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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, April 28, 2006

Girls draw big crowds at Kalani

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

It's Wednesday night and cars are parked in every available stall around the Kalani High School gym. Others are pulled up over the curb and onto the grass. A pack of titas sits in the bed of a truck parked right up to the gym windows. They watch the game with their noses pressed to the screen.

Inside, the band is rocking, the crowd is screaming and Darold Imanaka is watching his dream take shape.

All this for a sport not known to draw big crowds. Or even little ones.

When Imanaka took over as head coach for Kalani girls' basketball last year, he wanted his players to know the magic of playing for a packed house — the way he and his Kalani teammates did back in 1971.

Imanaka started gathering donations and giving away prizes at the games — good prizes like televisions and a trip (for one) to Vegas.

"Everybody laughs at that 'trip for one', but I tell em, eh, I go with you," he jokes.

Pretty soon, parents and alumni started rustling up prizes, stocking a snack bar for the players so they didn't have to go across the street to the mall to get food before practice, and making sure there was good food at the concession stand.

The Kalani band has offered steadfast support. Their booming presence makes a regular season game feel like a big event. Imanaka has offered to pay for a bus to get them to the state tournament should his team make it.

During a time-out in the game against Kailua, a dad in a red Kalani shirt makes his way down the bleachers and across the floor. The band starts up a rousing beat. The dad bursts into an impromptu dance. The crowd goes wild. After a trip to the bathroom, he's back again, this time leading "the wave." Even the refs laugh.

There are parents and grandparents in the stands, many dressed as if they came straight from work. Imanaka's parents come to every game, too, just like when he was playing 35 years ago.

The loudest fans are the varsity football boys. They rip confetti, make up cheers, totally caught up in the girls' game. On Senior Night, they have a favorite — Kerri Chikamori, a petite player who hasn't seen much game time. The boys scream themselves hoarse when she has the ball. It's rowdy, happy, good fun. When the seniors are announced at the end of the game, one of the players is described as "5-foot-6 ... in 5-inch heels."

The team's performance has also helped pack the stands. Kalani has a 9-1 record and will compete in the OIA Division II playoffs in two weeks.

Still, Imanaka feels he's falling short. He wants the whole gym packed. He wants standing room only.

"I told them well, we'll get there one day. We just have to work a little harder."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.