Until a locker room was added to the school last season, football players at Lahainaluna High School in Hawaii could only hope passersby had an obstructed view.
"We waited almost 25 years to get a locker room," coach George Watson said. "The players would change in their cars in the parking lot."
It's easy to imagine how gleeful the players and anyone else with a passion for the school were when they learned that a $10 million football stadium project is being undertaken by the Lahainaluna High School Foundation.
"We're the only high school in our community, and it's something that would definitely benefit the athletes here," Watson said. "Any kind of improvement is big for us out here."
Since the school's founding 177 years ago on the west side of Maui (it's the oldest high school west of the Rocky Mountains), the football teams have never had a stadium of their own. Instead, the team drives 45 minutes to its "home field," the county-operated War Memorial Stadium. Even so, Lahainaluna, whose first team was fielded in 1925, is known for its fan support at the former site of the Hula Bowl.
"I think we've got the most supportive fans," said Watson, a member of the football coaching staff at the school since 1979. "I know other schools are happy when we come over. They end up making money on us."
Now, Lahainaluna hopes to be able to put on its own home game showcase in the coming years. With 45 players on the varsity squad and another 50-60 on the JV team, in addition to the soccer and track and field athletes who would benefit, plenty of players are anxious to see the new digs constructed. The projected stadium would have seating for 3,000, natural playing surface, lights, a concession building, bathrooms, an arrival building and a press box.
"We first met 10 or 12 years ago and brought the idea up of a stadium," Watson said. "We had first suggested to build it down somewhere in the community, but the cost of land was too expensive, and everything ended up back at the high school."
And the responsibility for gaining financial support landed in the lap of Jeff Rogers, development coordinator for the Lahainaluna High School Foundation. Rogers has the envious task of spearheading the fundraising campaign.
Rogers came to the area from San Diego.
"About 30 years ago, I was a diver on the Catalina Islands and a guy was sailing over to Hawaii the next day," Rogers said. "I jumped on the boat and three weeks later I was in Hawaii."
Two of his sons played football at the school before graduating, and another is a sophomore on the team. Rogers had been involved with the school's PTA, and had a background in working for non-profits. He started his position in July and gained significant publicity for the campaign shortly thereafter when ESPN's Neil Everett, a native of Hawaii, gave the stadium project a mention in a radio plug.
"This project is near and dear to my heart because of my sons being involved in the program," Rogers said.
The foundation plans to address the issues that prevent the team from playing on its home turf at Lahainaluna, which has an enrollment of just under 1,000 students.
"We have a practice field at the school, but we can't use it for games because of the lack of seating and a lack of adequate lighting," Rogers said. "We're in one of the hottest spots in Hawaii, so you can't play games here in the morning or afternoon."
Lahainaluna plays in front of crowds of 7,000 in its rivalry games - not bad for a town of 20,000.
"We have avid, almost rapid fans," Rogers said.
The project will reach well beyond the football team. The stadium, which would be constructed on school grounds, would also include a track. Currently, the track team has funding that allows them to travel to War Memorial Stadium's track once a week for practice. It would also be used for activities like graduation, Special Olympics and other community events.
"One of the original ideas was to build a track, and that blossomed into a multi-use, multi-sport facility," Rogers said. "In our school system, for us to get a new stadium would not be a priority. That's why it won't come out of the state general fund for schools."
The foundation has already garnered $3 million in pledges from community and alumni support and individual donors. Grants and corporate sponsorships are expected to make up the balance.
Needless to say, grant writing takes up a sizable chunk of Rogers' time. And when Everett agreed to come back to announce a game at the new stadium, Rogers was on to something. Alumni worldwide were able to get insight into the project.
"We have deep support from our alumni," Rogers added.
The current press box welcomes visitors to the hardened turf with the phrase: "Welcome to the Imu." "Imu" is the Hawaiian word for "underground oven."
The new press box might consider featuring the Hawaiian words for "a long time coming."
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.