A time of learning, a time of character

No, it's not the title of a speech by some Presidential candidate. But it wouldn't be bad, would it?

My brain is sore and spinning. There's a lot of information to absorb every time my phone rings, or when I make the call and interrupt some poor coach's normal routine. I hate to bug them, whether it's at work, practice or home. Especially at home. That's quiet time. Some rare quiet time each day for these hardworking people.

The coaches and their players have been on the field for spring football. Summer camp. Oh yeah, summer camp, which is nothing like it used to be. No more two-a-day workouts. No more bonding with everyone on the squad. It's just not the same when preparation involves one afternoon practice a day.

There are coaches who concede that having normalcy is good. Trying to get vacation time from the boss just to coach at summer camp is never easy for most folks. But there is a difference these days now that there's no camp. How do you build trust without spending the time together?

It's no different from any family or organization. You can't fake the growth and unity. Nobody can. You're either there and together for hours or you're not. That's why I think it's easier to get into problems than before, and tougher for coaches to build team chemistry.

It's a trust issue, always has been and always will be. That will change for the better with more games under the belt. Until then, this is a true test of coaching character, and an absolutely essential test for student-athlete character. It's not about who's wrong. It's about doing what's right, applying the right correction and discipline, and moving forward.

Together.

Saints march to No. 1

No surprise here.

Star-Bulletin: Top 10 poll

If you were at Aloha Stadium on Friday night (or read my story in the Star-Bulletin), you know that the Saint Louis-Kahuku game was a close one until the final quarter. Saint Louis, a bit rusty on offense, was up to the task on defense. The Crusaders limited Kahuku to 120 rushing yards en route to a 21-6 win.

Kahuku will work on its mistakes for the next 10 days before flying out to Utah to play Bingham. Saint Louis is back on the gridiron this weekend at Kailua. Get there early. Parking can and will fill up easily and quickly, leaving latecomers with street parking. If you don't mind the walk, you'll be fine.

Not surprsingly, Saint Louis ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the Star-Bulletin Football Top 10. While Kahuku received some votes as low as No. 5, the Red Raiders tallied enough support to fall only one spot to No. 2.

Kamehameha will finally make its debut under new coach David Stant this weekend. The Warriors go to Castle, a team that is smarting after a one-sided loss at Mililani. It's early and there are a ton of questions about teams up and down the Top 10, but for now, Saint Louis is a clearly, unanimously, the best in the state.