Hawai‘i team wins 2018 Little League World Series

Q&A with Mana Lau Kong and his father Kai Lau Kong

By Ka Wai Ola Staff

Hawai‘i’s victory against South Korea in the 2018 Little League World Series began with a first inning home run by 6th grader Mana Lau Kong of Hawai‘i Kai. The team went on to score another two runs to win the championship 3-0.

We caught up with Mana Lau Kong, 12, and his father Kai to describe the the experience. Mana has been playing Little League for two years.

MANA LAU KONG KWO: What drew you to baseball over other sports?

Mana Lau Kong: Well, I started playing baseball when I was three-years-old. I would go to my cousins’ baseball games and I always would follow them around and try to play baseball.

What does it take for a Little League team to make it to the World Series? For example, how many teams to you have to beat to become the champions?

MLK: It takes a lot of hard work because we had practices everyday, even on the weekends, for four hours. My coaches told us that we would need to be able to hit someone throwing 75 mph or more to win, so they would have the pitching machine cranked up everyday. At first nobody could hit but we eventually got it. The team also had high school and college players pitch to us at live

A team from Honolulu became the 2018 Little League World Series champions after shutting out South Korea 3-0. The last time a team from Hawai‘i won the world series was in 2008. - Photo: Courtesy of Little League Baseball and Softball batting practice every week.

A lot of time was also spent on fielding. That’s why we hardly made any errors in the games. We had to beat the best teams in Hawai‘i, the best teams in the West region, the best in the United States and then the world to be champions. In Williamsport, Penn., they told us that there are thousands of teams that play Little League.

KWO: What was the highlight of the series for you?

MLK: The highlight of the series for me was hitting the first pitch of the game for a home run because it set the momentum on our side. We all knew that pitcher was going to be tough but if you do something like that then he's going to get all rattled up. My team had the advantage after that.

KWO: What was the hardest part?

MLK: The hardest part I would say was probably the practices because we had to face a lot of tough live pitching. The pitchers that helped us practice were some big dudes. But it was all worth it because it all paid off. Since we kept seeing fast pitchers in practice everyday, it made it easy to hit in the tournaments. I wasn't freaked out when we faced Georgia in the first game of the world series and the lefty was throwing 75 mph.

KWO: You set your team off to a winning start in the championships. What did it feel like to hit that home run?

MLK: It felt awesome to know that I gave my team the lead. The stands and the outfield hills were packed. It was so loud. This was the biggest game that I played in my whole life. I knew everybody would be watching back at home. It all happened so fast. With Olu [Ka‘olu Holt] pitching, I knew we had a chance if we could score against South Korea’s pitcher.

KWO: How are you rewarded for winning the World Series?

MLK: Everyone on the team is like a movie star now. We had a parade for us, been on the news and radio stations, had dinner parties at all kinds of places. We’ve been honored at a UH football game at halftime and even got to run onto the field with the team. Everybody asks us to take pictures and for our autographs.

KWO: What are your future baseball plans?

MLK: I will be traveling to play baseball in Las Vegas, California, Arizona and Florida this year on national select teams. This past year I was working on making the 12U USA national

Be aware of fire risks

By Kahea Kinaiahi - Kilipaki Vaughan, Ka Pounui Kinaiahi, Kaua‘i Fire Department In this year 2018, the mana of our akua has been active and on vibrant display across the islands. Massive brush fires in Waiköloa, Mäkaha, Wai‘anae and Kaua‘ula have tested the capacity of our local fire departments. Hurricanes and tropical storms have drenched the islands with record-setting rainfall saturating the ‘äina with historic floods in Hanalei, Wainiha and Hä‘ena. Pele has awakened to share her being with the Kïlauea, Puna and Kapoho areas. Our känaka must be proactive and prepared for an unnerving future involving emergency management, incident command and post-disaster recovery.

Fire Prevention Week 2018 is upon us from Oct. 7 through the 13. This year’s Fire Prevention Week Theme is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.”

All of Hawai‘i’s fire departments ask that our community be maka‘ala and take a good look around your home, identify potential fire hazards, and take care of them through proper housekeeping, storage and elimination. We ask that you recognize and ho‘olohe (listen) for the kani (sound) of the smoke alarms and to ho‘opa‘a (set) your escape route towards a designated meeting place for the ‘ohana. For life safety, please make sure that all escape routes to the outside, including windows, doors and stairs, are accessible, operational and free of clutter.

From Nov. 15-18, the Kaua‘i Fire Department will be hosting the Hawai‘i Fire Chiefs Association Annual Training Conference. This year’s theme, “Ka Wehe Ana O Ke Alaula - Opening a Pathway to Dawn, Transcending Tradition towards a New Frontier,” captures the generational shift in the Hawai‘i fire service, reflecting the latest wave of retirements of our most experienced personnel and ushering in the succession of new leadership in the public safety realm. Collectively, the April 2018 floods on Kaua‘i, Madame Pele’s volcanic activity on Hawai‘i, and the successive makani pähili interacting with our islands are poignantly symbolic of the new norms demanded of the fire service, emergency management and the community.

While fire, floods and lava have attracted our focus, our kaiäulu must also be vigilant of the health and well-being of our ‘ohana. Fire service responds to exponentially more emergency medical service (EMS) calls than fires. An increased küpuna population contributes to EMS calls involving falls, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes and stroke.

Proactive health approaches in prevention, physical exercise, behavioral health awareness and cultural interventions can increase longevity in life. Not being afraid to understand our health issues will only help to promote intelligent choices in the future and greater interaction of keiki, mäkua and küpuna. Ke aloha nui.