Mack and JD in Japan

Here's an article from The Japan Times about the trip Greg McMackin and Jim Donovan took to Japan back in late February. Thanks to Garret and LizKauai.

The University of Hawaii athletics department is trying to build a bridge to Japan through sports, hoping it shines as brightly as a rainbow.

Due to its far-flung location in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, the University of Hawaii has had a slight disadvantage in recruiting top-notch athletes from the U.S. mainland.

And so UH quickly — and naturally — shifted its focus to nearby nations such as Samoa, Australia and New Zealand to explore different sources of talent.

In recent times, however, UH has turned its attention to Japan, with which Hawaii shares strong cultural ties (about one-third of its population is comprised of Japanese-Americans).

McMackin thinks Japanese players could make an impact at wide receiver in his team's run-and-shoot offense. Also, he believes soccer players could turn out to be good kickers as well.

McMackin's faith and trust in Japanese players is genuine.