Retired Hawaiʻi official Lloyd Hisaka inducted into National High School Hall of Fame

Lloyd Hisaka, a longtime high school football and basketball official in Hawaiʻi, has been named to the National Federation of High School Associations’ 2025 National High School Hall of Fame Class. Hisaka is among 11 individuals selected nationwide for the honor, which is the highest recognition for those involved in high school sports.

Hisaka’s officiating career spans more than five decades, including 51 years as a high school football official and 36 years officiating high school basketball. He has trained thousands of students in intramural officiating, many of whom have continued their careers in high school sports in Hawaiʻi and beyond.

Hisaka officiated numerous Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) tournament games, and he officiated the collegiate Hula Bowl. He continued working in football until his retirement in 2023 at age 81. He also served as a rules clinician for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, the Maui Interscholastic League and the Kauaʻi Interscholastic Federation.

Beyond officiating, Hisaka played a key role in developing officiating education in Hawaiʻi. As assistant director and later director of Student Recreation Services at the University of Hawaiʻi, he created courses to train and educate future officials. He also founded the Hawaiʻi Football Officials Clinic, which ran for six years, and taught a “Techniques of Officiating” class to senior physical education majors for 12 years.

His contributions extend to national officiating standards. He served on the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee and the NFHS Officials Association Board of Directors, where he helped develop an introductory course for football officials that laid the foundation for online training resources on the NFHS Learning Center.

Among his accolades, Hisaka was named the NFHS Officials Association Hawaiʻi Football Official of the Year in 1999 and received the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Citation Award in 2002. He was inducted into the Hawaiʻi Sports Officials Hall of Fame in 2023.

“Beyond all of his accomplishments on the basketball court and football field, Dr. Hisaka is just a really nice person who is easy to relate to and approach,” said Brent Mizutani, retired executive director of the Kauaʻi Interscholastic Federation. “These qualities make him a valuable role model to officials and coaches, demonstrating professionalism and humility.”

Hisaka will be honored during the NFHS Annual Summer Meeting on June 30 in Chicago.