Roosevelt Stadium field to get artificial surface
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
In an unprecedented move, the Legislature has appropriated $4 million to install a FieldTurf-like surface at Roosevelt High School Stadium, in addition to a new synthetic track and other capital improvements to the 75-year-old campus' athletic facilities.
Saint Louis and Kamehameha-Maui, private institutions, are the only Hawai'i high schools to have football fields with artificial grass surfaces. In 2003, Aloha Stadium installed FieldTurf, which has blade-like material that is stabilized by sand-and-rubber infill. It has since drawn rave reviews from players and coaches.
Parrilla
Although the money for Roosevelt has been approved, it will take several months for plans to be drawn and several more before work can begin, according to Sen. Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully). Roosevelt athletic director Rodney Iwasaki said he hopes the project will be completed sometime in 2007.
Roosevelt Stadium has been one of the state's busiest during football season, since it also is the home field for Farrington and McKinley. In past years, Kaimuki and the Interscholastic League of Honolulu also used Roosevelt for weekend football games.
With the constant usage plus rainy nights and scorching days, the grass field there has been almost impossible to maintain in recent years, according to Roosevelt football coach Les Parrilla.
"Our grass takes such a beating throughout the year, it never has a chance to recover," said Parrilla, who has been the varsity head coach for the past nine seasons. "It comes to the point where we worry about the kids' safety."
The project was proposed by Hawai'i High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya, who approached Taniguchi earlier in the Legislative session. Amemiya, who lives in Roosevelt's school district, and his wife, Bonny, have pledged $20,000 to purchase a new scoreboard and wireless 25-second play clocks for Roosevelt Stadium.
"(Stadium upgrades) will benefit not just Roosevelt, but the whole community," Amemiya said. "It will help the soccer teams, the track teams, the marching band, graduation ... the benefits are enormous."
Iwasaki, a 1970 Roosevelt graduate who has been a teacher, coach and administrator there for three decades, said the improvements could mean the school will be able to host league and state championships like it once did.
"We were one of the schools they always used for football, soccer, track and even softball tournaments," Iwasaki said. "If all goes well, we may try to bring back some of those events."
The FieldTurf at Aloha Stadium came at a cost of $1.3 million two years ago. The Roosevelt project likely will include more construction, including a widening of the field — so that it will be of regulation size for soccer — plus installation of a synthetic all-weather track and possibly new long jump and pole vault pits and runways.
The synthetic track is necessary not just because of weather concerns, but also to keep dirt off the artificial surface. Kaiser and Mililani are the only other O'ahu public schools with synthetic tracks.
Also, an alternate road access to Roosevelt's swimming pool may be built near the Auwaiolimu Street catwalk. Vehicles now enter the stadium from Nehoa Street and drive over the dirt track to reach the pool and adjacent parking area.
Taniguchi said private funding is expected to help pay for the project.
"It went into the budget under what we call general obligation bonds, and the Ways and Means Committee approved it, and then the House agreed," said Taniguchi, who is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. "Now it goes back to the (Department of Education), and then they'll start working on the planning and design."
Grass repairs failed
Amemiya and Taniguchi said Roosevelt's stadium was a priority because of its condition and heavy usage.
"There were a lot of issues with Roosevelt," Taniguchi said. "It's a field everybody uses."
Iwasaki said recent attempts have been made to repair the field, but to no avail.
"We've been trying to fix it every summer, and last year we tried to do a project where we dug it up and planted new grass," Iwasaki said. "But the grass wasn't taking in well, and we ended up having to cancel the (home) soccer season."
Iwasaki, a former head football coach, and Parrilla have spent long hours of their personal time over the years working on the field — watering, weeding and lining it.
By comparison, an artificial surface will require much less maintenance.
"Right now we have to line the field (with chalk) twice a week," Parrilla said. "I remember (former Saint Louis coach) Cal Lee once told me he lined his field twice a year."
Parrilla said he's looking forward to the day he can enjoy that luxury.
"(A new field) has been in the planning for how long," Parrilla said. "Nothing happens overnight, but this is great news. It's long overdue for the area, and I'll be ecstatic when it finally happens.
"It'll be nice."
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
