Hawaii Academy

Lifetime Fitness • Gymnastics • Human Sciences

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This profile is in the process of being updated.

Thank you for your patience.

Academy Director, Interim Head of the Departments of Research and Academic Instruction, and the International and Elite Trampoline Program

Dr. Max was a gymnast, head coach (club, high school, and college for boys and girls at all levels), club owner/director in Montana and Colorado, elite national women's judge, exercise physiology and biomechanics researcher, national statistician, international clinician, and equipment design consultant. He began coaching in 1970. He is an internationally distinguished research scientist who has had appointments in European and American universities including the University of Hawaii (Geriatric Medicine, Gerontology, Kinesiology, Psychology), Technische Universitat Eindhoven (Gerontechnology), University of Southern California (Human Factors, Ergonomics, Safety Science, Systems Management, Gerontology), University of Minnesota (Transportation Studies, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Kinesiology), and Pennsylvania State University (Kinesiology, Psychology, Ergonomics & Applied Physiology, Human Performance Research, Transportation Research). He is a father of four girls. He also serves as the Interim Head of the Departments of Research and Academic Instruction, and the International and Elite Trampoline Program. He coaches and judges the elite-level trampolinists and teaches the seniors exercise classes (oldest=99yrs).

Academy Associate Director & Team Physician, Adult Trampoline Program Head

Dr. Mah was a Hawaii State champion gymnast who became a high school (Punahou) and college (University of Denver) All-American. She was voted the team captain at each school she attended and received outstanding scholar-athlete and most inspirational gymnast awards. She started coaching in 1978 and loves working with gymnasts of all levels and ages. She completed her bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine at Penn State, her MD at the University of Hawaii, and her pediatrics residency at the University of California-Irvine. She is a board-certified Pediatrician (with special interest in pediatric sports medicine) in private practice, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Hawaii John Burns School of Medicine, small business owner, mother of four girls (all competing for the Academy). Dr Mah is the Adult Trampoline Program Head, teaches the adult classes (19-49yrs) and wherever needed on all teams.

Academy Associate Director, Special Events and Programs Dept Head, and Tue/Sun Manager.

Coach Justine is a graduate of Kamehameha High School and Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA, where she competed on their gymnastics teams (ILH & NCAA Division 3). She has a masters degree culinary arts, a bachelors in Business and a minor in Athletic Coaching. She is USAG safety certified and a professional member. Her expertise is in gymnastics but she is expanding to trampoline, tumbling, and team coaching. She is especially talented at teaching PE/Recreation classes and managing special events and contracted services. She is one of our 'top gun' for birthday parties and special events. She's a great organizer and people person.

Academy Assistant Director, Sports Dept Chair, Trampoline-Tumbling Program Head Coach/Judge, and Recreation Instructor.

Coach Kira has coached girl's artistic gymnastics and trampoline-tumbling teams. She was a US national champion and has competed as a senior elite in many international competitions including famous meets in Holland, Russia, and Denmark. She loves recreation classes and is probably responsible for promoting more students from recreation classes to competitive teams than any of our 55 employees. This past year she was responsible for 27 athletes competing at the USAG Trampoline-Tumbling Junior Olympic Nationals Championships in Chicago, which produced 36 top ten finishes, 12 medals, and eight national titles. She was also the event coordinator for teams traveling to the San Diego Open in January and the USAG Trampoline-Tumbling Region 2 Championships (also in San Diego) in June.

Academy Asst Director, Team Coach/Judge, and Recreation Instructor. 

Coach Mia began helping at the Academy as an instructor’s assistant at the age of ten. Since then she has taught students of all ages in recreational artistic gymnastics, trampoline, tumbling, fitness, and cheerleading classes. Mia has also coached the state and travelling trampoline teams, conducted flip and handspring clinics, and judged local trampoline competitions. She applies her technical knowledge as a former state and regional level artistic gymnast, state and national trampoline champion, international trampoline competitor, and high school cheerleader, with her love of teaching, to make her classes as fun and educational as possible. In the office, Mia serves as an assistant director, day manager, and technical writer. She is currently studying Public Relations at Eastern Washington University, but helps at the Academy whenever possible. After graduation in 2012 she hopes to work in Japan teaching English as a second language before attending graduate school.

Academy Asst Director, Team Coach/Judge, and Recreation Instructor. 

