Spots Available for Jimmy Yagi Hoops Camp

Openings remain for interested boys and girls to participate in the 3rd Annual Jimmy Yagi Summer Hoops Camp, held July 21-24 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium and the Pana’ewa Covered Play Courts.

Interested kids between the ages of 9-17 are invited to participate in the four-day camp, led by current University of Hawai’i at Hilo women’s basketball coach David Kaneshiro. Other coaches will assist in the camp, including current Honoka’a girls basketball coach Daphne Honma, a former coach at UH-Hilo and a two-time state champion in Division II girls basketball.

The camp is named after Yagi, a household name for many who remember the “glory days” of UH-Hilo basketball. Yagi coached the Vulcans’ program from 1973-1985. He holds the all-time wins record at the school and is also an inductee into the UH-Hilo Hall of Fame.

Yagi’s legacy is greater defined in how he has given back to the Hilo community. He led the Vulcans-Hawai’i Basketball School for 37 years and also established the James S. and Kameko Yagi/Sadao and Bessie Y. Nishida endowment scholarship in 2009 at the school with his wife, Jeanne.

Camp organizers have waived the late registration fee and are still allowing parents to sign up their children at the discounted early rate of $60. The fee includes a camp t-shirt and group picture.

Registration forms are available at the Department of Parks and Recreation’s recreation office, located at Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lu’au Hale in Hilo. Forms can also be found online. Finished registration forms can be returned to the recreation office or dropped off at the P&R main office, located in Suite 6 at the Aupuni Center in Hilo. Checks must be made payable to the County Director of Finance and must have “Jimmy Yagi Summer Hoops Camp” noted on the bottom.

For more information, call 961-8311.