IOLANA AKAU

When Kiha Akau's friends and family watch his son Iolana play baseball, the comparisons are never far behind.

"The people who grew up around me say 'Your son is better than you!' " Kiha said, laughing. "I tell them talentwise, he's much better, but he needs to work on his head and heart."

Just about then Kiha pauses on the heart part. It's tough not to after he just watched his son suffer a hairline fracture on his left arm in his first at-bat of the Little League World Series, then return to not only homer in his first at-bat and then in the title game, but also lay out for a play-of-the-day type catch in right field.

"He is just a tough, tough kid who loves sports," Kiha said. "He always plays hard and always gets hurt. That's him, period. He's been doing that since he was 3 or 4."

Part of the toughness comes from growing up around his dad, a longtime coach and softball player.

"Since (he) was 3 he'd come to tournaments with me and stay the whole day, playing catch in between games. He's so competitive that even when his arm was swollen he wanted to keep playing. It was tough to hold him back. He couldn't see the big picture."

Now that the baseball season is over, he said is son is looking forward to basketball, volleyball and track.

"He'll play a video game once in a while but he'd rather be outside throwing a football," Kiha said. "That's just the way he is."

JEDD ANDRADE

Here's a tip that discipline rules in Jedd Andrade's home: At 5 p.m. on Sundays, no more video games and the computer is shut down unless it's for school work.

"Once in a while he'll try to stretch it to 5:30 or 6 but when I say turn it off, he will," said Kenneth Andrade, Jedd's dad. "You have to do that, otherwise they'll spend the whole day playing games and neglecting their schoolwork. To us, that's the most important thing."

Kenneth Andrade is a retired police officer. His wife, Janet, is a kindergarten teacher at Kanoelani Elementary.

He calls his son "level-headed," but chuckles at how Jedd got his nickname "Frankie."

"They were trying on helmets and he had the biggest head," Kenneth said. "The helmets fit everyone else, but they were tight on him. He came home and told me his nickname. I asked 'Are you sure you like that nickname?' and he said 'Yeah.' "

The one thing Jedd's dad wants in his son's future is a college degree. Ask Jedd, and he'll tell you he wants to be a New York Yankee.

Getting to list "Little League World Series champion" on the resume is a step in the right direction. Plus, it's already come with one reward: Jedd's aunties and uncles bought him a Wii this week.

But don't think he'll be playing on Sundays after 5 anytime soon.

"He missed three weeks of school, so I'm thinking no video games until he catches up," Kenneth said. "He understands. School comes first. He's a good kid."

CHRISTIAN DONAHUE

Animated on the field, Christian "C-boy" Donahue is "actually a quiet kid," said his father/coach Timo Donahue.

"Everybody's laughing because of the way he is on TV. ... during games he gets into it."

But that's his onfield persona, which only baseball can bring out.

"Christian was really meek and quiet," said his mother, Raena. "He was prematurely born (by six weeks with birthweight of 4 pounds, 8 ounces). That's why he was carried around and babied a lot.

"That's the reason he was stuck to my hip. I never thought there would be a day he would walk up to the plate by himself."

Baseball, Raena said, was his passion from age 2 and that's what made him independent.

"He would sit on the toilet and copy dad reading the sports page," she said. "He would imitate the stances of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa from age 4.

"Lo and behold, when he turned 5, he was gone."

Christian was a key player because of all his roles, which included relief pitching.

"He was one of our leaders," Timo said, "because of the position he plays, No. 1, he played shortstop. He hit leadoff. To me, that's the hardest spot to hit from. Your job is to get the rally started at the start of the game."

Christian said his role is "to get on base, to lead the team. (Defensively) to make the outs when I can."

So which is the real C-boy?

"The shy guy," he said.

CALEB DUHAY

Pitcher Caleb Duhay's strategy to calm down during some of the most intense moments of his young career is to take deep breaths.

He doesn't make much more noise away from the field.

A typical pre-game conversation between pitcher Caleb and his father, Billy, goes like this:

Billy: "Are you OK?"

Caleb: "Yeah."

Billy: "How are you doing?"

Caleb: "Fine."

Billy: "Are you nervous?"

Caleb: "No."

Billy said Caleb, who is homeschooled by his parents, is a "pretty quiet kid. He was more intense than he usually is because of the magnitude of the game."

Billy said Caleb's resiliency and recovery were "phenomenal," and were probably helped by the fact that Caleb treated every game like normal, "just like playing at home," Billy said. "It's good that he plays it down, so he can perform better."

