Former NFL linebacker and University of Oklahoma All-American Brian 'The Boz' Bosworth was a guest speaker during an afternoon session on the second day of the 55th annual Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association conference. Brien Ing | SL

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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Despite being defeated in a committee vote Tuesday, a proposal to implement a regional format for the state softball tournaments will be presented to the state's athletic directors for a vote.

The second day of the 55th annual Hawaii Interscholastic Athletic Directors Association Conference, which is being held at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala coast of the Big Island this week, was highlighted by the closed-door debate on the item.

The official result of the vote was not disclosed to the media, but athletic directors in group 4 — which discussed four proposals, including the softball regional format — confirmed to ScoringLive that the proposal was voted down. However, the HIADA general assembly will still have a chance to approve the measure through a minority report.

The proposal, which was introduced by the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, seeks to alter the format of the state softball tournament to a two-week, regional format.

Missy Kilbey, the ILH's softball coordinator and athletic director at St. Andrew's Priory, said the idea came about largely in part because of last month's state softball tournament, which had a number of games that ran late, and consequently, pushed-back start times.

"For me it was the late nights for our student-athletes and the fact that they had to attend school the next day and it doesn't help that it was a Tuesday-through-Friday tournament versus a weekend, but for us it's all about student-athletes; We want to make the best possible tournament for them," Kilbey said.

Waialua athletic director Bryce Kaneshiro, one of two softball co-coordinators for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, said such a change to the tournament format could have a deeper impact.

"Softball is one of those sports where you build your pitching and you can't just rely on one person, (but) if you go to a regional format you can rely on one person because you get the rest now and I think that might affect who wins the tournament. It would have affected this year, I think, so you're going to make a change on who might win it," Kaneshiro said. "My personal opinion is I like the four-day tournament. I think the teams are excited when they see all the teams there. You get your twelve best teams there and they all get to take a look at each other."

The proposal does not include specifics on which tournament — Division I and/or Division II — the regional formatting would be implemented or even which islands/leagues would play hosts to the first weekend.

"That's the uncertain part," Kaneshiro said.

Kilbey said that the ILH would like to include both D1 and D2 tournaments.

"As far as what islands it doesn't matter. That's up to the HHSAA to decide that," Kilbey said.

The ILH can opt to amend the original proposal — which would still need to be voted on and approved by general assembly Wednesday — but Kilbey said she doesn't not foresee that happening."

Due to the vague wording of the proposal, Kaneshiro said it would be difficult to determine the logistical challenges of going to the regional format.

"I think, as far as logistics, we still have problems now as it is and I think everybody recognizes that there are logistical problems. If it passes, then I guess we have to start looking into it," Kaneshiro said. "I don't know if it's any different than any other regionals — I haven't been a part of that, but it's probably going to be the same — but again it depends on if it's both tournaments, if it's just one, or which island, or which site."

The proposal seems to have the support of the three neighbor island leagues, according to Kilbey.

"Most of them, yes, and I it's think because they're the ones traveling, so why are they the ones traveling to all the tournaments? It should be the OIA and the ILH traveling, as well," Kilbey said.

As it stands, both tournaments are held over four consecutive days on the same island, although the 2016 D2 state tournament is currently slated to be held on Maui. The D1 tournament has been exclusively on Oahu since 1987. It was held on Kauai twice — in 1978 and 1985 — and once each on Maui (1981) and the Big Island (1986).

Other notable proposals voted on Tuesday included one to decrease the number of weight classes for both boys' and girls' wrestling from 14 to 12 — which was voted down, but will reach the general assembly through a minority report — as well as another to move up the start date for football by a week. The measure, which was submitted by the Oahu Interscholastic Association and passed without much discussion, according to one AD who was in the group, would give players a mandatory nine days in pads before any games or scrimmages.

Despite passing through committee vote, each recommendation is still a few steps away from being implemented. Committee recommendations will be sent to the floor of the final general assembly for approval by the HIADA voting body. Each of the 90 schools in attendance have one vote.

The five leagues each held another caucus Tuesday afternoon in advance of Wednesday's final general assembly.

If a committee recommendation gains HIADA approval, it will then be forwarded to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive board, who can then approve, deny or amend each HIADA recommendation.

The conference officially concludes on Wednesday, but the HHSAA executive board will meet Thursday in Waikoloa.

Note: Among the workshops that ADs took part in Tuesday was one featuring former NFL linebacker, TV analyst and actor Brian Bosworth, who was recently the subject of an ESPN 30 for 30 film titled "Brian and the Boz." Bosworth, an All-American at the University of Oklahoma, spoke of overcoming his personal struggles and his religious faith.