DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kohei Satomi of the Hawaiian Islanders stopped Bryan Eakin of the Peoria Pirates from scoring during a June 14 game.
Satomi has visa
to hit opponentsThe Islanders' defensive back
from Japan is having
a better season than last year's
complicated mess
Kohei Satomi is still learning the nuances of the English language, but already knows enough to succinctly sum up his first season with the Hawaiian Islanders.
"We sucked last year," Satomi said of the Islanders' 5-11 campaign a year ago.
arenafootball2 playoffs
Who: Wichita Stealth vs. Hawaiian IslandersWhen: Today, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Neal Blaisdell Arena
TV: None
Radio: KUMU2 1500-AM
Internet: hawaiianislanders.com
Tickets: Suite level $22.50, lower level $15, upper level adult $10, upper level children (ages 4-17) $7. Convenience fee will be applied.
Parking: $3
Satomi's second year with the Islanders has been far more productive, both personally and from a team standpoint.
Satomi, a defensive back and one of three Japanese players on the Islanders roster, got off to a rough start last year as complications regarding his work visa kept him off the field for all but five games.
He returned to the Islanders this season and ranked second on the team in total tackles (48) and pass breakups (10) during the regular season to help the Islanders win the National Conference West Division and earn their first berth in the arenafootball2 playoffs.
"I had visa problems last year and I was so frustrated," Satomi said. "But this year is better than last year. I'm having fun and I'm really excited now and I'm ready for the playoffs."
Satomi began the year on the practice squad with the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League. Rather than limit his action to practices with the Firebirds, Satomi elected to return to af2 and rejoin the Islanders to gain game experience.
He got his visa cleared with fewer complications this time and played his first game of the season on May 3 against the Wichita Stealth, the team the Islanders face tonight in an af2 first-round playoff game.
"After last year I wanted him back," Islanders defensive coordinator Doug Semones said. "In Indiana, he was on the practice squad and wasn't getting a chance to play, so when he had the chance to come here and play, he got on a plane and we were glad to get him."
Satomi roamed the middle of the secondary last year, but with former University of Hawaii safety Eddie Klaneski joining the squad as a defensive specialist, the coaches moved Satomi to cornerback.
"Playing the corner is a little more pressure situation, so having Satomi at the edge has helped us with Eddie in the middle," Semones said. "They work well together."
Satomi and Klaneski have worked to overcome the language barrier this season by developing a communication system they crafted when they shared an apartment earlier this summer.
"We lived together, so I got to talk with him a lot," Klaneski said. "He understands me and I can relate with him better because I know him a lot better."
Said Semones: "Satomi's English is OK, but Eddie has ways of talking to him and signaling him. It's kind of funny sometimes to watch them communicate."
Satomi, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, and Klaneski are also similar in stature and in their stubbornness when it comes to leaving the game.
COURTESY HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS
Kohei Satomi closed in on an opponent during a recent game. The defensive back moved to cornerback this season.
During Sunday's regular-season finale against the Bakersfield Blitz, Satomi barreled down the field to cover a kickoff and was on the wrong end of a wicked collision with a Bakersfield player. He wobbled to his feet, but refused to leave the field until coaches and trainers came out on the field.
"Satomi's a competitor, that's for sure," Klaneski said. "He's not going to come off because of something little. He got knocked out and he didn't want to come out. Satomi's one of our toughest guys."
Satomi began playing football in college in Japan and earned a roster spot with the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe in 2000. He said his immediate goal is to return to AF1, and his dream remains to someday reach the NFL.
"I think he's done a nice job here and in the right situation he can play this game," Semones said. "So if he gets an opportunity to play with somebody, that would be great."
For now, while Satomi continues to develop his mastery of defensive coverages and of English, he doesn't need a wide vocabulary to describe his primary mission on the field.
"Hit somebody."
