Time flies.

Not just when you’re having fun but in harsh times as well.

The other weekend former Wahine basketball player Janevia Taylor turned 23.  It was celebrated by about 100 in her hospital room where she’s in a coma.

Basically a year ago, Taylor was involved in car accident that left her barely alive.  Doctors induced the coma as part of her treatment and she hasn’t awoken - yet.

That’s the basic facts most people know.

But what I found out - through other stories and people involved - needs to be pointed out.

Taylor’s support team includes:

* UH Coach Jim Bolla and his staff.  They stop by and keep tabs constantly on what’s going on with her recovery.  People gripe and complain that the Wahine aren’t winning enough as of late but give Coach credit for caring about something important beyond w’s and l’s.

* Natalie Webb and Neal Iwamoto.  Nat manages the Friends of Janevia Taylor Fund that has channelled more than $27,000 towards Janevia’s care.  Neal is the UH sports information director that handles Wahine basketball.  Give him props for taking time out of his duties on the road to make the trip to visit the convalescent center. 

Anybody who can make the time in their busy days to help somebody in need like Janevia gets a round of applause.

It’s that type of caring and support that helps fuel Taylor’s recovery.

Recently she’s smiled, tracked people with her eyes a bit, squeezed a hand, and other subtle body movements.

The caregivers call it “semi-coma.”

The next step is to move her home once a doctor can be found who will visit regularly.

Let’s hope a year from “now” the news is even better.

360 days can’t fly by fast enough for her team of supporters.

You never know what you got until they’re gone.

That’s how I feel in the passing of longtime Pearl City baseball coach Mel Seki.  He died over the weekend at the age of 73.

Stacy Kaneshiro wrote a nice story that chronicles what Seki did for the Chargers. 

But beyond all the wins, titles, and state tournaments appearances - Coach Seki’s legacy will be in the shaping of lives.  All of those players and families he impacted as a baseball coach - and - as a longtime educator.

Yup besides coaching he was a teacher, vice principal, and principal.

I think universally everyone liked this man and no doubt he’ll be missed.  I’ll remember the 2007 OIA baseball championship game on OC16.  When the Chargers won the game, they doused Coach with the water bucket.  Reading their emotions, I think they did it with a lot of love in their hearts for him.

I hope they carry that love with them throughout their lives.  If they do, that will be the ultimate win for Coach Seki.

What  a tough time locally…  Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste and now Coach Mel Seki.  Thanks for always doing more for others than yourselves.

And coach, one more thing, please enjoy that skybox way up above.

I read Derrick DePledge’s nice article summing up the 52 Bills that could get chopped by the Governor’s veto power and it got me to thinking of two things.

One, I really loved those School House Rock features from back in the day.  Honestly I think I learned more about government and such from them (and still remember) than I did from many years of grade school.  Smile.

 Two, I realized that so many people and programs must be holding their collective breath as they wait for either a veto or signature to put things in motion.

My pet project to root for this session is the money needed to reconstruct Leilehua’s football field.  The state champs certainly deserve to have a safe and point of pride field to play and practice on.  In it’s current state, it alternates between being ok to a muddy mess to a just as hard as concrete hardpan.  Not to mention a breeding ground for bad infections.

Spearheaded by former Leilehua Mule slotback Marcus Oshiro, there’s a bill to fund a new synthetic playing surface for Hugh Yoshida stadium at the high school.  This replacement field would be so much safer to play and practice on.  And…as I keep saying a source of pride for the old time Wahiawa school and its fans.

Additionally, the bill would have funding for new fields at Castle and Mililani. (FYI Chicken Grease…OC16 does pay funds to the OIA for use of facilities…smile.) 

So I’ll be watching, reading, and talking to my high school contacts as we all wait to see if this bill becomes law with one very important signature.

I just knew watching all of those cartoons on Saturday mornings would pay off!

Hey all,

It’s only mid-June but it really seems like football is just a first down away.  So to help your offseason gridiron conditioning, here’s a sneak peak at the OC16 Sports TV football schedule.

