Documentary on Coach Soichi Sakamoto, Screening March 31

University of Hawai’i Maui College will screen a digitized version of “COACH,” a 30-minute documentary that tells the story of how Maui plantation kids trained in irrigation ditches in the 1930s and went on to win national and, in some cases, Olympics championships, under Coach Soichi Sakamoto.

The screening will take place on Friday, March 31 st at 7 p.m. in the Pilina Student Lounge on the UHMC Campus. The presentation will also include a ten-minute compilation of home movies. This event is free and open to the public.

Joy Chong-Stannard was the director and editor of the original documentary and, along with Julie Checkoway, the author of “The Three Year Swim Club” which tells Coach Sakamoto’s story, crafted the home movie compilation. It involved the review of approximately 24 hours of footage and the two collaborated closely on the editing.

Following this, Joy worked with ‘Ulu’ulu’s Media Specialist, Robert Omura, to bring the compilation to completion. Both Chong-Stannard and Checkoway will be in attendance and answer questions following the screenings.

COACH is a 1984 Rice & Roses documentary produced by the Center for Labor, Education & Research.

The archival footage related to COACH was preserved by ‘Ulu‘ulu Archive as part of a collaborative partnership with the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities and the Center for Labor Education & Research at the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu.

The project began in 2015 with the aim to digitize and make accessible 95 hours of selected programs from the Rice & Roses television series produced by CLEAR and aired on PBS Hawai‘i from 1971 – 1996 that tells the stories of Hawai‘i’s labor history and our local plantation experience.

This half hour program tells the story of how Maui plantation kids trained in irrigation ditches in the 1930s and went on to win national and, in some cases, Olympics championships under Coach Soichi Sakamoto. PC: Courtesy photo.

This half hour program tells the story of how Maui plantation kids trained in irrigation ditches in the 1930s and went on to win national and, in some cases, Olympics championships under Coach Soichi Sakamoto. PC: Courtesy photo.

This half hour program tells the story of how Maui plantation kids trained in irrigation ditches in the 1930s and went on to win national and, in some cases, Olympics championships under Coach Soichi Sakamoto. PC: Courtesy photo.

This half hour program tells the story of how Maui plantation kids trained in irrigation ditches in the 1930s and went on to win national and, in some cases, Olympics championships under Coach Soichi Sakamoto. PC: Courtesy photo.