Beeman stresses cooperation

A theme or two is emerging for Laura Beeman’s coaching style well before she leads her first full practice with the Hawaii women’s basketball team.

Open-eared collaboration to go with steel-eyed intensity.

The first-year Division I coach reached beyond her immediate coaching staff at the Rainbow Wahine Basketball Camp over the weekend, utilizing the help of the respected Dennis Agena of the long-running Kalakaua Clinic and former Punahou coach Mike Taylor.

The Wahine’s second camp of the summer drew 125 campers, up from 85 from the first session in June, despite a price hike from $25 to $50. Of the older age bracket (boys and girls ages 11-18) Beeman estimated more than 60 percent were returnees from the previous camp.

"We get a lot of the Kalakaua kids who are at Kalakaua camps," Beeman said. "Those kids come here, and they’re just seeing a different way basketball can be taught. It’s not better. It’s just different. I learned great things from Dennis and Mike. … They’re very positive in breaking the game down fundamentally. I hope they’re learning great things from us. The kids come in and get a different flavor."

That flavor: a heavy taste of various game situations, and how to react, while receiving lessons on teamwork.

Taylor’s 13-year-old daughter, Lexie, was among the Kalakaua regulars trying it out.

"Always learning something different is good," she said. "I try to get better every time they have (clinics). Try to meet new people and form bonds, because you never know if you’re going to play with them."

While sticking with basketball basics for the youngsters, Beeman and her staff wanted to give the older crop a taste of how her UH practices will be run. Agena took charge of one of his specialties, ballhandling fundamentals.

For the kids, there was the obvious allure of taking cues from D-I coaches and players. And they weren’t the only ones learning.

"Because we haven’t had an actual practice yet with Coach B, we actually kind of get to see what we’re going to have to expect come fall," said UH junior guard Sydney Haydel, one of several Wahine helping out at the camp.

She remarked on her new coach’s intensity, but also her passion for the game.

"You know, it’s fun to go over some of the drills and see what it’s going to be like. Everything’s very game-like, everything’s realistic, everything’s a competition. The older group goes super hard in the afternoon."

This camp was the first chance for Beeman’s entire coaching staff — assistants Gavin Petersen, Mary Wooley and Linnae Barber — to interact as a unit coaching on the floor.

"They have a lot of information and are nice enough to share it to us," said camper Kalina Obrey, 11. Her feelings were shared by Lauren Pau-De Santos, also 11.

Beeman was clear that cooperation would be a priority, whether it be during a kids clinic or the 2012-13 season opener Nov. 9.

"All of us want to win. And it doesn’t matter if my idea’s the right one, or Gavin’s, or Mary’s, whoever," Beeman said. "If it’s a better idea, we’re going to take the one that works the best, and that’s the one that’s going to move forward. I’m not a dictator as a head coach. I’m very much, if I ask you to do something, I want you to do it, if your idea’s better, we’re going to implement that."