It is not a subject Pat Guillen wants to discuss, but he is the institutional voice of an athletic department, and there are public obligations.
It is not a subject Pat Guillen wants to discuss, but he is the institutional voice of an athletic department, and there are public obligations.
You could say the athletic director at the University of Hawaii at Hilo is a good soldier.
In his own way, Guillen would probably agree. Athletes sitting down or taking a knee as a means of personal protest against discrimination are not getting a free pass from the Vulcans’ AD, a former Army Reservist.
Last week, in a conversation that reflected on his first full year in his role with UHH, he was asked if he expects the social protests of racial discrimination — sparked by San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to take a knee during the national anthem — to begin to spread throughout college athletics.
“I hope not,” Guillen said, “I really hope it doesn’t happen here with any of our players. If it does, we will deal with it as it arises, we are a public institution, obviously, we wouldn’t try to stop anyone from doing that, I just think it’s the wrong way to protest.”
He’s heard Kaepernick’s reasons to not stand for the anthem as his way of raising awareness for discussion of the injustices he sees facing African-American and other minority groups.
He also understands that across the county from the Big Island to the Big Apple, there is no group that is traditionally more likely to express an expanding social consciousness than college students.
“I can’t say I would be surprised (if it happened at UHH),” he said, “I just really hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to deal with it, because to me, you disrespect all those who shed blood for this country when you disrespect the flag by sitting down or taking a knee or whatever, it’s showing disrespect to their memories, for all that our people in uniform have done.”
Kaepernick has spoken publicly about his support for and respect of the military, and there are veteran’s groups adding their weight to the decision by the 49ers’ former starter. In response to the perceived disrespect seen by Guillen and others, Kaepernick recently said he respects the military and sees the ultimate disrespect for them when we send our young men and women to unnecessary wars.
Somebody said if you want a country that demands strict attention to the flag in specific ways, you might be thinking of North Korea. Kaepernick’s choice doesn’t exist in authoritarian ruled countries.
“I’m speaking for myself,” Guillen said. “From the school’s point of view, obviously we recognize that people, including our students, have the right do that. But that doesn’t mean, on a personal level, that I have to celebrate it, or like it. I hope it doesn’t happen.”
For Guillen, most things he had his fingerprints on in his first year on the job turned out rather well. In other cases, longer term plans are in motion. He gets a share of credit, with many others, for giving testimony to the state legislature on the need for an appropriation of funds for athletics at UH-Manoa and UH-Hilo. Those efforts resulted in an annual appropriation of $300,000 to Vulcans athletics. Along with money freed up by Chancellor Donald Straney, Guillen said the department has added over $700K to the department.
Every drop in the bucket is welcome but the problematic double standard of paying one coach to lead two soccer teams in the same season, while remaining the one program that involves the most players, is a public beast of burden carried by the athletic department. The message of the importance of soccer and being underfunded in terms of NCAA scholarship availabilities continues to retard the growth of the department.
Guillen agonizes at the term double standard and wishes he had more scholarship money but that kind of change doesn’t happen overnight.
“I share the desire to have two soccer coaches,” he said, “it really spreads a person thin because these are not just coaches, these are people we expect to teach life lessons, be a part of their education, prepare them for life after college, and yes, it’s asking a lot. I certainly understand that.”
Pragmatically, Guillen also has 800,000 reasons the Vulcans don’t have two soccer coaches. That’s how many dollars he said it will take, annually, to fund two soccer programs.
“Everything has to be paid for,” he said, “but if we have a donor who wants to build a relationship and cover that cost on an annually basis, I really want to talk to those people, wherever they are.”
Soccer is getting attention in another critical area, the unworkable situation with the unplayable field. The program played on the outfield of the old baseball stadium because its own field next to Kawili Street was improperly installed, the poor drainage preventing more than occasional use when the weather is just right.
Guillen is working through university channels for impact studies and all the rest required to rebuild the field, and he expects it ready for the 2019 season.
Internally, a new Vulcan booster club, led by Kona Moran, seems to be generating a response and Guillen said their efforts will be visible and impressive when the school hosts the Pacific West Conference cross-country championships later this fall.
Guillen replaced two coaches who seem good fits in soccer and softball, brought in a new sports information director following an internal shift of personnel and he shows up regularly at games and matches, his passion for the department on full display.
“I love this place, I don’t ever want to leave,” he said, “I just want to be a part of making it work better and become a bigger and more visible part of the community.”
A year after he started, a lot has happened and some major challenges remain in place until someone finds the proper funding to cast them adrift.