Koa Challenge Veterans Games

Ewa Mahiko District Park--The 2nd Koa Challenge Veterans Games, a weeklong event, began on November 11th and ran through November 15th in Ewa Beach. This event, an adaptive sports event for Veterans, began last year (2023) with one court for pickleball.

This year, they expanded to four courts, necessitating a move from the AmVets location used last year, to Ewa Mahiko District Park.

What was the genesis for the Koa Games?

On the mainland, players train all year to compete in six national events including the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, Golden Age Games (55+), National Veterans Summer Clinic, National Veterans Winter Clinic, and the National Disabled Golf Clinic.

Many Hawaii players can’t make it to the mainland to compete, so the Koa Challenge was born to fill the gap.

Now, Veterans can find a partner, practice all year long for the Koa Challenge, and this also serves as a practice/training ground for national events.

Events are selected for the Koa Challenge by determining the sports that garner the most interest.

Since 2023, the VA has offered a 6-week pickleball clinic to Veterans with the Oahu Pickleball Association and Hawaii Pickleball Association. Participants meet weekly for clinics and lessons, and are offered “open play” meetups monthly. Meetups are held at Ewa Mahiko, Kamiloiki, and Keehi Lagoon.

Participants graduate after six weeks, and at the graduation, they’re gifted a special JOOLA paddle with the insignia of all five branches of the military.

The entire VA pickleball program got off the ground, with costs for instruction, equipment and graduation paddles funded entirely by the non-profit Military Adaptive Court Sports (an entity that specializes in pickleball, badminton, racquetball, and padel).

According to the local VA crew on the ground, their mission is to lower the number of Veterans who commit suicide or have thoughts of suicide. Right now, 18-20 Veterans commit suicide a day; or 6000 per year. These adaptive games serve as a way to re-engage Veterans, through sports, in support of their mission.