Camps/Clinics
Christenson, Shoji host second annual clinic


Spencer Honda | ScoringLive
July 16, 2018, 11:53pm

 



KAPIOLANI — For the second year, Hawaii-born U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team members Micah Christenson, Erik Shoji and Kawika Shoji took time out of their short vacations home to host the second annual Christenson Shoji Volleyball Clinic at the lower gym on the campus of Iolani School.

Monday night's clinic was held in two sessions of grades eight–nine and grades 10–12 and comes on the heels of next week's U.S. Men's National Team training camp session being held in Hawaii.

"We wanted to focus a little bit more on setting and defense which are our specialties," Kawika Shoji said, who is an Iolani ‘06 grad. "We just don't have so much time. We try to narrow it down a little bit and give the kids some more specific instruction and keep it fun."

Last year's clinic was held on Christenson's old stomping grounds at Kamehameha, but this year's smaller venue allowed for more intimate instruction.

"We couldn't find a massive gym this year so it made it a little more intimate, got the parents involved too and I think everyone enjoyed it and we had a good time," Kawika Shoji said.

Following the night of drills, a Q&A was open to both kids and parents where the discussion landed on topics of time management, mental toughness, playing more than one sport and traveling the world, as well as a promotional video of Christenson setting balls through basketball hoops while blindfolded (spoiler alert: "I can see through the blindfold," he revealed).

A portion of proceeds from the clinic will benefit Special Olympics Hawaii.

The trio are coming off the U.S. Men's National Team's bronze medal finish at the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League finals earlier this month in France.

"The more and more we play around the world, we realize if you have a super high level of skill, you can play at the highest level," Kawika Shoji said.

"That's why Hawaii is able to produce world class players because we are very, very skilled and that's a compliment to not only the kids but the coaches and parents and fans who have really developed such a strong volleyball culture," he continued.

An open-public team practice will be held Thursday, July 26 at 9 a.m. back at Iolani's gym followed by intrasquad scrimmages 7 p.m. Friday night at Kamehameha Kapalama's Kekuhaupio Gym and 6 p.m. Saturday night at Kalani High School. Admission will be $10.


Reach Spencer Honda at [email protected].




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