Nani, at 19 years old, is the most decorated gymnast at the Academy and in the state. In trampoline she is the first from Hawaii to be named to USAG national and international teams. She advanced from Level 6 to Elite in only 16 months. She is ranked first among Junior Elites (<18 yrs) on double mini and trampoline. At the world level she is ranked in the top three for her age group. She is a US national champion, an All-Japan national champion, an IndoPacific champion, Scandinavian champion, European champion, Canadian champion, got a silver in the PanAmerican Championships as well as Dutch and Belarusian Cups, and placed 5th and 6th in the 2003 World Age Group Games. Nani has used her expertise to help prepare traveling teams for nationals and serves as a substitute coach for some of our most advanced athletes. She can be seen teaching recreational classes on Tuesdays and managing the office on Wednesdays. Along with her work at the Academy, Nani balances a rigorous trampoline training schedule and her coursework at Kapiolani Community College.

Academy Associate Director On Leave and Substitute Manager. 

Paris joined HA in 2005 primarily for customer service (recreation office receptionist), management of gym activities Monday through Friday (including staffing, student placement, and event rotations), and some secretarial support as needed for the Academy and the research program. Since then she has acquired business operations skills for running nearly all systems and served as head of personnel. After finishing her degrees she took a position as a full time human resources manager leaving less time available to work at the Academy. Now she fills in for day managers and continues substituting as a director when Dr Max, Dr Mah, or Coach Justine are away.

Registrar, Payroll Clerk & Operations Dept Interim Chair. 

Mrs Onigama takes care of all member registration, employee payroll, tuition accounting, and volunteers a huge amount of time on our concessions. With her husband, Rod, and son, Kelsen, (plus Noe and Matt Moniz) they stock our concessions and product sales with 100% of the profit going back to equipment purchases and maintenance. More equipment has been purchased and repaired with money from the concessions sales than all other sources combined. Imagine the hundreds of hours spent on buying supplies, transporting them, and stocking the shelves. Buy concession items to continue supporting HA.

Development Department Chair & Academy Accountant. 

Contact her regarding fundrasing, endowments, tax deductible donations, sponsorships, alumni relations, public relations, service contracting, etc.

Visiting International Trampoline Interim Program Head (while on Sabbatical). 

While on sabbatical at HA from Apr 06 to Sep 07, Miyata Sensei hopes to learn more English, HA's secrets for rapid development of elite athletes, how to expand to the adult and senior markets, and an appreciation of the uniqueness of lifetime fitness at HA. In Japan, he has been a champion collegiate trampolinist at Nippon University of Sport and Science (NiTaiDai), an international (FIG) brevet judge, a Japan National Team Coach and Judge at international events, a coach of international champion athletes at Keio High School and University, and did his masters thesis on bone metabolism and osteoporosis. Please welcome and befriend Miyata Sensei and his family.

Fun Night Program Head 

Coach Scott was a competitive artistic gymnast and a state, regional and national age group champion. He has coached both men's and women's artistic gymnastics for the last fifteen years. Coach Scott has given private training sessions to many world class athletes in a variety of sports. His own training in gymnastics and his experience in martial arts tricking, parkour and a variety of sports gives his training methods versatility. He currently is the program head of our Monday, Wednesday and Friday Fun Nights.Our fun nights are one of the only open gym formats in Hawaii, but unlike other "open gyms" Hawaii Academy offers a structred program with instruction.

Visiting International & Elite Trampoline Coach/Judge. 

Dr Elizabeth got her PhD in Astronomy at the University of Hawaii in 2007. She was a Level 8 Academy artistic gymnast, a Girl's Artistic Gym Level 7-10 Coach/Judge, an Elite Trampoline Coach/Judge, and a recreation class instructor. She has her professional membership, safety certification, and both coaching and judging credentials in artistic gymnastics and trampoline-tumbling. At HA, as the TT Optional Coach she has trained a dozen national champions, six elite national champions, six junior elites, three senior elites, and has put four athletes on US national teams. She ultra prepares for all her assignments ... one of the keys to her success. She now lives in Houston, TX, and works for NASA as a mission controller (power mgmt).

Substitute Trampoline Coach/Judge.

