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Wednesday, April 5, 2000

Title IX
progress outlined

HHSAA proposes a state
cheerleading championship and
wants girls' basketball to
stay in the spring

Moanalua girls' basketball team wins

By Dave Reardon
Star-Bulletin

If the Hawaii High School Athletic Association has its way, cheerleaders will compete for an official state championship next school year -- and they will continue to root for their respective girls' basketball teams in the spring, not the winter.

According to a March 31 letter to the attorney for Jill Nunokawa from HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya, competitive cheerleading would bring Hawaii closer to compliance with federal law guaranteeing equal athletic opportunity regardless of gender (Title IX).

If HHSAA is taken to court and found not to be in compliance with Title IX, the state could lose federal funding for high school sports.

"The response I've received so far (to the cheerleading proposal) has been generally positive," Amemiya said.

Nunokawa, a vocal leader in athletic gender equity issues, was lukewarm at best.

"If you're going to make it a sport, you'd better make it a sport," she said. "It has to have a legitimate competitive season and not be peripheral to other sports."

The same letter cites surveys of girls' basketball players and coaches in which 84 percent of the players and 86 percent of the coaches polled said they would prefer the sport not be changed from spring to winter.

"You don't necessarily want high school kids making decisions, but why not ask them? It's about them," Amemiya said. "They and the coaches see the problems it would cause to move the season."

Nunokawa questioned the validity of the survey, since it was administered by Amemiya.

Amemiya's letter is a response to a Nov. 3, 1999, request for documents from attorney Lea Hong on behalf of Nunokawa.

The six-page response cites new state tournaments in wrestling and golf, as well as the proposed one for competitive cheerleading.

Cheerleading teams now compete in events sponsored by entities other than the HHSAA. On March 19, Kamehameha won the unofficial state cheerleading championship at the Spirit Challenge Hawaii sponsored by the University of Hawaii cheerleaders. About 30 schools participated.

"We've been an athletic activity for a long time now," Kamehameha coach Dolly Wong said. "Michigan has competitive cheerleading. I think it's about time."

Wong said there could be problems at first, including a lack of qualified coaches and facilities for all interested schools.

University of Hawaii assistant athletic director Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, who works daily with Title IX issues at UH, had some reservations.

"I think it's a positive step, but the question that comes to mind is, 'Is there a regular season schedule, or is this a free for all?' Will the OIA and other leagues have championships? Will coaches be treated like other coaches, and get enough training and support staff?"

Dwight Toyama, Oahu Interscholastic Association executive secretary, said the OIA is moving ahead with plans to have league competition in cheerleading in the 2000-2001 school year.

"Yes, we will probably go that way," he said. "We hope all 21 of our schools will be involved."

Toyama said the OIA will probably divide into big- and small-school divisions for cheerleading, and that other concerns will be addressed through meetings with coaches this spring.

At least three leagues are needed to be involved for the HHSAA to hold a sanctioned championship.

On the issue of the girls' basketball season, Amemiya said Hawaii is not violating federal law by having the girls' season in the spring.

"Being aligned with what they do on the college level is not part of Title IX," he said.

Girls' basketball in Hawaii is not played in the winter for two major reasons: lack of facilities and officials.

Moanalua coach Dana Dias said last night that she prefers her team playing in the spring.

"We're fine sitting where we are. I like the opportunity to have the last season where we don't have to share facilities," Dias said. "We're getting the opportunity to have quality practices where we don't have to share the gym time. I have no complaints (with the current schedule)."

Punahou coach Shelly Fey said she has mixed feelings.

"I've been playing and coaching in the spring forever, and I know why it happened. It was appropriate for the time," she said. "There would be advantages to moving it to the winter, such as preseason tournaments on the mainland and college recruiting. Changing would affect so many people, so there would have to be a serious scenario to see how it would work."

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Tim Crouse contributed to this report