HISTORY

It all started in 1957, William “Bill” Paty, a young Industrial Relations Manager from the Waialua Sugar Company was approached by a newly formed Hawaii Pop Warner Football program to see if there was any interest in starting a Pop Warner Football Team in Waialua.  Bill Paty discussed this idea with his good friend William “Billy” Apau Jr. and both agreed that this would be a good thing for this little plantation town.  The Waialua Athletic Association Board of Directors was formed with Bill Paty as President, Roy Sakai as Treasurer, Richard Kauahikaua as Business Manager and Billy Apau as Head Coach.  Assisting Billy as coaches were Mako Takata, Masa Gunda and Richard Asato – many of whom, including Billy, had been former players of the Hawaii Professional Football League.  The coaching staff was later joined by Daniel “Junior” Hookala, Charlie Watanabe, Garrrett Passos and Leo Bajo.  Thus was born the Waialua Pop Warner Football program with the first thirty five players challenging the Nanakuli Hawks.

What made Billy Apau so special was not the fact he was a great athlete, rather his sincere desire to teach young athletes not only the sport of football but the qualities essential in becoming a good citizen. What made Billy unique was his pertinence and dedication in working with youngsters during their most formative years. He believed and taught his players that winning a game was not as important as how it was played. Win or lose, the Waialua team always held their heads high.

For over seventeen years, Billy Apau dedicated his time and energy to the Waialua Pop Warner program. Billy can truly be called the father of Waialua Pop Warner. We are here today because Billy had given unselfishly to the program so young athletes would have an opportunity to participate in the sport of football. What each athlete gained was far greater than just the knowledge of football. Billy gave them a sense of pride, a sense of belonging, a sense of dignity thus the ability to go on regardless of the outcome of a game.  Individual players would strive for their highest goal by always giving their very best effort.  Billy inspired the belief that a winning attitude was far more valuable than winning a game. There were no losers on Billy Apau’s team – only winners.

In 2005, the Waialua Pop Warner Association embraced technology, specifically the World Wide Web and launched our own association Internet web site to serve primarily as a communication tool for the association and those interested in the Waialua program.

The Waialua Pop Warner Association is a member of the Oahu Pop Warner Association which in turn is a member of the National Pop Warner Association.  The Oahu Pop Warner Association is a highly competitive league which continues to grow with each passing year.