


Lahainaluna Significant School girls basketball coach Todd Rickard significant-fives his players following the Lunas’ 73-24 win about King Kekaulike — the Lunas’ 100th straight Maui Interscholastic League victory — on Jan. 17, 2015 at Lahaina Civic Center. Rickard, who has been the Lunas’ head mentor considering the fact that the 1995-96 season, stepped down Wednesday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER file photos
Todd Rickard, 1 of the most productive head coaches in Maui Interscholastic League record in any activity, has stepped down immediately after 26 decades as Lahainaluna High College women basketball coach.
Rickard advised his players of the choice on Tuesday and talked to The Maui Information on Wednesday.
Due to the fact using over the Woman Lunas application in the 1995-96 period, Rickard has guided the crew to 19 Maui Interscholastic League titles, like the past 16 in a row. His crew received an MIL all-activity history 164 league games in a row, a 14-12 months string that was snapped in 2020.
Lahainaluna received the only Division I basketball title at any time for an MIL school, boys or women, less than Rickard in 2010.
Even though he is vaccinated for COVID-19, Rickard explained the current mandate that all general public university pupil-athletes, coaches and volunteers will have to be vaccinated to take part in high university athletics played a big aspect in his choice.
Lahainaluna mentor Todd Rickard and the Lunas bench check out as Tori Tihada releases a 3-place endeavor on Jan. 17, 2015. Rickard guided the Lunas to 19 Maui Interscholastic League titles, like the very last 16 in a row. His workforce gained an MIL all-activity history 164 league online games in a row, a 14-yr string that was snapped in 2020.
“I’m not performed coaching the girls, coaching basketball in standard — I just think with the way this thing’s going, with the DOE normally pushing these guidelines by way of and I imagine our young children is at a person disadvantage, in particular the athletes, yeah,” Rickard reported. “You know with all these insurance policies of you can’t get the job done out with your mentor, you simply cannot do this, you can’t do that with 1 volunteer coach.
“Whatever it is, we’re just hanging on to a little something that the DOE potentially might engage in, you might not engage in. It is the exact same point that happened final year.”
Lahainaluna athletic director Scott Soldwisch mentioned the faculty will miss out on Rickard.
“Some of the very best instances I’ve experienced as Lahainaluna athletic director has been viewing and performing with Mentor Todd and the girls basketball system,” Soldwisch explained. “An unbelievable history, a record that should really stand for a really extended time. Just one of my finest memories of getting Advert at Lahainaluna was becoming capable to sit on the bench maintaining stats all through the state championship operate.
“It was a excellent minute. We have identified each and every other a lengthy time. I feel back again on all the highs and some of the lows — it’s just a sad working day for me to see him leave the faculty that indicates so much to him.”
Rickard mentioned that his son Tre Rickard — a Lahainaluna football and basketball very first-group All-Star in the Maui Interscholastic League — went through the same sensation past 12 months when the entire athletic calendar year was wiped out due to COVID-19.
“I went by means of it with my have son by now,” Todd Rickard explained. “You know what I mean? About hanging on and remaining around and hoping for a single time. And expressing that probably next month, then the future month, ‘Well see how it goes, we’ll see how the figures is,’ and then all of a sudden he’s graduating and he’s going to faculty.
“Then when all the things started out to appear superior and now they’re like two days in advance of the season commences for soccer, now they appear up with everybody’s received to be vaccinated and factors like that, it’s sort of like getting rid of everybody’s liberty of selection.”
Rickard explained that he will go on to mentor for his Town & Nation Basketball Club, the place he will have quite a few of the exact same Lahainaluna players.
“It will come down to us coaches, and as considerably as coaches, I necessarily mean any individual has got to make a single stand,” he mentioned. “I’m astonished far more coaches really don’t even do it. ‘You know what, guy, we can’t offer with this.’ For me, it just felt like it was best to move down, move down from the substantial college where I have a club, wherever I can operate my have club basketball.
“And fundamentally operate with the young children with no jeopardizing their year. I indicate, I could have stayed there for a different 10 many years if I required to. The way points are likely, I really don’t truly see it having any better. … I hope they get to engage in. I’m not declaring they can’t go participate in for Lahainaluna. They can go perform for Lahainaluna, but at minimum when they do perform they will be prepared and prepared to go when the time does begin.”
He guided a workforce on a journey to the Mainland this summer season with Lahaina Women Basketball Club.
“We see persons all more than the put, even in our own condition, people today jogging leagues and playing, men on the Mainland is taking part in, it’s form of like mentally carrying on the kids,” he reported. “They don’t know if they are likely to have a time, they really do not know if they ought to transfer out, you know, it is mentally draining for them. I just really feel like what the DOE is undertaking, they are striving to command us.
“We know that academics is the most significant detail in college, we all know that, but they try out to make make it feel like we put athletics around academics.”
Rickard included, “for me it comes down to I really do not think I can hold out right up until September, for the finish of September, by the center or starting of Oct and not work out with the little ones. And then they appear out and say ‘the quantities are large once again.’ When is it heading to end?”
Rickard pressured that he does not come to feel he is carried out coaching basketball, even in the MIL or in his now previous position.
“We’ll see what transpires, I suggest if things alter and no one, like, mainly would like it or regardless of what it is and it’s alright and if they inquire, then possibly I would come back,” Rickard explained. “Or it’s possible it would be someplace else coaching. It’s not like I’m likely to stage absent, it’s not like I’m out of basketball. I will carry on in some shape or variety.”
Rickard is a Lahainaluna graduate who obviously has a comfortable spot for his alma mater.
“I’m going to however be walking in a health club somewhere, like I mentioned, irrespective of whether it’s for the Pink and White or whether it’s for someone else,” he claimed. “I will make that choice. Which is my preference, what I want to do. Of course, all people would like to mentor for their dwelling faculty and exactly where they graduated, but if items alter, then who appreciates? But for proper now, I have to do what I have to do for my little ones.”
* Robert Collias is at [email protected].
- Lahainaluna mentor Todd Rickard and the Lunas bench check out as Tori Tihada releases a 3-level try on Jan. 17, 2015. Rickard guided the Lunas to 19 Maui Interscholastic League titles, together with the last 16 in a row. His staff received an MIL all-sport document 164 league video games in a row, a 14-12 months string that was snapped in 2020.
- Lahainaluna Large University women basketball mentor Todd Rickard superior-fives his gamers immediately after the Lunas’ 73-24 earn over King Kekaulike — the Lunas’ 100th straight Maui Interscholastic League victory — on Jan. 17, 2015 at Lahaina Civic Center. Rickard, who has been the Lunas’ head coach due to the fact the 1995-96 season, stepped down Wednesday. The Maui Information / MATTHEW THAYER file images











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