Charles "Sparky" Kawamoto

Charles "Sparky" Kiyoichi Kawamoto (July 6, 1908 – April 7, 1982) was an American swimming coach. Kawamoto was most notable for coaching Yoshi Oyakawa who won the gold medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke at the 1952 Summer Olympics.

In the 1930s, Kawamoto founded the Hilo Aquatic Club in Hilo, Hawaii. After World War II, Kawamoto became a head coach for the Hilo High School swimming team. Kawamoto also coached Olympic swimmer Sonny Tanabe who helped the United States win a silver medal in the men's 4x200 meter freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He graduated from Hilo High School in 1928, where he would later coach. After high school, Kawamoto played in the Big Island Barefoot Football League from 1928 to 1934 where he played for the Waiakea Pirates and won league championships. Kawamoto would also coach football and play baseball. Local YMCA official and coach Yoshita Segawa described Kawamoto as "a guy from the street who wound up with a coach's dream by training small town kids to become world class competitors."

Sonny Tanabe, who Kawamoto also trained at Hilo High School and the Hilo Aquatics Club, competed for the U.S. in the preliminary heats of the 1956 Olympic men's silver medal-winning 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Kawamoto coached both Oyakawa and Tanabe in the 1952 Olympic trials in Detroit, Michigan.

Other outstanding swimmers include Edward Kawachika, who swam for Hilo High and would coach and captain The Ohio State University's swim team, Dennis Baker, who swam freestyle for Hilo High and set freestyle sprint records, Laurence Kaholo Hao, a national level competitor who swam for Hilo High and Indiana University, Masami Takahata, who swam for Kawamoto's Wailoa AA Club in the 1940s, Yoshinobu Terada, a national level swimmer who competed for Kawamoto's Wailoa Club in the 1940s, Joe Kalua, who swam for Hilo High in the 1950s, Walter Silva Jr., Roy Tanabe, Curtis and Robert Carlsmith, national level competitors who swam for Honolulu's Punahou Prep School,

Retirement career Kawamoto retired from his job selling hardware at American Factors (AMFAC) in 1972 but continued coaching and conducting swimming classes for children. In 1973, he started a swimming-based exercise program for retired Hawaiians at the Senior Program of the Parks and Recreation Department. The program, which attracted wide attention in Hawaii, was named "aquathenics". In addition to providing greater mobility and recreation to seniors, it aided stroke patients and provided therapeutic benefit for handicapped individuals.

As a lasting tribute, the Ho'olulu Swim Stadium, was renamed the Sparky Kawamoto Swim Stadium in his honor in 1981. The pool is Olympic-sized and includes a diving tower. Kawamoto was present at the ceremonies that honored him but was in failing health. He served as an advisor when the county was planning the pool, which was constructed at a cost of around one million, and served as a venue for state and international swimming events.