LIHUE — Eleven meticulously woven strands of ti leaves — one for each player on the field. And where those strands come together is a large knot, symbolizing Naval Academy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo — their Hawaiian-born leader. “I’m
LIHUE — Eleven meticulously woven strands of ti leaves — one for each player on the field.
And where those strands come together is a large knot, symbolizing Naval Academy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo — their Hawaiian-born leader.
“I’m working on it now,” Kalaheo resident Betty Ihara said of the special lei, speaking by phone from her daughter’s house in Florida.
On Saturday, Navy squares off against Army in one of America’s greatest and oldest rivalries. When they do, Niumatalolo will once again be wearing a lei made by 82-year-old Ihara.
“It means a lot to me,” the coach said Wednesday. “I really believe that it’s been good luck for us.”
The lei represents unity and is meant to bring safety to the squad, according to Ihara.
“With every weave, I put all my love in,” she said.
Each lei takes about seven hours from start to finish, including cutting, clipping, ironing and weaving. Ihara always fashions two — one for the coach and another for his wife.
She says it’s important not to forget his better half.
Like the Army-Navy matchup, the garland has become somewhat of its own tradition, despite the fact that Ihara and Niumatalolo have never met.
A native of Laie, Oahu, Niumatalolo took over as head coach six years ago. He said that prior to his first Army-Navy game — which he views as the biggest game of the year — a graduate student brought him the lei.
“I said, ‘Who gave it to you?’” Niumatalolo remembered.
The student told the coach that a woman — Ihara’s daughter — said to tell him it was “from the people of Hawaii.”
“I thought, ‘Wow,’” Niumatalolo recalled. “I could tell whoever made it knew what they were doing.”
Navy blasted Army by a score of 34-0.
“And so ever since that year, I’ve been wearing it,” Niumatalolo said.
It hangs boldly around his neck when he takes the field. It’s there when he celebrates Navy’s triumph (the only result he has seen as a coach). And it’s in plain sight during his pre- and post-game interviews.
Much like the gift, the victories have continued. In each of his five years at the helm of the program, Niumatalolo has led his Midshipmen to a win.
And each year, Ihara, a self-proclaimed “football nut,” watches the game — and her creation — on TV. Not surprisingly, she roots for Navy and Niumatalolo.
But this year is different. Ihara will attend the game Saturday in Philadelphia with her daughter and son-in-law.
The looming question is will she get to meet the coach? Or better yet, personally present the lei to him when she drops it off at his hotel Friday?
She truly hopes so.
“I’m in seventh heaven,” she said in an excited voice.
Ihara’s daughter Sharlyne Fallon, who works as a teacher in Orlando, Fla., has been attending the Army-Navy game for more than 10 years with her husband Michael, who works in pharmaceuticals for Johnson & Johnson in the military division. The tradition started when Sharlyne asked her mother if she would like to make a lei for Niumatalolo, who is also a 1998 University of Hawaii graduate.
A passionate lei-maker, Ihara did not hesitate.
Niumatalolo said Wednesday he is also looking forward to meeting Ihara.
“I just feel very humbled,” he said. “They’re beautiful ti leaf leis. There’s some time and love and dedication put into these.”
Somewhat ironically, Ihara had three brothers who served not in the Navy, but the Army. And all three grew up playing in the barefoot football league.
One brother was killed in September 1950 while fighting in Korea.
“He was only 22,” Ihara said. “So young.”
When asked why she is a fan of Navy, Ihara said she roots more for individuals. And as a Hawaiian, she has taken a liking to the Hawaii-born football coach.
On Saturday, she will be sitting on the Army side of the field. However, she will still be wearing a Navy jersey, although she joked it may be best to cover it up so as not to cause a stir.
While fashioning the lei on Tuesday, Ihara sported a Navy sweatshirt. She had just finished watching “A Game of Honor,” a new documentary film about the Army-Navy rivalry.
In the movie, Ihara said she could see Niumatalolo wearing one of her leis.
In addition to bringing his team good luck so far, Niumatalolo says the lei reminds him of home.
“I look forward to it every year,” he said. “(As long as) she can make it, I’m going to wear it.”
To show his appreciation last year, Niumatalolo sent Ihara a picture of him wearing her creation, along with a letter.
He addressed it to “Tutu Betty.”
“Now I have a famous grandson,” she joked.
Up for grabs this year for Navy is a 12th straight victory over Army.
Since 1980, the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen have faced one another 113 times. In addition to the longest winning streak, which could be extended once again on Saturday, Navy holds the series overall record of 57-49-7.
Saturday’s game begins at 10:10 a.m. HST on CBS.
