Chaminade University hosted a 90-minute hoops clinic in Lahaina, Maui, on Saturday, Nov. 22 before the Maui Invitational tournament began. The hoops clinic welcomed 100 kids, ages 8-14, who enjoy basketball and put them in drills with the Silversword athletes to work on their skills.
A Lahaina mother, Renee Andrews, who attends the youth clinics that Chaminade hosts for the kids every year with her children two children aged 10 and 12, shared how meaningful the event has become to them.
“This clinic means a lot to me and the kids, we try to go every year it’s here.” she said. “My kids lost their dad recently, and basketball is really their escape, so anything basketball related I hardly say no to no matter what.”
The clinic was held on an outdoor court next to the Lahaina Civic Center.
The Maui Invitational also serves as an important bridge between Hawaii’s unique culture and the national basketball spotlight. A local parent John Norwood said that the presence of the collegiate athletes provides a rare opportunity for island kids to see a version of their future up close.
“Every year when the Maui Invitational comes around, the energy on island shifts,” said Mr.Norwood a Lahaina Intermediate school dad. “The kids see players they look up to right in front of them, and it reminds them that their dreams aren’t as far away as they think. For some of these kids, this tournament is the highlight of their whole year.”
After the clinic and the games, kids crowded around the players asking for autographs, taking pictures, and trying to hold onto those moments as long as they could. The Chaminade men’s team flew in to Maui on Saturday morning and went straight to the clinic, where the interactions with the young players were inspiring to all.
“Just giving back to the kids and hanging out with them shows that we care about them, as they are the people that are looking up to us and supporting us,” senior guard Nathan Medina said. “Our team loves to show that you can also be a good human being not just good at a sport.”
ESPN also attended the clinic with its camera crews, giving the kids the spotlight as well getting the kids hyped up to be there as if they were on the big stage. The clinic caught clips of the kids doing drills and got them put on national television and all over social media.