Skip Navigation
  • Health Plans
  • Health & Wellness
  • Online Care
  • Customer Service
  • My Account

News Release

July 16, 2011
West Hawaii coaches attend HMSA Kaimana Coaches Clinic: Hot topics include drug use, concussions, and strength training

Elisa Yadao
(808) 948-6025

The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) today brought together high school coaches from around West Hawaii to attend their first-ever HMSA Kaimana Coaches Clinic. The clinic, part of the HMSA Kaimana Awards & Scholarship program, was held at Kealakehe High School and offered a variety of presentations on some of the top challenges facing coaches.

“Coaching high school sports and working with student athletes is far more complicated these days,” said Elisa Yadao, HMSA vice president of marketing, communications, and community affairs. “Coaches must be knowledgeable about many important issues, from recognizing the signs of drug use, to preventing concussions, to teaching proper nutrition and strength training. At today’s clinic, coaches learned about these issues and networked with their peers and the experts.”

Speakers presented information on the following topics:

  • “Current Drug Trends” – by Gary Shimabukuro, Laulima Hawaii.
  • “Prescription Drugs and Steroids” – by Keith Kamita, Hawaii State Department of Public Safety.
  • “Functional Training for Power and Strength” – by Kevin Chang, Hawaii Optimum Performance.
  • “Concussions: What a Coach Should Know” – by Ross Oshiro, Hawaii State Department of Education.

“The health and safety of our student athletes is our primary goal, and the concussion workshop for coaches helps us move toward achieving that goal,” said Oshiro. “The Kaimana Coaches Clinic is a terrific forum to share knowledge and keep coaches up-to-date on the best practices for preventing concussions.”

The HMSA Kaimana Awards & Scholarship program recognizes and rewards student excellence in athletics, academics, sportsmanship, and community service. The program also supports coaches’ education. Today’s HMSA Kaimana Coaches Clinic in Kailua-Kona is part of a series of clinics being conducted this month across the state.

On June 25, the annual HMSA Kaimana Awards & Scholarship Program ceremony was held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel on Oahu, where Hawaii’s top schools received awards and outstanding athletes from across the state were awarded scholarships. For more information on the HMSA Kaimana Awards & Scholarship Program, visit hmsa.com.

About HMSA

HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large. HMSA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million members.

####

Links

    Related Links