Ishigo Launches Academy To Promote High School Athletes
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThere was no direct line to a college scholarship for Kailua head baseball coach Corey Ishigo when he was coming out of high school. Following a red-shirt year, he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as a walk-on at the University of Hawaii before his play on the field earned him a scholarship.
“I was just happy I had a chance to walk on,” said Ishigo.“I wasn’t recruited at all. If it weren’t for Les, I don’t know where I would have ended up.”
Somewhere within the baseball community no doubt, but the Surfriders are glad he’s with them, as Ishigo has led Kailua to five OIA titles and a state championship.
Ishigo, who teaches special education at Kailua, has found another way to give back to the Windward community. He recently founded the Hawaii Baseball Academy, a baseball instructional school, along with Punahou coach Eric Kadooka in part to help make baseball prospects from Hawaii more visible to college recruiters on the Mainland. Kadooka has coached Punahou to six straight state championships.
“We have a lot of kids in the Islands, not just at Kailua, who are capable of playing college baseball. Sometimes Hawaii kids don’t get a second look. We’re trying to get them noticed. We’re going to provide some of the things that a college coach would ask for - like video of them. We’ll time them in the 60 (foot sprint), in their fielding ... “
The academy will hold a clinic Jan. 2 and 3 at Kailua High School for kids 7-18, and it already has started a small group of private and one-on-one lessons. The club is open to all baseball players ages 7 to 18. Membership is $25, which entitles players to all club activities and baseball instructional camps, programs and work-outs. Lessons and workouts focus on the fundamentals of hitting, pitching, fielding or overall skills. Parents choose the type of instruction best suited to their child, and schedules are flexible. While one of the academy’s priorities is to help more Hawaii baseball players get noticed, Ishigo sees the younger kids as having the opportunity to develop their skills. They also plan to offer both summer and fall leagues in 2010 with the motto: “Want to get better at baseball - play more baseball.”
“Eric and I have been talking about it for awhile,” Ishigo said. “We knew there was a lot of interest in baseball, and there’s nothing other than the youth leagues to really help the young kids develop. We want to develop them as best we can and create some good habits they can remember forever.”
As a youth, baseball was ingrained in Ishigo through his father, who played for the American Japanese Association.
“Through him and his teammates, I was always around real knowledgeable baseball players growing up,” he said.
With that in mind, Ishigo has assembled an impressive coaching staff for Hawaii Baseball Academy. In addition to Kadooka, Matt Apana (Roosevelt), Kekoa Kaluhuiokalani (Waianae), Craig Hayashi (pitching coach, Mid-Pacific Institute), Mike Kim (former Leilehua head coach) and Travis Teshima (Kailua) are also instructors.
The January camp still has openings, as approximately 100 of 200 slots had been filled at the end of last week. Prospective participants can sign up online at HawaiiBaseballAcademy@g mail.com.
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