UH FOOTBALL
Hawaii has a lot to offer campers
By Stephen Tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.com Editor
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Most football campers receive helpful tips, a sunburn and a commemorative T-shirt.
Last year, Christian Vasconcellos came away with a $15,000-a-year University of Hawai'i football scholarship.
"I was shocked," said Vasconcellos, a 2008 graduate of Damien Memorial School.
Vasconcellos was among several hundred high school players who attended last year's first UH football camp.
"Being that it was a camp with no pads, I didn't expect anything, maybe a questionnaire," said Vasconcellos, a safety. "On the last day, (the UH coaches) offered me a scholarship. I was pretty surprised."
This season, under first-year UH head coach Greg McMackin, the camp has expanded. There will be three separate camps at the school's grass practice fields:
"A lot of times, guys go to the Mainland not for better opportunities, but because they're not feeling the love from the home school," said Chris Fetters, West Coast director for Scout.com and Superprep.com. "This is one of the ways they can go out there and get their faces in front of the (UH) coaches, and build that bridge of trust. I think it's a great deal — for the players and for the coaches, who have the run of the entire state. They're the only Division I (program) in the state."
The camp helped cornerback Kawika Ornellas, who will be an invited UH walk-on this year. Ornellas has been likened to Kenny Patton, a former UH cornerback now with the New York Jets. Patton served as a guest instructor last year, working closely with Ornellas.
"It definitely helped get me noticed," Ornellas said. "And I learned a lot."
Vasconcellos learned several techniques that led to his selection on The Advertiser's All-State first team.
"Your (high school) team can teach you the basics," Vasconcellos said. "The camp taught us everything. It made me a better player."
Fetters, who is based in Washington, said the camp helps showcase some of the best prospects in the country. Fetters said Hawai'i has produced more NFL prospects, per capita, than any other area.
"The kids on the Islands build up core strength at an early age, from either surfing or running on the beach," Fetters said. "They're naturally outside all of the time. They're not like that TV generation. They're always out and active. By doing that, you grow up and build a nice base to be a real solid athlete."
Fetters also said Hawai'i is developing more "skill" players.
"Colleges are always looking for those great athletes they can mold into the kind of player they want," Fetters said. "Not only does Hawai'i have a lot of pure athletes, the kids are extremely well grounded. They're brought up in good families. In my time on the Islands, I understand how important family is over here. It lends itself to putting great athletes out there."
For information on the camps, call 956-6508 or go to: http://hawaiispeedandquickness.com.
See Tsai's blog at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.
