Football pool

“It’s a tradition,” said coach Nick Rolovich, kicking off the annual pool day for the Warriors.

A little bit of history:

> Pool day started as a reward during the JJ era.

> Pool days are pre-planned, but to make it entertaining, sometimes there would be a “reward” competition. If a kicker converted a field goal, say, then everyone got a pool day. Thing was, there were times when the kicker would miss. And the the competition would have to be extended. Think of Nate Robinson’s victory in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

> Kahuku players were usually the best at diving off the 25-foot platform. Well, they are the most experienced. Jumping off Laie Point is a rite of passage on the North Shore.

> The best diver among the coaches? That would have to be former UH assistant Rich Miano. Then again, Miano was a diver at Kaiser High.

> Alas, the platforms are undergoing renovations and were not available today.

> Several years ago, there was a wideout who just couldn’t muster the courage — or recklessness — to jump from the 25-foot platform. Teammates voiced encouragement. Teammates called him names. But no go. He couldn’t do it. And then near the end of the season, with only a couple teammates accompanying him, the wideout made the jump. There are no time limits on persistence.