Caleb, the starter and winning pitcher in the World Series championship against Mexico, said he was just trying to "stay calm and throw strikes" in the game.

"I felt pretty nervous and excited at the same time. I get a little intense and stuff," he said.

KHADE PARIS

If there is one place other than the baseball diamond where Khade Paris feels at home, it's in the water.

"Put him in a pool, the ocean, whatever and he never wants to come out," said Shane Mitsui, Khade's stepdad. "He's a great kid, big in stature and the fun-loving type. He's been through a lot in his life, and he's always been a happy-go-lucky kid."

With a nickname like "Chocolate," happy-go-lucky seems to go hand-in-hand.

Khade got the nickname because he loves Hershey's pure milk chocolate, his stepdad said. He got his love for water from his family.

Even this week, when he returned from Williamsport, the first thing he did when he stepped off the plane was head to his grandparent's home in Nanakuli for a family party. And whenever at his grandpa's home, he's always going to make it to Depots Beach Park to do some body boarding, Mitsui said.

"He just loves it," Mitsui said.

Mitsui calls Khade a "typical" 12- or 13-year-old boy. A good student who sometimes needs to turn up the concentration in the classroom.

"He likes his Playstation, his iPod, texting on the cellphone ... typical kid stuff," Mitsui said.

Now that the baseball season is over, Khade will most likely return to football.

"We made a tough decision two years ago to give it up to focus on following in the footsteps of the West O'ahu team that won in 2005," Mitsui said. "We all know those parents and kids. We wanted our kids to experience what they did. Khade loves football, but he was focused on baseball the past two years."

TANNER TOKUNAGA

His coach calls him "Nails," and his dad nicknamed him "Manster" — as in "half man, half monster."

The world, however, might remember Tanner Tokunaga as the Hawai'i player who dropped his pants during a nationally televised game.

"That boy is a character," said Kiha Akau, Tanner's coach. "He came into the dugout and I said 'Tanner, why would you do that?' He just looked at me and said 'My shirt was untucked and I had dirt in my pants.' Good answer."

Glenn Tokunaga says it's tough to rattle his son and that he gave him the Manster nickname when he was about 6 because "he was always the youngest on the block but he'd stick in there trying to get his shots in," Glenn said.

"He used to have a problem with his temper when he was losing, but I saw a lot of maturity in him this year. He was going over to teammates and trying to pick them up."

Tanner is not only a jack of all trades on the baseball diamond, but he was the MVP of the Waipio Panthers championship football team, playing both linebacker and running back.

But there's more to Tanner. He's in some of his mom's classes at Waipahu Intermediate, and his dad is the athletic director at Wai'anae High. He has a 15-year-old brother Tyler and he shares the same birthday, Feb. 27, with his 8-year-old sister Daelenn.

"As a student, he's always done well," Glenn said. "From kindergarten to fifth grade he was named outstanding student for each quarter. He's a very confident kid with a fierce competitive spirit."

JORDAN ULEP

Jordan Ulep is the type who will choose to watch a movie at home rather than go out to see one.

And the quiet homebody is finding all his newfound attention "kind of overwhelming," his mother, Jean Miller said.

"I heard him talking to one of his friends, and it sounds like he's wondering what's going to happen at school," she said.

She said he's a "trooper" who doesn't complain and loves video games.

The first thing he did when he returned to the house after his nearly monthlong trip away from home was go "straight to the video games. Not even unpacking, nothing."

"He's very quiet," said assistant coach Kiha Akau. "I coached him two years ago in minors. His grandfather and the whole family were always appreciative of all the coaching he received.

"He didn't know the sport that much when he first started but he took what we gave him and stuck in there. Perseverance and he didn't give up. That's what I like about him."

His stepfather, Brad Miller, is in Iraq, but was able to watch the games broadcast on ABC.

"I'm sure he really was happy that Brad was able to watch," Jean said. "Jordan told me he sent a message to him telling him to be safe and that he missed him."

Akau said Ulep has "speed, (can) track down balls and had a decent arm.

"He's just a good kid."

PIKAI WINCHESTER

Waipi'o's championship run has been a great escape for Pikai Winchester and his family this summer.

With 5-year-old brother Paliku undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma, the team and family drew from the youngster's own grit, adopting him as the team's good-luck charm and chanting his name during their historic rally in the U.S. final.

"I broke down and cried when the crowd started 'Paliku!' " Rena Winchester said. "Paliku was watching on TV and said 'They're saying my name!' It was something we'll always remember."