A previous national competitor on trampoline and coach of four teams from Hawaii that competed in the national championships, Coach Wendy is one of the most experienced trampoline coaches and head judges in Hawaii. She has coached numerous state, regional, and national champions. Her first priority is her family, including two children (Kyra and Lyla), but she also does an outstanding job of overseeing over 100 trampoline-tumbling-gymnastics athletes that compete in meets in Hawaii. She is the event coordinator for the USAG Hawaii Trampoline-Tumbling State Championships and the Hawaii-Canada Friendship Exchange. She trains all our recreation trampoline instructors in clinics and workshops, in-house. Her main day of coaching is Sunday afternoons.

Senior Exercise Class Instructor.

Teacher Joan is a member of the senior exercise class and the one who makes sure everything runs smoothly when Dr Max is not teaching the class. Each week she is the first to arrive, usually opens the gym, and the last to leave. She is the first grandmother state champion in Hawaii. She is the USAG Hawaii Trampoline Champion for seniors (Level 1 in 2003 and Level 2 in 2004). She is getting younger each year, not older.

BA, Movement Education Program Head, Trampoline-Tumbling Judge, Monday Senior Class Instructor, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday Parent-Tot & Preschool Coordinator.

Teacher Mike is a well-qualified instructor having earned a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and certificate in Early Childhood Development from Long Beach State University in California. His 25 years of past gymnastics experience includes being a USA Gymnastics National Safety Instructor, an NCAA University gymnastics coach at Long Beach State University, a Compulsory Team Coach, a USAG Skill Evaluator, a Trampoline-Tumbling judge (levels 1-5), the past Gymnastics Director at Hickham Gymnastics, and of course a very fun-loving Parent/Toddler and Preschool Instructor here at HA. After teaching Physical Education at various YMCAs and Long Beach Unified Schools, he has been a wonderful addition to the Academy's staff, always willing to do more than just teach. And when he's not busy engaging kids in his classes, he enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, gardening, and pretending that he knows how to play guitar well.

Recreational Instructor & Receptionist.

A 2005 honors graduate of Kamehameha High School where she was a springboard diver and previous gymnast, Teacher Joelle can be seen working in the office when help is needed, teaching a variety of preschool, beginning, and intermediate classes, and just being an all-around team player. Her dedication to teaching what she knows to her students has made her a well-liked and popular instructor at the Academy. She is currently a sophomore majoring in Economics at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, but if she's not there or here at the Academy, she is probably spending quality time with friends or at the beach just hanging out.

Recreation Instructor, Assistant International Team Coach, International Trampolinist

For the past four years Teacher Michelle has been a great addition to the Academy as a Level 10 (FIG) international trampoline team member with a rich history of artistic gymnastics (Level 8). She has competed in a number of competitions not only here in Hawaii but also on the mainland and has just started assistant-coaching the International Team. While quiet and unassuming, she is strategic and relentless in her personal training and works hard to make herself the best that she can be. Teacher Michelle was born and spent her early childhood in Germany and eagerly anticipates international travel with her teammates this year. She has always been a very active individual not only in gymnastics but also in dancing, one of her interests as well as the aforementioned.

Swedish Research & Instruction Certificate Fellow

Teacher Josephine comes to us from Sweden where she was on the Swedish Synchronized Gymnastics Team. In Hawaii she is a Hawaii Pacific University undergraduate student majoring in journalism. At the Academy she is in training as a research and teaching fellow in our certificate program. Her hobbies are gymnastics, writing, and reading.

Olympic Freestyle Ski Coach.

Coach Fearing was on the US Ski Team before coaching the Canadian National Team and the Japanese National Team (10 years). He is the personal coach of Tae Satoya (4x Olympian, 1 gold, 1 bronze) and is training her at Hawaii Academy for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Tae and Coach Stephen plan four 3-week training camps with us before the Olympics. Please welcome them, Coach Stephen's wife, Junko, and their three children, who you will see attending parent-tot classes.

International Ergonomics & Human Performance Consultant

ProfDr Hancock is world renowned in his field with over 800 publications and numerous international awards of merit to his credit. He is currently the Provost's Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, among many other appointments. He has received the Sir Frederic Taylor Award from the International Ergonomics Association for lifetime achievement. His exceptional achievements are listed at http://www.mit.ucf.edu/. Professor Hancock collaborates with Hawaii Academy and Psy-Med Associates as needed on projects undertaken.

International Recreation & Sports Management Consultant

ProfDr Harada is Japan's leading leisure and sports management expert. Now at Waseda University, Dr Harada has seeded his graduate students throughout Japan for the past 20 years and now has a network that permits rapid application of good ideas. He is an active researcher who travels the world usually consulting or negotiating bids for Olympic venues.