By WAYNE JOSEPH By WAYNE JOSEPH ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports columnist Sometimes playing sports can lead to life changing opportunity. It did for Kimo Weaver. Weaver refers to it as being “Lucky,” but there is no luck involved when you have
By WAYNE JOSEPH
Tribune-Herald sports columnist
Sometimes playing sports can lead to life changing opportunity. It did for Kimo Weaver.
Weaver refers to it as being “Lucky,” but there is no luck involved when you have talent on the field.
“I was lucky enough to receive an athletic scholarship when I played football for Southern Utah University,” Weaver said.
The Thunderbirds made Weaver into a safety and the rest is history.
“I’m not sure I would have even gone to college if it wasn’t for that scholarship,” Weaver said. “I was undeclared for the first two years when my academic counselor — who also happened to be the school’s athletic director — asked me what I wanted to declare.”
Weaver spent all of youth involved in team sports. Football, wrestling, track & field and baseball were his favorites.
To add to his repertoire at age 4 he started learning Aikido.
So not knowing how to answer his athletic director and his undeclared academic status, Weaver replied: “I want to coach!”
From that conversation, years ago, resulted in a lifetime career.
Weaver went onto get his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biology and Physical Education with a minor in Health education. And with endorsements in coaching and athletic training, he was placed in the teaching program.
Weaver put his teaching degree and love for sports to good use, first teaching for several years.
“Then I moved to Las Vegas where I received my masters degree in education,” Weaver said. “I taught high school Bio-chemistry and coached football, wrestling and track & field for about nine years in Vegas.”
Vegas’ loss soon became the Big Island’s gain as he began a stellar career in coaching at Ka’u in 2000.
Weaver has turned in and produced several hurdle champions, both in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation and at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association level.
For his outstanding coaching in track and field, Weaver was selected by his peers as “Coach of the Year” in the BIIF on three separate occasions.
Kimo is married to Chesha and they have a 2009 Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate in daughter Kiana.
Kiana, 21, is going to school in North Carolina and will graduate in March.
Weaver now serves as the Kamehameha-Hawaii athletic director.
“I support coaches, managing events, develop schedules, educate student, parents, and would like to hit the panic button,” Weaver said. “Well, it’s high school athletics!”
Weaver was recently chosen to replace Bob Wagner when “Wags” decided to place his cleats into retirement.
“There is nothing like being a part of our student’s education and preparing them for the rest of their lives for new experiences and life lessons,” Weaver said. “I truly believe it can only be attained through athletics.”
Through sports participation Weaver has found something he enjoys doing and to think that a football scholarship made it all possible.
“I love what I do!” he said proudly.
And what does Weaver do today to stay healthy and fit?
For diet, he follows the same plan as Waiakea coach Jordan Rosado: “I watch the food on my plate go into my mouth,” Weaver said with a huge grin.
“I love food, all kinds and lots of it,” he said. But for exercise Weaver is a firm believer in weight training.
“Working with weights is such a big development of athletes,” Weaver said. “It is what we did in high school and college and while coaching.”
Weaver believes that weight training becomes part of the experience of being an athlete.
“I don’t want to let go of the experience because it is so ingrained in me,” he said.
When I asked him why he exercised? Weaver laughed and said, “So I can watch what I eat!”
But exercise he does as he is on the elliptical machine or treadmill for about 45 minutes per day, five days a week.
He’ll also will do what else? Hit the weight room and weight train for an hour each day. His passion for the weights has spilled over to his students as he was the conditioning coach for the Warriors in which they produced many BIIF wrestling champions and a couple of state champions.
Everywhere that Weaver goes he manages to bring out the best in student/athletes and he has sent many off to colleges where they too are afforded the opportunity, like himself, to attain a college education.
Why all the cross training workouts for Weaver? “It gives me a feeling of accomplishment afterward and I am ready and alert to take on the day,” he said.
With most people who are use to the feelings and benefits of a regular workout, take this away from them and you throw them off their balance.
“I hate the feeling I get when I miss a workout,” Weaver said.
Kimo Weaver considers himself lucky to have gone to college, but can you imagine what a loss he would have been to the youth of the Big Island had he not gotten that football scholarship and never had that opportunity?
So to Mr. Lucky, glad you came, glad you experienced, glad you are here! From one lucky dog to another.
And someday should you happen to see a very grateful and blessed jogger come passing through the back roads of Hawaiian Paradise Park, remember to say “woof” and never shy away from “Running with the Big Dog.”
Email the Big Dog at waiakeabigdog@aol.com.
