The "Hawaiians" Softball Team at The 2012 LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championship

The "HAWAIIANS" Softball Team @ 2012 LVSSA

Aloha from Las Vegas 2012 LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championship which is scheduled to take place from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7, 2012. I'm here covering the "Hawaiians" softball team, and had a chance to speak with Coach Moses "Bradda" Neves who took over the team in 1989.  He related that the Hawaiians was started by Rowland Shibasaki back in the 80's. It started out as a bunch of friends wanting to get together and play softball.  Well one thing lead to another and they all started playing together in not only leagues, but in tournaments.

As the years went by and they all got a little older, they started to slow down and not play as much softball as in their younger years, and by that time Rowland had moved to the mainland with his family. Today, the Hawaiians have four teams participating in the Senior World Softball Tournament. They have a Senior Mens 55+ team, Senior Mens 50+ team, a Senior Mens 40+ team and a Senior Womens 40+ team.  Coach "Bradda" Neves said their motto is to "treat everyone as family" and that's what we do. Their wives and families are very supportive, and because of that, most of them are able to do what they love to do and that's to play ball.

Coach Moses "Bradda" Neves and Paul Allan Kim

On Friday, September 28, 2012 at 9:07am at the Lorenzi Park located at 3333 W. Washington Avenue, Las Vegas, the "Hawaiians" played their first game against "Just-4-Fun" from Arizona.  Just-4-Fun took the lead and held the lead over the Hawaiians with their precise hitting into the 5-6 hole to end the game 9-27.  In their second pool play of the day, the "Hawaiians" played against "Git-R-Done from Southern California who kept up with the Hawaiians, but a heartbreak in the last inning ended the game 19-20 in favor of Git-R-Done. The Hawaiians have always done well in previous LVSSA tournaments, but this year in the elimination bracket, they came so close, and yet it wasn't enough to move on to the next round.  I spoke to Coach Neves after the game and he said "just too many errors." It was disappointing, but hopefully we'll see them in Vegas again next year.  Coach Moses "Bradda" Neves presented the World Masters Championship MVP to Paul Allan Kim (photo above).

The Hawaiians team photo, back row (l/r); Herbert Antolin, Bob E. Durington, Pedero J. Gutierrez Jr., Paul Hookano, David Hoopii, Paul Allan Kim, Bernie Lam Ho, Leighton Lim, Howard Manoiki. Front row (l/r); Felixberto Mendiola, Glen Naone, Ralph Okuhara, Ozzie Ortiz, Curtiss Salcur, Ryan Sumida, Rudolfo Valdez Jr. and Coach Moses "Bradda" Neves.   Other teams that participated during the first session 55/60 (Sept.28-30), Big Island Caretakers (55AAA) Hawaii Masters, Family Stones (55AAA), Hawaiians (55AAA), Family Stones (60AAA), Fresh Poke (60AAA),  Nogi's (60AAA) and Makua Alii (60AA). Action photos, "click here."