Inline hockey league just needs ‘a little help’

Adding a roof to the Kapa‘a hockey rink would not just benefit the league, but could provide a future economic boost to the community, according to John Masterson, one of the active coaches and volunteers for the Kaua‘i Inline Hockey Association.

The state’s inline championships were held on O‘ahu from June 12-14 at the Mililani Inline Hockey tournament, which attracted many teams from the outer islands. There were well over 1,000 kids who came out to play in the tournament.

If a roof were added to the Kapa‘a facility, it would become the best equipped location that could potentially house future state championships.

The rink has undergone recent transformations with boards and glass added this year. The new lights, though second-hand, now allow for players and spectators to more easily follow the action.

However, Masterson feels that a roof is necessary to maintain the rink’s quality.

“We’re just looking for a little help from the county,” he said. “We know we’re low on the priority scale, but we just need a little help.”

Masterson said that a roof would cost about $400,00.

To this point, the league has been able to succeed without overwhelming funding thanks to the parents and coaches who have contributed their time and energy to work on the rink.

They have also struggled with vandalism, having to pick up broken beer bottles on the ice before, and sometimes even during play.

Masterson pointed out the efforts of Todd Mayer, who he said was the backbone of the league’s survival. After basically starting out of the trunk of a car, the league has grown in scale and certainly in quality, as evidenced by the 12 and Under Team Kaua‘i bringing home its sixth consecutive gold medal last week.

Before that, it was a team called the Bullfrogs that won the state title nine years in a row.

With few resources, Kaua‘i has become one of the more elite programs in the state. Masterson feels that the next necessary step is a point person who can be the league’s voice to solicit funding. With companies willing to provide leagues with equipment when contacted, a coordinator who can make those connections, as well as head up the fundraising and recruitment process would be very valuable.

Masterson feels that it’s “just not his place” to fill that role, but the league desperately needs somebody to handle public relations and solicitation.

Masterson also mentioned that at one time, the rink was used for hula and is currently used by the newly created Kaua‘i Derby Divas, a women’s roller derby league. A new roof would provide an all-weather facility, which would be a viable resource to these and other local organizations. It would allow for increased expansion, as well as give Kaua‘i the ability to host inter-island events to boost our local economy.