Of all the challenges the University of Hawaii football team faced, none was as daunting as 290-pound Penitito Faalologo, sunny side up, using his hands and Under Armour shoes to cling to a wooden plank.
But then in a ferocious burst, Faalologo curled his way on top of the board, helping his unit complete the team-building activity at Schofield Barracks’ training center.
“He was holding on upside down, and then he made it,” defensive tackle Zeno Choi marveled. “I don’t know how he did it.”
Faalologo smiled, then said: “No problem.”
There was a series of challenges — some solved, some maddeningly not — in a day-long excursion designed to build teamwork and leadership.
“It was about growing this mind-set of being together and doing it for each other,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said.
The seeds of this plan were planted 16 years ago, when Trey Johnson taught a military-science class at UH. Two months ago, Johnson attended a UH spring practice, after which he and Rolovich discussed the possibility of the Rainbow Warriors participating in a leadership camp at Schofield. Johnson began snipping red tape.
“There probably were a thousand people who went into organizing this,” Rolovich said of the event, which involved the use of helicopters to transport the players to and from one of the training sites, and military leaders serving as instructors.
The highlight was Saturday morning, when Rolovich, with guidance from Thomas Kaulukukui Jr., chairman of the Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust, formally requested permission for the Warriors to train on base. A group of soldiers showed acceptance with a ha‘a performance. The Warriors responded with a haka.
“The helicopter ride was amazing, the leadership course was cool, but to start the day with that was probably the most emotionally satisfying,” Rolovich said.
The Warriors split into two groups. The offense went to a training field for cultural lessons. The defense went to a training center where they underwent timed sessions in building bridges, scaling walls and navigating obstacle courses. They switched places during the afternoon session.
“The purpose is the best players aren’t necessarily the best decision-makers,” Col. Rob Ryan said. “It’s: How do you come to a common decision? Nine times out of 10, they’ll get stuck (during an assignment), then they’ll have to go back, regroup and realize they should have called a huddle to start with. You can’t audible if you don’t have a play.”
Col. David Carl said: “It really takes a team to solve these problems. The wisdom is the crowd. The crowd always provides the best solution.”
That was apparent when defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa relied on his assistant coaches to navigate an obstacle course.
“A couple of those things were rough,” Lempa said. “But they took care of me to make sure I got over the top.”
Linebacker Max Broman used his experience as an Eagle Scout to knot a rope. Safety Damien Packer’s core workouts were helpful in lifting heavy planks from a sit-up position. And nose tackle Kory Rasmussen did not need gloves in gripping splintered wood. “Hawaiian hands,” Rasmussen mused.
Rolovich said the Schofield instructors, with no prior knowledge of the players’ backgrounds, randomly assigned leadership roles.
“That empowered some guys who, maybe, were hiding in the shadows a little bit and waiting for their turn,” Rolovich said. “They picked (offensive lineman) JR Hensley to lead a group, and he’s a (second-year) freshman. They didn’t know that. But (Hensley) got up and did his best. … It was about who can adapt, who can run the team, who can problem-solve with the group.”
