LIHUE (HawaiiNewsNow) – There’s renewed discussion on Kauai over when high school football games are played.
Some want to bring back those beloved Friday night lights, but finding both short and long-term solutions hasn’t come easy.
It’s an issue dating back to 2010. Seemingly every season, there’s a debate over whether to prioritize protecting endangered birds or protecting young athletes from intense afternoon heat.
The Kauai Interscholastic Federation confirmed there will be no nighttime games for 2024 at the recommendation of the Department of Fish and Wildlife Service.
Rancee Thronas comes from a family of athletes and started an online petition to bring back Friday night lights.
“I Just think it’s time to get everybody together – specialists, scientists – and just figure out a way where we can make sure the birds are taken care of but also the keiki and the families watching,” Thronas said.
She says playing in the afternoon sun presents significant risks.
“You’re at these games, everybody’s so hot. We’re worried about our kids and it’s a safety issue. It’s getting hotter every year and we talk about it,” she said. “I’m like, ‘OK what do we have to do to get someone to notice?’”
This renewed discussion also comes in light of the Navy’s plan to increase inert bombing exercises at Ka’ula island, a bird sanctuary some 60 miles southwest of Kauai.
“It’s just perfect timing because it shows an example where the federal government is allowing them to bomb an island — that’s already happening — where these birds are from and nesting, but we’re just asking to turn on stadium lights for a few hours once a week,” Thronas said.
Friday night games were first moved to Saturday afternoons in 2010 to protect Newell’s shearwaters and other native birds. Football season coincides with fledgling season, and the county faces steep fines for every downed bird disoriented in stadium lights.
The county even set aside $4.6 million to retrofit lights with domes, but that still wasn’t enough.
An agreement back in 2017 did bring back four nighttime games based off risks linked to the lunar calendar. But this year, the KIF says officials with the Fish and Wildlife Department deemed the 2024 season high risk, therefore, the stadium lights will remain off.
Kauai’s Director of Parks and Recreation Pat Porter said in an email, “While our efforts have always prioritized the safety and enjoyment of our residents, we remain committed to exploring balanced approaches that align with the needs of our athletes, families, and the greater good of our island.”
The KIF athletic league added that coaches, trainers and staff are prepared to prevent and treat heat-related illnesses during games, and they remain committed to both athlete safety and environmental protections.
Hawaii News Now asked the county if they would explore the idea of investing in enclosed stadiums, and they said that wasn’t in the works, but they would be open to the idea if it ever aligned with financial resources.
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