$IGN$ of the times. Toyama’s job is to
keep up with the timesLiterally.
The Wally Yonamine Foundation/Hawaii High School Athletic Association state baseball tournament. The First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA state girls basketball tournament.
Sponsorship is the wave of the future and Dwight Toyama is hoping island businesses will continue to stay on board for the ride.
When Toyama took over as HHSAA executive secretary in August, he wasn't sure how much prep state tournaments were worth. His predecessor, Ed Kiyuna, broke ground with an annual $25,000 grant from Nissan Motor Corporation to augment the support from the Department of Education.
With the HHSAA becoming autonomous last year, Toyama knew he would need more.
"Actually, I had no idea what was needed when I took over," said Toyama, a former Kaimuki High athlete who went on to become the Bulldogs' athletic director. "My goal was $35,000 but we ended up with a total package of about $88,000.
"Now we think that even that isn't enough. We're shooting for $100,000. I think that's realistic."
WHILE he asked not to reveal the individual amounts for events, only two state championships -- swimming and tennis -- did not have title sponsors this school year. Buying into the concept at a minimum of $5,000 were Hawaiian Airlines (bowling and boys basketball), Honolulu Marathon Association (cross country), Yonamine Foundation (baseball), Nissan (volleyball), Island Movers (track and field), First Hawaiian Bank (girls basketball), Bank of Hawaii (softball), David Ishii Foundation (golf), Outrigger Hotels (soccer) and Data House Inc./GTE
Hawaiian Tel (wrestling).
"People want to help but there are so many requests for donations," Toyama said. "I hear it over and over that times are tough.
"To be honest, I didn't know how to put a value on a tournament. I think people wanted to help us get started but I don't know if they'll be back for a second or third year. I'm up-front in telling them they probably won't get back their money in terms of the advertising. Some of those we approached originally walked away when I said that. I'm thankful for the ones who stayed."
TOYAMA'S biggest competition is the University of Hawaii. Sponsors, he said, don't get back in market value for prep sports what they get at the collegiate level.
"We can appeal to their altruistic side but, come next year, these same people may want to donate to something else," Toyama said. "The economy being the way it is, I don't know if what we got this year was luck, people helping us start out or if there is a real commitment to high school sports."
One thing Toyama has learned is not to schedule conflicting state tournaments. Earlier this year, the girls' softball championship went head-to-head with state soccer.
"We got smashed at the gate," he said. "We cannot double up events on the same weekend on the same island."
It's definitely a learning experience for Toyama, who begins his second year of a three-year contract in August. The move was a lateral one in terms of pay -- about $50,000 -- but he lost the benefits he had been accruing during his 21 years with DOE.
"My colleagues pushed me to apply for the job," said Toyama, who has one administrative assistant in Andrea Festa. "Some people tell me I'm kind of nuts to gamble going from DOE with its security to this. But I'm enjoying the job."
It isn't the first time that Toyama has had to adjust to a new environment. The first day he arrived in Oregon to attend Eastern Oregon State, he was surrounded by cowboys and Indians.
"It was the Great Pendleton Roundup, only I didn't know that at first," he said. "I was wondering what I'd gotten myself into."
Some 20 years later, Toyama is wondering again.
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.