Molokai's annual struggle to keep its athletic program afloat figures to be even tougher this year. Molokai short
Starting over
on funding
By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comInterim athletic director Ken Nakayama said about $7,000 in state funding was cut from the department's budget for the school year, which could jeopardize the seasons of teams competing in the spring sports.
"I think it's going to be even more severe than it has been in the past," Nakayama said.
The athletic department's financial straits are nothing new. Much of Molokai's annual budget goes toward travel costs incurred by teams flying to the Valley Isle to compete in Maui Interscholastic League contests.
Nakayama, who coached the Farmers to state baseball championships in 1999 and 2000, said the school isn't planning to eliminate any of its 14 sports yet, but the budget cut has made that a greater possibility.
"We can start the season, but it isn't going to last the whole year," he said. "How we're going to get through it, I don't know.
"As a baseball coach I was always worried that we would have to play half the season and forfeit the rest."
Nakayama said each team is responsible for raising money to play preseason games off-island. But with Molokai's economy slumping, there's less to go around these days.
"Every sport hits the community for money, so your taxing the people in the community quite a bit," Nakayama said.
The Farmers will not field a boys soccer team for the third year in a row and have trimmed traveling squads down to bare minimums. Nakayama said money is allocated to get teams through the MIL season, but those qualifying for state tournaments place added strain on the department.
"That's no time to be thinking about selling huli-huli chicken and sending the kids out to work," Nakayama said. "There's no way you can practice and put on some kind of sale to help pay for it."
Nakayama is filling in as athletic director until a permanent replacement for Kurt Ginoza, now the AD at Kamehameha-Maui, can be found. He said the job opening was recently posted and he hopes a new athletic director will be in place in a few weeks.
Raiders win in Waimea: The Iolani boys volleyball team successfully defended its title at the Waimea Preseason Invitational on Kauai last weekend.
The Raiders, last year's state runners-up, defeated Kauai in the finals of the 14-team tournament. Iolani's only loss came against Maryknoll in pool play.
The tournament season continues this week with the Kamehameha Boys Preseason Volleyball Tournament at Kekuhaupio Gym. The 16-team tournament hosted by the state champion Warriors starts tomorrow with pool play. The championship bracket starts at about 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Cardinals host tourney: Fresh off a runner-up finish in the Iolani Invitational, St. Joseph will host a preseason girls volleyball tournament of its own this weekend.
The second St. Joseph Girls Invitational Volleyball Classic is set for tomorrow and Saturday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo.
Participating in the 12-team tournament are defending state champion Iolani, Hilo, Honokaa, Kealakehe, Farrington, Waimea, Kamehameha-Hawaii, Moanalua, Hawaii Prep, Keaau, Waiakea and host St. Joseph.
Matches begin at 4 p.m. tomorrow and resume at 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students.
St. Joseph lost to nationally ranked Mira Costa (Calif.) in the finals of the Iolani Invitational last week.
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