Athletics facilities get a much-needed upgrade at UH-Hilo

The University of Hawaii at Hilo recently completed several renovations to its athletics facilities.

The updates included a new soccer field, an updated softball field, new tennis courts, and a multi-purpose clubhouse with bathrooms and a concession area.

“This is a great new mainstay for the university,” said UH Hilo athletics director Patrick Guillen. “Kids want to see college progress and these new facilities are definitely a sign of progress.”

The approximately $5.3 million project has been approved by the Board of Regents and the state legislature and is funded through project grants for capital improvements. Designs began in 2017, and groundbreaking for the project took place in October 2020.

“When I came here seven years ago, we hadn’t added any new athletics facilities in almost 40 years,” said Guillen. “It took a few years, but we made it.”

The new soccer fields are the first soccer-specific fields with artificial turf in the country.

“Most of the astroturf fields are also soccer fields in the state of Hawaii, so this is the only soccer-specific astroturf field in the state,” he said. “It’s state of the art with new drainage, turf and everything else. Our students and community definitely deserve it.”

Previously, student athletes trained at a variety of locations, including the Bayfront fields, the Amauulu fields, the school’s gymnasium, and the outfield of the softball field. This required athletic coaches and coaches to wake up early, travel off-campus, and change their schedules based on available locations.

“We were the nomads in football. We never knew where we were training on any given day,” said Guillen. “None of it was ideal, but now we know exactly where we’re going to be. We’re right on campus, and it changes everything.”

Of the estimated 225 student-athletes at UH-Hilo, nearly 40% participate in the soccer program, making it a significant update.

The tennis courts were also in dire need of repairs, with Guillen recalling inch-wide cracks protruding from the surface, making matches almost impossible.

“We didn’t just renovate the tennis courts,” he said. “We actually demolished the concrete completely and went down about 8 or 10 inches and removed all the old concrete, poured in new concrete, and then applied a new finish. It really is a world-class tennis court, certainly the finest on the island.”

In addition to remodeled drainage, new fences and two pickleball courts, the tennis courts also feature a Laykold surface, an eco-friendly design made from recycled tennis balls with power reduction to prevent injuries. The material is used in eight of the top 13 hard court events in the US and Canada, including the US Open.

“If you saw what our tennis courts were before this project compared to what they are now, day and night is an understatement,” he said. “Our tennis program is a national caliber championship program, and now we have a world-class facility that our entire community and student athletes can be proud of.”

The softball fields have also been updated, including a new drainage system and a Vulcan logo on the outfield. Softball players can also use the new bathrooms in the new multipurpose facility.

“It’s about 1,100 square feet with restrooms, concessions, a team room and storage space, which is nice and much needed,” Guillen said of the new facility. “Whether you were a player or a fan, you had to run all the way behind the home plate dugout near our practice baseball field just to use the restroom.”

Future updates for the athletics department include remodeling of the showers and weightlifting room.

“Next, we hope to start the design part of what I call phase two,” he said. “Next year we will do some design work and hopefully we can start construction when the funds come in in 2024.”

Guillen hopes the updates will help with the recruitment process.

“Our coaches did a great job recruiting with the previous facilities,” he said. “But now they can recruit a little easier as we now have some brand new, state-of-the-art facilities to be proud of.”

After the updates, the UH Hilo athletes showed improvements both athletically and academically.

“We finished the year on very good terms,” ​​he said, noting that two students, Bria Beale and Daelenn Tokunaga, were named PacWest Scholar Athletes of the Year for their sport and 133 student-athletes made it to the All-PacWest Academic Team succeeded, setting a new record for the school.

“Obviously I’m happy with the new facilities and everything else, but it’s these academic awards that we’re really most proud of,” he said. “The bottom line is that we’re here to make sure our students get a great education so they can graduate and become productive citizens in their community, whether it’s here in Hilo or abroad, wherever they may be.”

Email Grant Phillips at [email protected].