LIHU‘E — The football players and cheer leaders were not the only ones busy, Monday at Isenberg Park. Monday was the first day of the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League’s fall season and the Lihu‘e Patriots of the Lihu‘e Pop
LIHU‘E — The football players and cheer leaders were not the only ones busy, Monday at Isenberg Park.
Monday was the first day of the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League’s fall season and the Lihu‘e Patriots of the Lihu‘e Pop Warner Association were already fully engaged in various conditioning exercises.
“The leaders are all in the ‘office,’” one parent watching the conditioning said. “They’re doing paperwork.”
Lilane Corpuz returns as president of the Lihu‘e Pop Warner Association. Corpuz said she’s thrilled about some of the new additions for the athletes.
“We just got four new cheer mats,” Corpuz said. “Our helmets and other supplies are already here, but the mats just arrived. Just in time for the season.”
Tina Albao, one of the LPWA leaders, said in addition to Corpuz and the LPWA administrative board, Stacey Hirokane stepped in as cheer coordinator, overseeing about 30 young girls who signed up for the Mitey Mite and Junior PeeWee divisions.
“We don’t have any Junior Midget cheerleaders,” Albao said. “But we have two student demonstrators from Kaua‘i High School.”
Al Albao is the LPWA football coordinator and oversees more than 85 football players who signed up for the Mitey Mite, Junior Midget and Junior PeeWee programs.
“We just had one come in today,” Corpuz said. “Kids who are interested in either the football or cheer program can still sign up until Sept. 15. But the later they register, the more conditioning they need to make up before they can play.”
The Lihu‘e Patriots sport 35 players in its Mitey Mite program, 22 players in its Junior Midget and 30 players in its Junior PeeWee program.
“Right now, we start off with conditioning for three weeks, five days a week from 4:30 to 6:50 p.m.,” Corpuz said. “That’s two hours of conditioning with 20 minutes allowance for water breaks.”
After Labor Day, practice tones down to just three days a week, she said, noting there may even be scrimmage games scheduled with other association teams following the three-week conditioning period.
A formal fall schedule of games is being worked on and will depend on the turn out for the other associations, she said.
“Right now, we’re looking at trying for a first game on a Friday night, Sept. 2,” Albao said. “We’re going to try for a few Friday night football games.”
Corpuz said in addition to the workouts and practices, LPWA will be hosting its food booth at the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair, Aug. 25 through 28 with offerings of malasadas, French Fries, Li Hing Mui Apples, Kaua‘i Coffee and cold drinks.
“Mark Oyama of Mark’s Place will be making the malasada dough, again this year,” Corpuz said. “He and his staff have been very supportive of the kids and we really appreciate them.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
