Meet the Quiet Force Behind Kaneohe’s Pickleball Scene: Galen Kawasaki

Pickleball Spotlight on Galen Kawasaki

Retired, Active, and Always Giving Back—One Lesson (or Cookie!) at a Time

Kaneohe—You won’t hear him before you see him, but if you’ve played in a local tournament, there’s a good chance you’ve felt his presence, whether in the form of a friendly smile, an offer to help, or, if you’re lucky, a homemade baked treat when you needed it most.

Kaneohe’s quiet but deeply kind ambassador of aloha, this week’s Pickleballer in the 808 gives back in every way imaginable…from teaching beginner classes at Kaneohe District Park to volunteering behind the scenes at major local events. Whether he’s coaching new players, offering tips with a smile, or showing up with baked goodies for hungry volunteers, he’s the kind of person every community needs.

Without further ado, please meet Galen Kawasaki!

Galen and his son at the ESPN Honolulu Open, April 2025

Currently residing in: Kaneohe

Where did you grow up and what high school did you go to?

Kaneohe - Castle High School

How did you discover pickleball and when did you start playing?

My older sister was playing with her high school friend group and she invited to check it out. I started playing in the Fall of 2022.

What do you love most about pickleball?

I enjoy meeting new people while getting a good workout. And I get to spend precious time with my son cause he plays pickleball and he helps me teach my classes at Kaneohe District park. It’s a great community of all kinds of different people with different backgrounds and a wide span of skillset.

Galen with his “Sunday crew”

Galen with assistant coaches- Jon, Carleen, Sam, Jill, Kanani and Dexter at Kaneohe District Park

What do you do outside of pickleball (hobbies, work, school, etc)?

I’m retired from the Kaneohe post office so now I am able to fish, photography, play badminton, surf, travel, cook and bake for my family and friends, take visitors on tours of Oahu and help friends with their home projects.

You were nominated to be featured as a “Pickleballer in the 808” because of the work you do with and for the PB community. Tell us about the many ways you’re involved with pickleball, and what does being nominated mean to you?

I was surprised that I would be nominated but honored for it as well. I teach beginner and intermediate pickleball classes at Kaneohe District park as well as volunteer at various pickleball tournaments. I recently helped with the big tournament at the Convention center and I volunteered at the very first pickleball tournament in Japan (Pickleball Japan Federation Championships 2024).

What is the most common “problem” you see when giving lessons, and what is your suggestion/advice to “fix it”?

The most common problem is that people want to hit the ball hard instead of being strategic about placement of the ball. I would recommend that people focus on the “soft” game meaning you hit the ball soft and strategic place the ball to catch your opponent off guard. Another problem is not enough practice time. You should do twice as much drills than play time. You can practice your form, accuracy and positioning so it becomes muscle memory. And that will take you to the next level.

What paddle do you play with and why?

Carbon pickle pro series. It’s only $99.97 and it is light. I always tell my students, “It’s the Indian, not the arrow.” Don’t blame the equipment.

What is the next goal you’re working toward (in PB or otherwise)?

Continue to help more people learn the game of pickleball and travel to other parts of Japan that I have not been to.

Anything else on your mind?

I like to share with others to get involved and pay it forward, meaning give back to others what was given to you. If everyone took this to heart there would be more volunteers. Knowledge is something you share and not keep it to yourself. I realize, you don’t have to be a professional pickleball player to teach, you just need to make a connection with your students. Safety is #1 for me ,#2 having fun, #3 learning the game.

Galen with his son Kazu and wife Laurie on a snowboarding trip to Hokkaido

Is there a question I should have asked you (or that you wanted me to ask but didn’t)?

Yeah, I wanted to share that I take lessons too so that I can improve and share what I learned with my students. I took lessons at Palama Settlement and Le Jardin.