIGHLIGHTS


TEN 3-POINTERS


FULL GAME FOOTAGE


vs Hoops4Christ (Int) 2/1/2014
CAL (Compete and Learn League) Intermediate Gold Division
video: Ray Ramos and Lorelai Ramos
score: Thunder 59, H4C 52

H1 Thunder 59, H4C 52 (Inter)

H1 Thunder 59, Hoops4Christ 52 

CAL Intermediate Gold Division, Kilauea gym

Maybe some of us think, well, we're the shortest team in every league. Maybe some people sitting there in the bleachers think, wow, this is a total mismatch. And it would be if we didn't play smart, physical, skilled basketball. Javan boxing out guys 2x his size. Micah bodying up on a guy 6 feet, 270 pounds. Felcris sealing off the weak side with box-outs. Colin turning deflections and outlet passes into the fastest drives in the league. 

That was a good win, Thunder. They had two guys towering over us, and we kept battling. The lead was 19 points in the second half before we tired out a bit, began making some mental errors, but we did enough to beat one of the better teams in CAL. 

Maybe we think we're lucky sometimes. I think we can win every championship in every league. Especially when we run and shoot the ball — we made 10 treys — and defend like that. 

Lineup: Trinity, Chaz, Jayden, Jance, Jhevin, Walter, Micah, Colin, Javan, Felcris, Josh DJ. 

Next:
Monday, 5:00 pm - Practice at Makiki Park. Pau 6:30 pm
Tuesday - TBA (depends on my work schedule).
Wednesday - TBA (depends on my work schedule).
Thursday, 6:00 pm - Stretchng/warmups, Kilauea gym outside court. 7:00 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs OTB, (PAA 13U League).
Friday - No practice.
Saturday, 12:45 pm - Stretching/warmups, Palolo gym outside court. 1:45 pm - H1 Thunder 'Pup Squad' vs. Kahuku (PAA 13U League).
Sunday, 9:40 am - Stretching/warmups, Aiea gym outside court. 10:40 am - H1 Thunder vs. TBA (Aiea 13U League semifinals).
WE LOVE THIS GAAAAAAAAME!!