HONOLULU — Two distinguished supporters of University of Hawai’i athletics, a longtime Board member of the UH Na Koa football booster club, and a wahine volleyball team physician, are the latest inductees into the University of Hawai’i Sports Circle of
HONOLULU — Two distinguished supporters of University of Hawai’i athletics, a longtime Board member of the UH Na Koa football booster club, and a wahine volleyball team physician, are the latest inductees into the University of Hawai’i Sports Circle of Honor, a community service project underwritten by the Bank of Hawai’i.
Larry Tanimoto, one of the first Board members of Na Koa, and the club’s current Big Island representative, along with the late Dr. Allen Richardson, longtime team physician for the UH Rainbow Wahine Volleyball team, will be inducted into the prestigious Circle of Honor on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the halftime during the UH vs. Boise State men’s basketball game at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The announcement was made Friday afternoon at a media luncheon hosted by Bank of Hawai’i.
Throughout the course of his varied career which has included serving as a Honokaa High School teacher and vice principal, head golf pro at the Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf Course, County of Hawai’i Parks and Recreation director, County of Hawai’i deputy managing director, Big Island mayor, State House representative from the Island of Hawai’i, and University of Hawai’i Regent, Tanimoto has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting the University of Hawai’i and UH athletics.
Tanimoto earned a B.A. in education from UH, and attended San Jose State University for graduate studies in Handicap Education. While at UH, he received the first men’s golf scholarship and went on to become one of the best amateur golfers in Hawai’i during the late 1960s through 1970s. His love of UH football led him to initiate and rally support for many football projects, including bringing University coaches to the Big Island to assist with football clinics for high school students in the community. He also was instrumental in bringing the football team to Kona for two Spring scrimmages.
Described by his son Aaron as a “walking encyclopedia of UH football players and stats,” Tanimoto, in 1986, was one of the first supporters to be tapped by then UH Head Football Coach Bob Wagner to serve as a member of the Na Koa Board. Tanimoto remains an enthusiastic ambassador of goodwill for UH football and the University overall.
Gifted and internationally renowned orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine expert, Dr. Allen Richardson is this year’s second inductee.
He served as team physician for the UH Rainbow Wahine volleyball team for 25 years before succumbing to cancer last September. Richardson’s calm, reassuring manner and solid expertise provided a comforting presence on the Wahine bench – putting injured players at ease in times of trauma. A former All-American swimmer at Yale University, Richardson was a strong supporter of international swimming competition and served as Sports Medicine Chair for the U.S. National Swimming Team, and Federation Internationale Natacione Amateur.
He also served as Chairman of the Orthopedic Residency Training Program at the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine. For many Rainbow Wahine, Richardson was more than a team physician, he was a friend who continually had their best interests at heart. Despite his ordeal with cancer, Richardson maintained a positive outlook. His wife Pokey Watson, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming, will be accepting the honor on his behalf.
The UH Sports Circle of Honor was first formed in 1982 as the UH Sports Hall of Honor. Plaques for the inductees were placed on wooden stands in alcoves in the main lobby of the Athletic Complex. When the Stan Sheriff Center opened in 1994, the plaques were moved into the main, inner concourse, and the program was renamed as the Sports Circle of Honor.
Bank of Hawai’i continues as the program’s primary banker, providing funds and design expertise while UH provides administrative support. Upon the induction of the two newest members into the Sports Circle of Honor, 63 individuals and five teams will have been inducted into the Circle of Honor since its inception.
The formal induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Stan Sheriff Center during the halftime of the UH vs. Boise State men’s basketball game.
