By Paul Honda
paul@hondareport.com
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

More about yesterday's HHSAA executive board meeting.

• Approval of proposal to bring all boys soccer state tournaments to Oahu

The language of the proposal includes a travel stipend of $2,500 for each neighbor-island team, but officials from different leagues considered the notion a "token" amount.

"That $2,500 doesn't come close to what we spend," Big Island Interscholastic Federation executive secretary Ken Yamase said.

The Maui Interscholastic League's Richard Young was especially annoyed at the prospect of the MIL losing its spot as the state tourney host next season. "So we will not host boys soccer in '07-08," he said, "or we will and you'll give a $2,500 stipend to each of the traveling teams (from Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island)?"

With the ILH and OIA likely to vote for the proposal — the two leagues have more votes than the neighbor-island leagues combined — Young considered the move a steam-roll and put Amemiya up to task.

"Is this your personal preference," he asked.

HHSAA chief Keith Amemiya replied, "It was my proposal. It got rejected (at HIADA)."

Amemiya's proposal noted that poor attendance was a factor in the last boys soccer state tourney on Maui, while Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium is a premier venue.

Kahuku principal Lisa DeLong, co-representing the OIA, noted that if the tourney is played on Maui, there could be as many of 11 teams forced to travel.

However, Yamase noted that the hardships of travel shouldn't be limited to neighbor-island programs. "It's a hardship," he said.

KIF vice-president Bill Arakaki concurred. "Having it on Maui gives Oahu schools an opportunity to experience fundraising," he said.

• DQ questions

An HIADA measure regarding disqualifications was also delayed in lieu of detailed language. The proposal from the OIA calls for a disqualified athlete to become ineligible for second-round competition, but did not specify whether the action refers only to golf or all sports.

The board will revisit the proposal in August.

• No cheers here

The BIIF vehemently opposed a proposal, already passed by HIADA, that would move cheerleading to the fall. Yamase noted that the state championships on Oahu, essentially in the
midst of Christmas season, would cause traveling obstacles.

Yamase requested that the championships be pushed back a couple of weeks so that teams can have more time to practice. However, scheduling coordinator Rodney Iwasaki cited the timing of seasons and noted that a change would push the championships into the winter.

OIA chief Dwight Toyama also noted that there are no restrictions on cheerleading, so teams can start training as early as June, if desired.

The proposal passed 60-32.

All other proposals passed at HIADA were approved by the HHSAA board. The open session of the meeting concluded more than 4 hours, the longest duration in recent memory.

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