Students at the Youth Trade School, YMCA Hawai‘i, circa 1916. The program offered vocational training to young men during a pivotal time in Hawai‘i’s history. 98 HAWAII PARENT July/August 2025 and teamwork. At the Nuʻuanu Y, six-week basketball clinics serve ages 5–18, led by the father-son coaching duo Dwayne and Trey Lopez. Clinics focus on ball-handling, team dynamics, and core values that last a lifetime. Pickleball, the nation’s fastest-growing sport, is available for all ages and skill levels at Nuʻuanu, Mililani, and Waiʻanae YMCAs. Waiʻanae also offers Pickleball+, which includes open play and fitness activities like Tai Chi, popular among kūpuna and families alike. New this year is an introduction to wheelchair pickleball, expanding inclusive access to this dynamic sport. At the Mililani Y, specialty camps offer additional youth-focused activities. Basketball and summer soccer programs for grades K–5 teach sportsmanship, movement, and teamwork. The Y Explorers Esports program for ages 6–13 provides a positive, team-oriented gaming environment that fosters communication and strategy skills. These digital playgrounds encourage teamwork, problem-solving, and healthy competition— bridging the gap between physical and cognitive development. Swim teams have long been part of YMCA heritage. With teams like the Kaimuki Storm, Leeward Tiger Sharks, “Teamwork, movement, and strategy– from courts to consoles.”
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