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Austin Henry coaches his students on sports and life
Courtesy: Jasmine Hanner

Austin Henry coaches his students on sports and life

KIHEI, Hawai’i — “The most rewarding athlete tends to be the one who’s disciplined,” says Austin Henry, a P.E. teacher and sports coach on Maui. “They’re teachable, they hunger, they desire to achieve and overcome their current performance. They not only improve due to personal ambition, but they improve to get their viewers something to enjoy.”

Henry would know, as a long-time athlete himself. When he thinks back to his own high school experience, he remembers being one of the top 400m runners in track and field, averaging 51 to 52 seconds per race. Though college scholarships were pouring in, he says his attitude wasn’t right to take his talent to the next level. “My lack of passion and ambition stopped me from walking into those opportunities. I didn’t train like I should and didn’t take care of my grades. I didn’t allow adults around me to fuel my talent,” he says with regret.

Today, the 28-year-old seeks to fuel the fires of his many students in various sports. “Being a coach has been one of the greatest challenges. Being involved in so many young people’s lives and seeing their desire to try out or play sports is amazing,” he says with a quiet passion. “My biggest challenge is encouraging kids that whether they don’t have the greatest home life, friend group, outlook, or whatever, they can allow their skills, talents, and passions to overcome where they’re at right now.”

Kalama Park, on the southwest side of the island of Maui, is his favorite place to practice. “It’s amazing, you’re right next to a beach, there are great paths to run on if you’re cautious of pedestrians, and,” he smiles, “the park is beautiful!” Originally from Los Angeles, Henry loves teaching in Maui. “I especially love the gym and the track and field at Kamehameha School. They’ve been blessed with a beautiful campus,” he says about the school located in the nearby town of Pukalani (the name “Pukalani” translates to “heavenly gate” in Hawaiian – a fitting name for a town nestled on the lush green slopes of a volcano, close to the sky).

Courtesy: Jasmine Hanner

“I love the thoughtfulness, camaraderie, purposefulness in playing sports with others,” he says in response to what motivates him. “And I’ve been gifted with loads of energy and speed. Not wanting to lose that experience and wanting to have an avenue of staying active, that’s what motivates me.” Henry finds great satisfaction in helping others to find their appreciation of the sport they love best, and in doing so, is also granted the gift of staying active himself along with the deep and lasting joy of altruism.

Henry certainly stays incredibly busy in his community for someone who is still years away from the age of 30. When he’s not coaching his students on the court, track, or field, he’s coaching a different kind of discipline for his students’ spiritual journeys as the youth pastor of the Kihei Baptist Chapel. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Henry has also been volunteering with the local food bank and running his church’s food pantry – farmers unable to sell their product to restaurants and hotels have been donating by the pallet in some cases, to the joy and relief of those in need. Perhaps having such a well-rounded resume affords Henry the success he’s enjoyed in helping the youth of Maui find their paths and excel in life.

As for how the heck he stays fueled for so many daily activities, Henry says he loves his fruits: bananas, apples, oranges, or any kind of smoothies, and is a huge breakfast food fan. “I love making a big breakfast, similar to what you might get at IHOP!” he grins. When it comes to trusty gear for his all-time favorite sports basketball and track and field, he says that he’s always been a Nike and Adidas guy.

Over the past seven years, Henry has gained some valuable insights worth sharing, such as the importance of giving youth the opportunity to discover a sport they love, and not putting undue pressure on them through that process. “I found that kids will find their own passion and desires by just trying new sports, and by allowing them the opportunity to succeed or fail,” he observes. “I’ve coached basketball, running, football, volleyball, baseball, hockey, soccer, and other miscellaneous sports.” His suggestion to any would-be athlete is to simply adventure out there and learn what sport suits you best. “Who knows,” he says, with a twinkle in his eye. “It could be fencing, polo, or even ultimate Frisbee!”

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