"He's showed me how be tough," Pikai said of his younger brother.

About the only time Pikai seems to be away from Paliku's side nowadays is when they are at school or Pikai is out fishing with his dad, Kanoe.

"They love to go to the North Shore to fish," Rena said of Pikai and her husband. Pikai and his dad like to collect fishing reels, a hobby of sorts. He also plays basketball and volleyball, but took a year off from football because of the the World Series run.

The third baseman was Waipi'o's leading hitter, batting .647 and turning in what is believed to be the second-highest batting average ever for the LLWS.

But that's not what impresses his family and friends the most.

"He's just a great big brother," Rena said. "That's who he is."

ULUMANO FARM

Ulumano Farm was only 3 years old when his father, Junior, noticed his propensity for being able to swing a bat.

Of course, it was a plastic one.

"At that age, I could tell the way he would swing (that he would be good), and he never wanted to put the bat down," Junior said.

"I play softball and he would come to the park with me and play with the other kids and throw the ball, and I thought 'Oh, he might be good at it.' "

Ulumano is an all-around athlete who also plays basketball and football, and runs track.

He is also shy, but uses sports to help him break out of his shell.

"He is quiet," said Junior, who said Ulumano is so shy he didn't like approaching salespeople at a store to ask questions.

"But when it came to sports, he would just go up to people and ask if they would throw the ball with him," Junior said.

KAINOA FONG

Kainoa Fong, pitcher and outfielder, wrote a poem for his sixth-grade class. His poem was submitted to the America Library of Poetry 2008 Student Poetry Contest.

Field of Dreams

By Kainoa Fong

Sweat, dirt, grass, and passion

That's what you see and feel on the field

We don't play for fun; it's all about getting a chance to make it all the way

We eat, sleep, and dream about the game

One day Williamsport

The next day the College World Series

The Field of Dreams, I wait for....

His mother, Elaine, said Kainoa has always been a hard worker.

"He knows what he wants and he knows in order to get what he wants he has to work hard at it," Elaine said. "And he wants a lot.

"We tell him he has to go to college and get a good job, and he knows what he wants, and I can see him accomplish it, too."

Kainoa, she said, is a happy-go-lucky kid, a typical boy who likes to play sports and play X-Box with his friends.

"He went to St. Joseph the past two years and the teachers and administrators loved him. They would come up to me and say, 'He's such a good kid,' and I would say, 'Are you talking about my son?' " she said with a laugh.

TREVOR LING

Outfielder/pitcher Trevor Ling, a laid-back surfer who "goes with the flow," still manages to impress his father, Daniel.

"The way nothing fazed him and he did what he had to do, I'm in awe of it," Daniel said. "Through the regionals and even in the World Series, I think me and my wife were more worried when they called upon him."

The team called upon him in the late innings of the U.S. championship against Louisiana. He got Waipi'o out of further difficulty by getting the final two outs in the fifth, keeping the deficit to 5-1. After Waipi'o's dramatic rally, Ling retired all three Louisiana batters — the top three hitters — to seal the victory.

Daniel said Trevor is a "good kid who never gets into trouble," and also has a creative side. Last year for school he played the baritone, and this year it will be the saxophone.

"I think he's pretty artistic. He can draw pretty well," Daniel said. "Not that he does it all the time, but when he does, he does it pretty well. I wish I could be that artistic."

Trevor is a hard worker who didn't completely grasp the game until he was about 10.

"I think he just liked the competition and being with his friends. As far as really knowing the intricacies of the game, I think he's still learning that," Daniel said.

"I guess at the age of 10 he got the chance to pitch, and that's what motivated him."

KEELEN OBEDOZA

Catcher Keelen Obedoza may have been named after an egg, but he didn't crack under pressure.

Obedoza, who replaced injured catcher Iolana Akau in the World Series, hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to break a 4-all tie against Rapid City, S.D., to help Waipi'o stay unbeaten in pool play. He also drew a walk to load the bases in the memorable sixth inning of the U.S. championship game.

"He's a pretty shy boy, I know he worked his butt off for this," his father, Billy, said.

Obedoza and fellow Waipi'o player Khade Paris practiced "every off day since they were 8 years old," Billy said.

"With Keelen, if he didn't have Khade, and if Khade didn't have Keelen, they wouldn't practice. If they had two of them, they didn't grumble about it," said Billy, who was dubbed the "Pineapple Superman" after wearing a pineapple as a medallion around his neck and a Hawaiian flag for good luck at the San Bernardino (Calif.) Regional.

