Coach Dennis Agena celebrates 60 years of Kalakaua basketball clinic

News admin October 6, 2026 0 Comments

Coach Dennis Agena celebrates 60 years of Kalakaua basketball clinic

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Legendary Hawaii basketball coach Dennis Agena is celebrating 60 years of his popular Kalakaua Basketball Clinic. Agena started the clinic in 1966 when it was first known as Agena’s Clinic at Kalakaua gym. He retired in 2021, but didn’t stay retired for long.

Today, the 78-year-old leads clinics at Farrington High School in Kalihi and Booth Park in Pauoa. He still has the skills and the passion to help Hawaii’s youth become better basketball players.

“I would have to say he’s the GOAT of clinics,” said Caroline Tatupu, his former student and now head coach of the Farrington High School girls basketball team. “He’s gotten softer over his years, but that passion is still here, his drive is still there, that desire to help kids to be better than he was growing up is still there.”

Back in the day, there was a long waitlist to get into Agena’s Clinic. Coach Agena took his students to Japan and held basketball clinics there. He even brought in the Harlem Globetrotters to teach the kids trick shots. Many of his former students are now basketball coaches.

“I was a student of his from about 7th grade,” said Kirk Uejio. “If you ask do you know Coach Agena in the sports world, everybody knows him he’s such a legend. He yells a lot but it’s never at you. It’s more to create an energy and you just work harder when you’re around him.”

“I trained with Coach Agena since I was probably about 5 years old all the way till I graduated from high school,” said Diane Crouch. “As we got older we were encouraged to come back and help the younger kids and I’m back and helping and my daughter is playing. He really believes in the kids and really wants them to get better.”

Coach Agena’s passion to give back is deeply personal.

“My mom died when I was 8 years old,” explained Agena. “So, I had many people mentor me throughout my years and that lesson taught me about giving back. My mission actually was to help the kids from Kalihi, the underpriviledged ones because I’m born and raised Kalihi and my goal was to get them involved in basketball and hopefully through basketball they would get scholarships so they can further their education at private school.”

Many of Coach Agena’s students became some of Hawaii’s best basketball players.

“Nani Cockett, BJ Itoman, Melanie Azama, Katie Pila, the Kueo twins, Kirk Uejio, Derek Lowe and Ryan Hirata and many more,” said Agena.

He’s teaching the island’s next basketball stars about the importance of commitment, believing in themselves, listening, working hard, staying humble and giving back.

“He pushes me to my limits and if I set boundaries on myself he opens those boundaries and lets me go further,” said 13-year-old basketball player Kamryn Liana.

“I’ve been using his dribble moves in my games to help me get past defenders and make plays for my team,” said 13-year-old basketball player Zayn Viloria.

Coach Agena says he isn’t thinking about retiring anytime soon. He says he might hang up his basketball shoes when he celebrates his 80th birthday in two years.