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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE --August 15, 2000
Contact: John Johnson or Andy Frushour-- 517.332.5046

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Aug. 15 - In its efforts to promote the recruitment of and respect for high school athletic contest officials, the Michigan High School Athletic Association has produced a video titled - "STRIPES: Caretakers of the Games," which is making its statewide debut at member school pre-season meetings for student-athletes and their parents this month.

The 10-minute video highlights the role of Michigan's 11,000-plus registered officials as true educators in the interscholastic sports system, and the hard work that officials do to become educated in the rules and the mechanics of the games they work.

The video also promotes the need for new officials, and the need for players, coaches and spectators - especially parents - to better understand and respect officials.

"We feel that STRIPES really paints a picture of what an official is - an ordinary person with an extraordinary desire to stay involved in the games in which they participated when they were younger, and to assist kids in their educational process through sports," said Bill Bupp, MHSAA Assistant Director. "Once people view this video, I think they will better appreciate what officials do for students, and perhaps they will even consider becoming a registered official."

STRIPES was sent to the athletic director at every MHSAA member senior and junior high/middle school, as well as every approved officials association, in early August. Like previous videos produced by the Association, it is designed to be shown at the pre-season meetings schools have with team members and their parents before the season starts, as well as in other school and community forums. The video, produced by One-Putt Productions of Troy, Mich., is hosted by Shireen Saski of FOX Sports Net.

Copies of STRIPES are also available for public purchase through the MHSAA office at a cost of $10 each. To order a copy, contact the MHSAA office at 1661 Ramblewood Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823. Make checks payable to MHSAA. STRIPES may also be viewed through the MHSAA Web Site - www.mhsaa.com.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,300 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments conducted in 12 sports for girls and 12 sports for boys which attract approximately 1.3 million spectators each year.