Saturday, June 12, 1999
State prep football
tourney approved
Athletic directors give it
By Cindy Luis
their OK, the HHSAA
executive board votes next
Star-BulletinLIHUE - The state's first high school football championship was overwhelming approved this morning as the Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association concluded its 39th annual conference.
Football and air riflery, which was also approved today, are the 12th and 13th sports added to the busy championship schedule. As of next season, there will be 13 sports for boys and 12 for girls at the state level.
The HHSAA also approved various by-law amendments that will bring Hawaii in line with national federation procedures and the sports calendars for the school years 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. Sent back into committee are proposals to expand baseball, and boys and girls state basketball and soccer tournaments from 12 to 16 teams.
All measures passed today will be sent on for approval by the HHSAA executive board and its meeting on Maui next Thursday.
Today's final session wrapped up three days of events that included last night's awards banquet. The keynote speaker for the third consecutive year was Robert Kanaby, the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations.
"These are tough times in education and for high school athletics," Kanaby told the high school athletic directors, administrators and principals in attendance. "People are questioning are sports good for America.
"In this room are the answers. Your jobs are about amassing a living wealth. Your achievements are not measured in monuments or material wealth. It's in the adults who are good citizens who were once your student-athletes.
"Sports teaches truth and honesty. It's about character being taught and character being kept. That's why sports are good for America."
The association honored several longtime athletic directors with certificates of merit. For 25-plus years of service were Hugh Taufaasau of Nanakuli and Mililani's John Kauinana; for 20 years, it was James Bukes (University) and John Hom (Pac-Five and Hawaii Baptist); and for 15 years, cited was Pete Estomago (University).
The Coaches Award went to former Olympic diving medalist Keala O'Sullivan Watson, who has coached diving at Iolani and several other schools, and Eddie Maruyama, the former Moanalua boys' basketball coach who was named athletic director at Radford last year.
Kapaa athletic director Dwight Fujii and Keith Morioka, athletic director of Waipahu, were given the Outstanding Service award while Dan Aritta, president of DataHouse, was presented with the award for contributions by a non-HIADA member.
Yesterday's committee meetings dealt with final touches on the proposals presented this morning. Among the most difficult tasks belonged to Iolani's Carl Schroerers, who chaired the committee for scheduling state tournament dates.
Tournaments were juggled to avoid overloading any given week with more than three state events, to provide access to the best venues as well as to not burden any one league with an unfair share of hosting duties. Helping alleviate some of the rotation scheduling was the approval of Maui as a site for baseball; next year, the sport will hold its tournament on the home island of its financial sponsor, Wally Yonamine.
