Coach H Scholarship Returns to Honor Hawaii Sports Legend

A beloved coach who spent five decades fighting for fairness in high school sports is still changing lives, six years after his death.

The Lo'i Collective Foundation just opened applications for the Coach H Scholarship, honoring Peter Haliniak Jr., known to thousands of Hawaiian student-athletes simply as Coach H. Four graduating seniors from Roosevelt and Molokai High Schools will each receive $500 to pursue college or vocational training.

Coach H wasn't just any coach. Born and raised on Molokai, he dedicated more than 50 years to coaching football, basketball, and softball across Hawaii, mostly at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu.

But his biggest victory came off the field. In the 1970s, Coach H worked alongside the late U.S. Senator Patsy Mink to push for Title IX, the federal law that gave female athletes equal opportunities with their male counterparts. He later became one of Hawaii's first college women's softball coaches, starting the program at Hawaii Pacific College in 1984.

Every year, he brought his teams back to Molokai to give back to his home island. That spirit of service lives on in the scholarship requirements: applicants must have played varsity sports for two consecutive years, maintained at least a 3.0 GPA, and completed community service.

Last year's Molokai recipients, Chloe Tancayo and Reyn Raguindin, showed exactly the kind of students Coach H believed in. Tancayo, with a 3.75 GPA, plans to become a pharmacist and return to serve her community. Raguindin said his scholarship helped him afford supplies for his first year of college.

The Ripple Effect

The scholarship does more than provide money. It tells student-athletes that excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in their community matters equally.

Coach H's family continues his work through the Lo'i Collective Foundation, ensuring that his belief in young people outlives him. The foundation awards one male and one female scholarship recipient at each school, reflecting his lifelong commitment to equality.

Students can apply by emailing their resume to the Lo'i Collective Foundation by March 31 at 4 p.m. Selected candidates will interview virtually or in person, with recipients notified within two weeks.

Coach H passed away on February 10, 2020, but every scholarship awarded in his name proves that dedication to others never dies.