Football camps help young local athletes reach their college goals

HAWAII ISLAND—For young people in Hawaii, it can be hard to get to college on a sports scholarship, especially if their chosen sport is football. Many of the top players on local teams are smaller in size than their competitors on the continent, and coaches and scouts will often judge them based on their size. But first impressions are not always right.

This is where the football camps come in, giving these talented players exposure to the same people who would sign them up and make their dreams of a football scholarship come true. Just ask local boys Jordan Loeffler, Kalani Aldrich, Simisi Tokolahi, Daniel Teo-Nesheim, and Max Unger, who each were able to showcase their capabilities to the right people at camps on Hawaii Island.

“I think local football camps are great, great for other kids that don’t have assets,” Loeffler said in an interview via Facebook. “So what camps do is they expose those kids that don’t stand out with size.” Loeffler also said he appreciated how much the community supports local athletes who play at the college level.

Three football camps—the Honokaa Prime Time Clinic, Just Win Camp, and PIAA Combine—are held on Hawaii Island.

These camps also help the coaches who come from around the nation to get information about players. Loeffler is a 2009 Hilo High School graduate, who is now on the Warriors Football Team for the University of Hawaii. He attended the Maui Just Win Camp where coaches compiled statistics about his strength, speed, and agility. This information was then sent to over 400 colleges with football programs around the nation. By the time he attended the Honokaa Prime Time Clinic, coaches from the University of Hawaii already knew about him. And although this clinic focuses mostly on instruction, the UH coaches scouted him out. From there he was signed and received a scholarship.

Coaches such as Patrick Chong of Waiakea High School look at football camps as important opportunities for student athletes, giving players exposure and a chance to move on to college. “I believe that the football camps held on the Big Island, and across the state for that matter, are wonderful opportunities for Hawaii’s student athletes, trying to further their education and get to that next level in their particular sports,” Chong said. “Remember though, high school players are student-athletes; there is a reason that student comes before athlete.”

When asked about the significance of football camps, Coach Lito Soifua of Saddleback University said: “Any type of camp that allows fundamental instructions for football players are a major plus. Getting the quality information relayed to the players from coaches, by demonstrations, film break down, chalk talk, and on the field drill work is another subject. Often times some camps may seem like a great idea, and the proposal sounds inviting, but end up being beneficial for only those holding it and doesn’t serve its purpose whether it’s technical teaching or exposure for players.”

Coach Soifua once coached at Waiakea High School and said he knows well the disadvantages local players face. He strongly advises players to join these camps and stated complacency is the greatest obstacle Hawaii high school football players face.

Kainoa Pea is a 2006 Hilo High School graduate who was recognized after attending the Just Win Camp on the island of Maui and now plays for NAU (Northern Arizona University).  “One of the hardest things for island boys is leaving home,” said Pea. “When we leave home, we don’t have the same aloha around in the mainland. Our families are miles away and we have to get used to not going home to a hot meal on the dinner table with Mom and Dad.”

Hawaii coaches still stress the importance of students showcasing their performance in the classroom as well. Getting to college may be a tough road, but with the exposure through football camps, players may acquire athletic scholarships and increase their chances for academic scholarships.

Local football coach Eric Johnston said, “Camps would have buckled me down. I had all these scholarships, but my school work. ... That’s why as a coach I stress grades.”

“Camps should not be the means to an end,” Soifua said. “If high school players want to get recognized, whether it’s locally or nationally, they must put in the time and work both on and off the field. First, [they must meet] all the high school core classes required by the NCAA Clearinghouse, maintaining a 2.5 GPA or better [and] meet scores of the S.A.T. or A.C.T., which would qualify for him or her to a 4-year institution. If none of these are met with any athlete, then these camp attendances or testing results from these camps mean nothing.”