Get Up and Go To The Expo
Photo Courtesy Hawaii Athletics
In this day and age where life can seem so busy and everybody is glued to their phones, the inaugural Hawai‘i Family & Sports Expo presents an outlet for ‘ohana to come together for a fun-filled day of hands-on fitness demos, youth athletic zones and games, live entertainment, and dozens of businesses showcasing a variety of products and services.
The show, which is presented by Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Star Events Hawai‘i, takes place 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. Its principal sponsors are University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Key Fitness Hawai‘i and SportStan Sporting Goods. For one day only, the expo is about highlighting all things sports in the Aloha State and celebrating health, fitness and community.
The brand-new event is for all ages, whether it’s keiki just starting to get into T-ball or kūpuna looking for ways to stay fit. And get this — admission is free. Families, athletes and local businesses are all invited to join in on the fun.
One person who is particularly ecstatic about Hawai‘i Family & Sports Expo, and rightfully so, is new UH-Mānoa athletics director Matthew Elliott.
Elliott was selected by UH president Wendy Hensel out of more than 100 applicants, and the UH Board of Regents unanimously approved his appointment on June 16. He officially started his new role on June 30.
“That’s one of those moments that I’ll remember for my entire life,” says Elliott when asked how he felt about being offered the position. “She (Hensel) was so kind and gracious on the phone and just so optimistic about what was ahead of us and the opportunity for this program and to feel like we get to be a part of the future of the athletics department.”
In a UH press release, Elliott states that he’s “excited to now be part of the team,” and that he’s looking forward to building “a department that operates on integrity” and putting the school’s sports programs “in a position to win.”
He offers more than a decade of Division I athletics administration experience, including 13 years at UCLA, where he held positions as chief strategy officer and senior associate athletic director for internal operations. Most recently, Elliott was working as the senior director of policy and public affairs at Hawai‘i Community Foundation.
As athletics director, Elliott’s key responsibility is, first and foremost, to create the student-athlete experience.
“Obviously, we’ve been doing it for a long time,” he says, “but just to focus on how do we provide all the resources and support for our student-athletes to be able to thrive? That’s the No. 1 priority.”
Beyond that, he hopes to generate revenue. Selling tickets, cultivating partnerships with corporate sponsors, raising funds from donors, and being good members of the The Big West Conference and Mountain West Conference — these are all things Elliott says can bring resources to the Athletics Department and help student-athletes and coaches be successful.
“As the athletics director, you’re looking at that big picture and figuring out where UH fits and how we’re prepared for whatever the changes are going to be,” he notes. “And then, you’re building a team. You’re working with a staff and all the different, talented and skilled people who do different things in the department. There are so many different skills that have to come together to make an athletics department work and being a kind of leader or captain to that team is really critical so you’re all working in the same direction. You’re all aligned and all figuring out what the plan is together.”
Beyond bolstering the student-athlete experience, Elliott also hopes to create opportunities so teams can go out and win, and thus bring the community together.
“I want UH Athletics to be a source of pride for everybody in this state to feel like, ‘I’m a part of that. I’m a part of that program. I’m proud of what our student-athletes and coaches are doing.’ And it’s just a source of joy where we come together for a football game or volleyball game, and you get to be around those crowds and all those people, and watch the student-athletes perform. It’s really exciting.”
Elliott, who was born raised in Framingham, Massachusetts, says sports has always been a part of his life. As a youngster, he and his whole family were fans of the local Boston teams and would often go to see the Celtics and Red Sox play. He grew up playing basketball and when he was in high school, he competed in varsity soccer, wrestling and tennis. Then, while pursuing his degree in law, jurisprudence and social thought at Amherst College, he became a member of the school’s varsity rowing team.
He still lives an active lifestyle today. When he’s not busy with his new UH duties, he can be found at the beach or park with his wife, Allison — who was born and raised in Honolulu and is a Punahou alumna — and their 5-year-old son, Kai. As a family, they enjoy attending Kai’s soccer and baseball games. Elliott also loves to cycle — in fact, his favorite areas to bike are Hawai‘i Kai and Makapu‘u.
His enthusiasm for sports is why he’s so excited that UH is a gold sponsor for the upcoming Hawai‘i Family & Sports Expo.
At the UH booth, attendees can look forward to a variety of fun activities and receiving information about the school’s various programs and offerings. In addition to the Athletics Department — which will offer photo ops with Elliott and UH coaches and athletes, and will be selling tailgate passes and football promotions — UH’s College of Education will also be represented by officials from the Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science Department, the Health and Exercise Science Department, and the Hawai‘i Concussion Awareness Management Program.
“I think that being a part of something like this that’s promoting healthy choices, that’s promoting community involvement, community activities and just giving a platform for sports — and from a UH standpoint — it’s become such a source of pride for the whole community for us to be a part of that messaging,” says Elliott. “Bringing families together, thinking about the impact that recreation sports and the healthy lifestyle choices that people are making is really positive — no matter who you are, no matter what age you’re at. It can have a significant impact on our children.
“I think coming out and checking it out is a really cool thing.”
For more information and to register, visit hawaiifamilyandsportsexpo.com.
