Aloha Kaniho stands on the newly renovated Athletic Field on the Lahainaluna High School campus.

LAHAINA — The Lahainaluna Youth Football Clinic is back.

After a two-year hiatus due to the Athletic Field renovation and the Department of Education school year schedule change, the event returns this week, July 20-23, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the just completed, state-of-the-art Luna Athletic Field.

With the completion of “The Imu” (the nickname for the Lahainaluna facility), the added bonus for clinic attendees will be the opportunity to experience the newly installed Matrix field turf surface during the event.

The Lahainaluna Youth Football Clinic was initiated six years ago as the brainchild of Luna head football coach Bobby Watson.

The dean of Maui Interscholastic League mentors, Coach Watson founded the instructional event to bridge the gap between West Side youth football organizations with the LHS program, and to offer all of the Valley Isle’s future gridiron players the opportunity to learn fundamentals by way of the Lahainaluna system.  

“We will focus on the basic football fundamentals and the way we do it at Lahainaluna,” explained Luna junior varsity head coach Aloha Kaniho, who, along with his staff of Nolle Smith, Sonnie Waiohu, Andy Claydon, Darren Kawahara, Mike Kahula and Dal Magno, will lead the clinic this year.

“This is a low-pressure camp with no contact involved, and we want it to be a learning event for the kids where they will have some fun as well.”

Another bonus for the clinic this year will be the return of coach Frosty Westering and his “Inner Game” motivational seminars.

The retired Pacific Lutheran University head football coach and Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader guided the Lutes to three national championships. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and honored as the Nell and John Wooden Humanitarian Award recipient in 2004.

Coach Frosty brings his time tested, highly successful approach to coaching in a positive way to the event to benefit both the youngsters and their coaches. He has written several books on his positive approach to life.

All of Maui’s youth football players ages 7-14 are invited to participate in the clinic. A signed parental release form and a $10 registration fee will be required before taking part in the event.

Participants are asked to wear athletic shoes or football cleats, shorts and shirts for the clinic. Students may attend any number of the clinic sessions.

Lahainaluna Youth Football Clinic 2010 T-shirts will be given out at the end of the event. Call 661-3286 for more information.  

In related news, the Lahainaluna High School Foundation announced its kick-off event, “Redo the Imu,” will be held on Saturday, Aug. 14, at the campus Athletic Field and Boarders’ Field.

The festivities will celebrate the unveiling of the new field and scoreboard — which have been in the works for the last several years — and the first game to be played on the Matrix surface.

The contest will feature the Lunas and King Kekaulike junior varsity teams. The game will be preceded by fun, food and festivities to celebrate the first event on the new field.

Look for more details in next week’s Lahaina News.