Our 20th-season of high school sports kicks off with some awesome Interleague Games.

* August 22 - Leilehua vs Iolani @ Leilehua.  This matches both of 2007’s HHSAA football champs.  Mules winning D1 and the Raiders earned the D2 title.

* August 23 - Mililani vs St. Louis @ Milani.  How’s about Crusader legend Darnel Arceneaux, who now coaches Mililani, hosting and taking on his alma mater?  Makes for an intriguing dynamic.

* August 29 - Roosevelt vs Pac-Five @ Roosevelt.  Pending a few final technical tests to see if we can get our signal out of the Makiki field, you should be seeing two scrappy teams go at it on the newly reconstructed and beautiful looking Roosevelt High School field!  Word is that over a 100 kids are trying out for the Roughrider team because of the new vibe generated by the field of dreams.

 I’ll post more of the schedule soon.  Either here or on the blog at www.oc16.tv but in the mean time, discuss and enjoy!  We have a lot more new wrinkles planned that we hope viewers will enjoy.

Are you into money?

Like having, as the kids say, extra ”Benjamins” in the wallet?

If you said yes!   Show me the money! 

Then avoid becoming a high school coach.

Oh yes, being a high school coach pays off in big, big dollars.  It’s just that it’s the coach who’s paying out the money rather than receiving a big check.

 Case in point.  Frank Baumholtz the longtime co-head coach of the Pearl City girl’s varsity soccer team.

Coach B or Doctor B, depending upon your relationship with him (he’s a dentist afterall and has been keeping my smile in good shape forever but I digress) is a perfect example of how high school coaches don’t make money but rather run a deficit.

Doctor B, I can’t use Coach unless I’m interviewing him, recently told me the story of dealing with fundraisers and parents.  Both can be daunting but both are of course needed, especially at a public school program. 

Well, Coach likes to make sure the team has new uniforms every year or so.  The team enjoys a good looking set of gear to wear while Coach believes if his team feels good, they’ll play better.  Besides all of the running, drills, and weights that they do.

So anyhow the team organizes a few of the usual fundraisers and in a few months nets a nice $1200 and change. 

Soon the cool new swag arrives and the team is thrilled to be looking good - and if you know soccer and Pearl City - playing good.

What’s so noteworthy of this?

Well just after the team gets its gear.  A parent of one of the players, who knows a thing or two about soccer prices, comes up to Coach B and asks, “So how much money did those fundraisers bring in?”

Seems this parent has made a quick tally of all the stuff and figures something doesn’t add up.

He was right.  It didn’t add up.  The total bill for everything was more than $4000!

Coach B had made up the difference out of his own checkbook without telling anyone. 

Well he told me and now I’m telling you because he deserves to be recognized both for his generosity and for representing the majority of coaches.  Coaches who only get a small stipend (very small in the public schools) which doesn’t even cover their gas bill for a season. 

Yet all of these coaches give much more than they’ll every take in.

OK, I did say that Coach is a dentist so he has a decent job.  My teeth alone probably funded a few soccer balls.  But honestly I’ve known this man a long time, he has a solid family practice but he’s not sitting on a mint either.  He drives a basic truck and has a modest home in Pearl City.

He told me this story over lunch and I’m sure he had no idea I’d file it away for a story.  But these are kinds of stories I love.  Stories that should be shared because of the amount of grief that’s usually hurled at coaches from elements out there that complain and whine instead of really patting coaches on the back.

A nice uniform is a simple, small - yet - big deal to the still developing identity of a young person (remember looking cool is very important) - it’s a sense of validation and belonging.  Now, if that young player, who feels good about playing soccer, later becomes a little better citizen from the lessons learned at Pearl City…. 

Well that’s the priceless payoff for a coach such as Frank Baumholtz.

Now when’s my next teeth cleaning appointment?  Coach and the Chargers may need to buy something else.