by 
Elias Olmos
We should all have it so rough.
Football in paradise, that is.
Recent Superior High School graduate Elias Olmos will “rough” it when he travels halfway across the Pacific Ocean to participate in the NokaOi Football Showcase in Waikiki, Hawaii, June 28 – July 5, 2016.
According to the event website, the NoKaOi recruiting staff seeks out athletes that they feel have the potential to play college football. A large percentage of the athletes that are selected for invitations will play football at the collegiate level.
Olmos, the Panthers’ Male Athlete of the Year, is one of two Arizonans participating in the showcase, which is open to players who may or may not want to extend their playing careers in college.
Multiple college coaches are expected to be in attendance, coaching teams and evaluating athletes during the prestigious event, giving players the additional exposure they need to reach the next level.
For others, the NoKaOi Football Showcase is one last chance to strap up the helmet and shoulder pads before calling it career at one of most beautiful and desirable destinations in the world.
In which group is Olmos?
The former.
“I believe I’m going to face a lot more talent and it’s going to help me get ready for that next stage,” said Olmos, a future Arizona State University enrollee. “I hope I put on a good performance there because I’ll be in front of college coaches and scouts.”
In addition to regularly scheduled practices, players will get to experience the best Honolulu has to offer, including a traditional Hawaiian Lei Greeting, a fireworks show on Waikiki Beach, the Aloha Flea Market, a Polynesian Luau show and dinner, and sightseeing journeys to the Halona Blow Hole, the Diamond Head Crater and the Pali Lookout, among other places.
The week-long event culminates with a pair of football games on July 4.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to get some more game experience,” Olmos told the Superior Sun. “I want to make a name, not only for myself, but for my town and show that Superior has talent too.”
Pomaika`i (Good luck), Elias!
Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.
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