The Rainbow Wahine story
New facilities, new fans, new hopes
| • | Highlights from the '90s |
Women's athletics is celebrating its 30th anniversary at the University of Hawai'i. In the last of a three-part series, The Advertiser looks at the gains made in the 1990s and goals that remain for a growing athletic program.
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
In the 1990s, the bar was raised in women's athletics, and an arena was being raised at the University of Hawai'i. These events were not mutually exclusive.
Advertiser library photo • 1999
Stan Sheriff Center (then the Special Events Arena) opened Oct. 21, 1994, to a volleyball sellout (10,031) that hinted of something startling: The Wahine would become the first volleyball team to make money in NCAA women's history. They have led the country in attendance, by huge margins, ever since.
Players and fans were happy to leave the sweltering confines of Klum Gym for the air-conditioned comfort of the Stan Sheriff Center, where Wahine volleyball has led the nation in attendance every year since 1994.
Donnis Thompson's outrageous notion to bring UCLA to Blaisdell Center nearly 20 years ago suddenly made sense. Her fight to see it through, and somehow sell the NBC out, was a first-round knockout that is now helping keep the athletic department afloat.
The financial boon put a new spin on gender equity. Most now agree the idea of equity is morally right — that could not be said two decades ago — but many still worry funding will harm existing programs.
"People's attitudes, the way they did things around here, have changed tremendously," says Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, who became UH's third senior woman administrator in 1989. "Now, because of the (Stan Sheriff) arena, a lot of things are done for men and women without thinking.
"Before, the men (basketball) were at NBC and Wahine and men's volleyball and women's basketball was in Klum. It was one of the biggest disparities. Because of the arena, that has changed. When I look back, we should have jumped out there and put Wahine volleyball in NBC like men's basketball years earlier. If I could change something, that would be the one. It could have built its fan base and season-ticket base earlier. Imagine if we'd done that in 1990 and not 1994."
Instead, the Wahine simmered in Klum with their fans. It was antiquated, miserable and a unique adventure. Visiting teams nearly always lost and were shocked by the sheer madness of it all.
Devoted following
They are shocked now by crowds rarely seen in the sport and one of the finest facilities anywhere. Even Wahine basketball, which has never had the Top-10 success or far-reaching support of volleyball, has built a devoted following in its new digs. It played its inaugural postseason home games in March, averaging 3,500 fans.
Advertiser library photo
Wahine softball also moved into a new home in the '90s. It took two tries to get its stadium right; initially, home plate couldn't be seen from most of the seats. While others went wild over the massive blunder, the Wahine loved their field from the moment they saw it.
Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, women's athletics administrator, said, "Because of the arena, a lot of things are done for men and women without thinking."
"It's beautiful now," says Deirdre Wisneski, who started coaching after finishing her career in 1995. "I would have loved to play in something like that. I don't think our girls really cared about the problems. They wanted to play in a stadium-type environment. They were excited. Even when we played alumnae games we were like, 'Wow, we wish we had this.' Even as coaches we got excited."
They had every reason. The last phase of the softball stadium still needs to be completed. And 20 years ago, a UH media guide had Cooke Field scheduled for renovation in 1982 to make it "the most sophisticated track in the Pacific basin." It also talked about the demolition of Klum Gym and the construction of "a new spectator gym . . . racquetball courts and 10 more tennis courts installed atop an addition to the parking structure."
Track and field was revived last year but couldn't compete at home because Cooke still does not meet NCAA requirements; it hopes to have a home by January. It took months for its coach to even find office space.
The list goes on. Klum is still standing. The new arena took 13 more years to build. Racquetball is nowhere in sight. The original tennis courts are in such poor condition the men's team refused to play on them last season. New ones are no longer mentioned.
Talk is cheap. Construction and gender equity come with a price tag. UH athletic director Hugh Yoshida and Moniz — the only WAC Senior Woman Administrator without an associate AD title — can tell you that in vivid detail.
Strategic planning
Yoshida wrote a strategic gender equity plan in 1994.
Advertiser library photo
"With Hugh, it has never been a debate about whether gender equity should be done," Moniz says, "just how it should be done because money is the issue."
Robyn Ah Mow earned All-America honors in the 1990s and now sets for the U.S. national team.
Two years later a committee wrote the six-year plan that ends next year. It added soccer, water polo, sailing, and track and field, more full-time coaches and a budget increase.
Moniz estimates UH has fulfilled about 85 percent of the plan. Participation opportunities are still lacking. When she came, 26 percent of the university's student-athletes were women. It is now 45 percent, but needs to be 54 percent (the same as female undergraduate enrollment) to truly be equitable. The plan also calls for more money for salaries, facilities and recruiting.
"Those are the areas we're working on," Moniz says. "The 2002-2007 gender equity plan can address those issues. Maybe we will achieve compliance in the next five-year period. I'm sure we will because I'm sure the president will require a new plan.
"It's a good time to come up with a new plan. A good time to dream, as the president says, and create a vision and long-term plan."
The foundation is solid. The women's budget has gone from $1.2 million to $3.5 million annually since Moniz has been here. UH offers 105 scholarships in its 11 sports — the NCAA maximum.
Volleyball has been back to the final four twice the past five years. Sailing won its first national championship in May, in only its fourth season.
Since Wisneski captained Hawai'i's first two NCAA Tournament teams (1994 and '95), UH has made three more postseason softball appearances. The 1995 team was denied its place in the College World Series when it was beaten by an ineligible UCLA player; the Bruins later forfeited their NCAA title, which was no solace to the Wahine.
Basketball started the '90s with its only NCAA Tournament victory and is now playing in the postseason almost annually. Swimming and diving just returned to the NCAA Championship for the first time since the '80s.
Coach Shari Smart is already looking for her 100th water polo victory, while Vince Goo (basketball) is closing in on 300 and Bob Coolen (softball) 400. Shoji should make 800 next season.
New challenges
With the exceptions of soccer, tennis and golf — odd exceptions in such a weather-friendly environment — all the Wahine sports are now at least flirting with national prominence. But the future needs to be brighter.
Advertiser library photo
"In the next three to five years I'd like to see every sport competing for a national championship or its equivalent," Moniz says. "I really believe we can do that. More teams are in championships now, there are more opportunities, so if we recruit wisely the next few years. ...
Karin Umemura was a water polo All-American.
"By 2010, I don't see why we couldn't be nationally ranked in every sport."
Her goals don't end there. UH still needs to reach Title IX compliance and create its new gender equity plan. Moniz says she'll have a $4 million budget in the next three years "or die trying."
And this year-long anniversary is more than a series of celebrations. Its true purpose is to kick-start a $10 million endowment campaign that will fund each of those 105 scholarships.
A new challenge to go with the new millennium.
