Thursday, July 9, 1998

National prep
association to hold
convention here

The NFSHSA's 2001 summer
gathering is expected to draw
more than 1,000 participants

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

The National Federation of State High School Associations will hold its annual national summer conference on Maui in 2001.

A spokesman for the federation in Kansas City, Mo., said the conference will draw more than 1,000 participants from 51 state associations.

The federation wrapped up its six-day national conference in Denver last week, at which the national board of directors officially awarded Hawaii the 2001 conference.

Delegates from 11 member associations of the federation will converge on Maui this fall for a four-day regional conference.

Hawaii, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska will be represented at the conference, scheduled Oct. 11-14.

Seven officers of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association attended the recent national federation conference.

HHSAA president Anthony Ramos said the local delegation didn't include incoming executive director Keith Amemiya. Ramos, the secondary principal at Kamehameha Schools, said there wasn't enough time to include Amemiya in the travel plans. He was chosen by the HHSAA executive board June 22.

Despite the attendance of seven HHSAA officers, the federation office said yesterday that Hawaii was the only state not represented when the National Council met to vote on the final day of the conference.

Each of the 51 member associations, which includes the District of Columbia, is entitled to a vote on the National Council.

Ramos said last night that he wasn't aware that Hawaii wasn't involved in the vote.

HHSAA officers who registered for the federation conference were Ramos, interim HHSAA executive director Henry Kibota, Oahu Interscholastic Association executive secretary Dwight Toyama, Maui Interscholastic League executive secretary Steve Kim, incoming HHSAA executive board member Michael Nakano (Lahainaluna High principal), Big Island Interscholastic Federation executive secretary Roy Fujimoto and Kauai Interscholastic Federation executive secretary Brent Mizutani.