KAHULUI — The Maui High School gymnasium was dedicated and named Thursday in honor of Izumi “Shine” Matsui, the school’s late football coach, athletic director and teacher who extended sports opportunities for female athletes in the ’70s and inspired island boys to attend college to “see more of the world and grow.”

Ironically, as Maui High athletic director in 1979, Matsui oversaw the construction of the gymnasium that now will be known as the Izumi “Shine” Matsui Athletic Complex. Last summer, a renovation project brought new basketball flooring for the gym. There are plans to enhance the foyer as well.

Daughter Jill Matsui said she wished her father, who died in 2008, could have been present for the dedication of the gym, although she admitted her father was “very humble and quiet.”

“He would have laughed, shaked his head and walked away,” she said of her father before the ceremony.

Matsui family members wiped tears from their eyes as speakers praised Matsui during the dedication outside the gym’s entrance at the Kahului campus. A few sprinkles of rain blessed the crowd of at least 150 people, including current and former athletes, alumni and family friends.

Also present were Matsui’s wife, 87-year-old Masayo Matsui, and other daughter, Kara Matsui-Harber, and her husband, James.

Mrs. Matsui said her husband received the nickname “Shine” because he “shined” as an athlete at Baldwin High School.

Matsui began his tenure at Maui High School as a teacher and coach in 1959 when the school campus was at Hamakuapoko. As the school’s athletic director, he developed girls sports teams and formed co-educational physical education classes. He was part of the school’s move to the current Kahului campus in 1972 when he implemented Title IX policies for gender equality in sports that year.

He coached basketball and taught physical education and health. He retired in 1988.

“I think they saw him more than us,” said Jill Matsui, referring to the students her father coached.

“The naming of the gym has long been planned, and we are happy to bring it to fruition,” said school Athletic Director Mike Ban in an announcement. “We are also grateful to be able to collaborate with our PTSA, foundation, local businesses and supporters to move forward on other additions to the Shine Athletic Center that will foster school pride.”

Among those to be taught and inspired by Matsui was Rogers Ishizu, a 1962 graduate who played football under Matsui. Ishizu went on to be a football standout at Linfield, the Oregon college where Matsui helped him get a scholarship.

“Because of him, I like what he did as a teacher and coach. (So) I chose to take that profession,” said Ishizu, who returned to Maui after college to teach physical education. He was a football coach at Maui High in the ’70s.

“He was really soft spoken, but real effective. You listen to him,” Ishizu remembered of Matsui.

Ishizu said in an interview before the ceremony that Matsui was very likable and drew support from his friends and had a great football booster club, that turned out in droves to sell sushi and kalua pig for fundraisers.

Also in the ’70s, Matsui launched a school relationship with Japanese high school football teams that would visit the island for games.

Ishizu said one of the best experiences for the high school players was when Matsui set up home stays for the boys while in Japan. The Maui boys would stay with Japanese families of the opposing team.

“It was really a good experience for them,” Ishizu said.

Current Maui High School Principal Jamie Yap was a Maui High football coach and was able to go to Japan with the team, thanks to Matsui.

Another shining star Matsui groomed was Curtis Lee, who played football for Matsui. Lee, a 1966 Maui High School graduate, eventually became Maui High School’s head football coach and led the team to various championships. Lee’s coaching tenure spanned from 1984 to 2004.

Lee told the crowd Thursday that he was teaching at Baldwin High School when Matsui recruited him to return to Maui High to coach varsity football.

“I been to hell and back,” Lee said, jokingly about being at Baldwin High School because the Bears and the Sabers have had a long rivalry.

Lee said Matsui was able to get him a scholarship to play football at Division I school Kansas State. He told Matsui that he couldn’t attend college on his family’s dime because they’d scramble for a quarter at times just to buy a loaf of bread.

Lee commended Matsui for having him study and instilling confidence in himself.

“I was always putting myself down,” Lee recalled. “I had a tough time in grade school.”

Lee said that one the other things that impressed him was how Matsui expanded sports for young women, including softball, soccer and basketball.

“They didn’t have all of that,” Lee said. “I thought he did a tremendous job.

“Shine helped implement women’s sports even before Title IX and improved the sports opportunities for the female athlete,” Lee said.

Jill Matsui said her father worked so hard coaching and teaching because he felt that athletics paved the way for him as well.

As a high school athlete, he was always in the gym. “That was his life,” she said.

He later became a schoolteacher and wanted to help others.

“That’s why he wanted his football boys to go to the Mainland to see more of the world and grow,” she said.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.