As for Keelen's name, when his mother Kami and Billy were in high school they needed to take care of an egg for a project.

"And we named the egg Keelen, and when he was born, we named him Keelen," Billy said. "We still have the egg."

MATTHEW YAP

If the Waipi'o world champs wanted to blow their own horn, Matthew Yap could lead the way — providing the horn is a trumpet.

An eighth-grader, Yap picked up the trumpet last year when he joined the Highlands Intermediate band. This year he's hoping to join the jazz band, too.

Being a quick study is something Matthew is accustomed to. He didn't play baseball until he was 8, opting for soccer and inline hockey.

"He just loves baseball now, and he loves the trumpet," said Faye Yap, Matthew's mother. "He didn't want to even try it at first, but they have a very good band teacher at Highlands who's made it fun."

Baseball has kept Matthew and his family closer.

The Yap contingent at the Little League World Series was the largest from Hawai'i, with Matthew's four grandparents, his mom, dad, sister, two uncles, two aunts and two cousins all coming for support.

"The biggest fan is his grandpa Walter Nakama," Faye said. "We called him Matthew's sponsor because he bought all of his equipment for him. My dad loves baseball, and seeing Matthew play was a good outing for him."

GREGG TSUGAWA

While his driver's license might certify that he's 31, Gregg Tsugawa is a kid at heart.

"When you talk to Gregg, that's another 12 year old," assistant coach Kiha Akau said.

"He was the only 12 year old who didn't have his parents there (at Williamsport, Pa.)," coach Timo Donahue said.

"That's just my personality," Tsugawa said. "(I) love to have fun."

Tsugawa said his enjoyment for life and kids might have started at a young age.

"Ever since I was in preschool, my mom was a babysitter, so there was always kids around," he said. "That's why I enjoy being around these guys and enjoy kids."

Tsugawa is a graduate of Mililani High, where he pitched and played first base. He played in state tournaments his junior and senior years. He graduated from Hawai'i Pacific University and now works for an independent company as a social worker. He is single.

Before coaching with Waipi'o, where he's assisted the past three years, Tsugawa coached at Mililani and Leilehua high schools.

"What makes it satisfying, of course, winning it all," he said. "Putting in all the hard work and having the kids experiencing it — after watching this for years and dreaming about being in this position — and seeing the joy in their faces makes it satisfying for myself."

KIHA AKAU

A three-sport athlete at Kaimuki High School in the 1980s, Kiha Akau has been coaching for the past 25 years, and loving every minute of it.

"I've been coaching since 1983, right out of high school with Clyde Hayashida and football with Dwight Toyama," Akau said.

He said he liked coaching high school because it's "technical, high speed. But coaching the little kids and teaching them to catch and throw and the basic fundamentals, that's the best part."

Akau, who graduated from the University of Hawai'i and is employed by Hawaiian Electric, said he has been coaching the Waipi'o team with Timo Donahue for four years.

"This team, we knew they had something special and we pushed them a lot," he said.

Upon his return to work after the victory, Akau said he spoke before fellow workers and told them, "besides meeting my wife and seeing the birth of my two boys, this is definitely up there. It was unbelievable. The hard work that the kids put in. Satisfying that all this hard work paid off."

Akau said a neighbor said, "I see you come home at 7 o'clock every night. I didn't realize this was the team you were coaching."

He is married (Cindy) and has two boys, Iolana, 13 today, and Kaho'ea, 11.

TIMO DONAHUE

When it comes to baseball, success has followed Timo Donahue at every level.

At Damien, he was an all-star and led the league in hitting with a .526 average his senior year.

At the University of Washington, he was a two-time all-Pac-10 player who led the conference in batting his senior year.

As a pro in the Cleveland Indians organization, he was a teammate of Manny Ramirez.

"I'm waiting for him to call," he said.

Now, Donahue is a part of history as coach of a World Series winner.

Before turning his attention to youth baseball in 1998, Donahue helped coach at 'Iolani and Punahou. He said he gets satisfaction "being able to pass on what I've learned to my coaches and seeing these kids expressions when they succeed. Just more seeing how happy they are. They come up to you and say, 'It really works.' "

Donahue, a police detective, is married (Raena) and has three children. His daughter Tia, 10, is a highly skilled gymnast, and younger son Jordan, 7, plays pee-wee baseball.

"The police was really good and supportive in letting me take these kids and try to do what we did," he said.