Budgetary constraints will force Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation athletic departments to eliminate team transportation for Saturday competitions, according to Diane Nitta, KIF executive director. Placing the responsibility on parents to get their children to weekend sports events is one of the
Budgetary constraints will force Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation athletic departments to eliminate team transportation for Saturday competitions, according to Diane Nitta, KIF executive director.
Placing the responsibility on parents to get their children to weekend sports events is one of the measures being taken to avoid losing entire programs or eliminating teams.
“We wanted to maintain at least what we have,” said Nitta, who noted that any plans to add sports were put on hold thanks to the cuts. There had been recent talks to put a wrestling program in place, but those discussions will now have to wait.
The league also distributed the 2009-10 sports schedule and was able to keep all seasons the same length.
Nitta said that having parents take their children to weekend sports is something that many already have done, or still do for their younger athletes. It would be too much to ask them to be available on weekdays when many games start in the middle of the afternoon or early evening.
“We are hoping this solution is temporary,” she said. “Internally, we are seeing what we can do, where we can cut back.”
Additionally, each school has to rectify what is just under a 30 percent cut to coaches salaries that was handed down by the state.
Waimea athletic director Jon Kobayashi was planning to speak with his coaches on Thursday night to discuss what they can do to meet the new budget.
“We’re in the process of figuring that out,” he said. “Each school will have to move some things around.”
Kobayashi said that he may be asking people to volunteer, rather than be paid employees, but that each program could have different remedies.
Nitta suggested that some sports may have to double up on coaches, saying that if there was formerly a girls coach and a boys coach for the same sport, that position may now have to be combined.
Kaua‘i High School head football coach Derek Borrero commented last week that the upcoming budget cuts will not dispirit many of the coaches he is familiar with.
“Whether or not we get paid, we love to be here,” he said. “Sometimes I wish none of us got paid.”
