Surfriders Get Kick Start From Coach Rosolowich

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Gary Rosolowich

As Kailua enters its third season under Gary Rosolowich, the transition period that often comes with a coaching change has long since been relegated to the rear-view mirror.

With an upgrade in facilities and a promising group of up-and-coming underclassmen in the fold, expectations for the Surfriders, who begin Fall camp on July 31, are understandably high.

Coach Rosolowich recently took a break from his busy schedule to answer questions from MidWeek.

What were your priorities as you entered spring practice and how do you feel about your progress in that regard?

My priorities were to evaluate our players and evaluate which end of our offensive and defensive spectrums to move toward.

Who had the biggest impact on you in your life and why?

As a born-again Christian, that answer is easy - Jesus Christ.

Of all the things one can do with his time, what influenced you to take on the responsibilities of running a varsity program?

There came a time in my life when I felt it was time to give back to the community (I have lived in Kailua for the last 17 years) and to change my life goals from success to significance.

Having grown up in Canada, where hockey is the No. 1 pastime, did you ever envision yourself coaching football?

After playing college football at Boise State, my hockey days quickly became a thing of the past.

Who would you consider your “mentor” in terms of how you go about running your football program?

I do not have one.

On July 5, Will Kimura, Matt Chang, Nicholas and
Darlene Rosolowich and others helped prepare the
Kailua football field for a delivery of sod from the
Waialae Country Club. Photo by Byron Lee, staff
photographer.

Although you cannot openly recruit at the high school level, you are free to sell your program to the community in an effort to attract kids.What are the benefits of playing football at Kailua?

There are 22 schools in the OIA that have football programs; 20 of those schools have larger student populations than Kailua, and the vast majority of the Red Division schools have twice the student population of Kailua. To be competitive in the Red Division and achieve the historical success this program has accomplished are a testament to the Windward community’s ability to produce very good athletes. We intend to continue that tradition while modernizing the facilities, equipment and coaching technologies to give our players advantages at the high school level and hopefully get them to the next level.

As you enter your third year at Kailua, have you changed your approach in how you go about things?

My approach is different now because the players are different. The underlying principles have not changed.

The game has changed significantly over the last decade, particularly in light of the innovative offensive concepts we have seen in the college game (Clemson, Hawaii, Northwestern, Texas Tech, etc.).

Have these schemes influenced your own thoughts on offensive football?

Offenses have changed because defenses have changed, and some rule changes have made some schemes obsolete. For example, gone are the days when a smaller running back could chop down a big defensive lineman.

A coach’s approach often comes

Gary Rosolowich

On July 5, Will Kimura, Matt Chang, Nicholas and Darlene Rosolowich and others helped prepare the Kailua football field for a delivery of sod from the Waialae Country Club. Photo by Byron Lee, staff photographer.

by way of the position he played himself. As a former defensive back, do you have more of a defensive mind-set?

I do have a tendency to look at things through defensive lenses.

Who on the Kailua roster will surprise people in 2006?

We will be very young this season. The potential for some very pleasant surprises on both sides of the ball do exist. My sense is, if we are successful, it will be because we

are surprisingly effective as a team without reliance on one or two superstars.

I know you are involved in 7-on-7 passing leagues at present. How is the battle at quarterback going?

Still battling.