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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Sept. 6, 2002
Contact: John Johnson or Randy Allen
517.332.5046 or www.mhsaa.com

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Sept. 6 - The Michigan High School Athletic Association will conduct its 25th annual Update Meeting series in October, one of the top communication vehicles it uses for the Association staff to interact with its 1,300-plus member schools.

The Update series is attended annually by over 1,100 school administrators. During the meetings, information about current MHSAA activities is disseminated, issues affecting interscholastic athletics are discussed and attendees are surveyed on various topics.

Six luncheon meetings are scheduled in the Lower Peninsula and a morning meeting is scheduled for Marquette in the Upper Peninsula. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts will address high school superintendents, principals, athletic directors and school board members on a variety of topics at these meetings.

"These meetings are an excellent opportunity for the MHSAA staff to meet and discuss the issues with school administrators an opportunity to meet and discuss the issues, but for those in attendance to meet with administrators from neighboring school districts with whom they normally are not able to have day-to-day contact," says Roberts. "Issues discussed at the Update series are timely, and the information we gather through the surveys we conduct at these meetings is valuable to the Representative Council as it approaches topics the membership has placed before it for the coming year.

"The Update series is among the most popular administrative services the MHSAA provides to its membership."

Major topics to be discussed at this year's Update series include sports seasons options for submission to the U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo and the future of that litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals. Also to be presented are concerns for initiatives of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Roberts adds that the Update Meetings also provide school administrators an opportunity to ask questions and discuss any recent changes in the Association's rules and regulations. A survey is also taken on a variety of topics. This year's survey includes questions about new tournaments, seeding of tournaments, indoor track and field, extending the concept of divisions to additional sports, and increasing the limits or the number of contests for several junior high/middle school sports.

Parties interested in attending the Update meetings may obtain more information by contacting the MHSAA office at 517/332-5046.

Here is a schedule of the 2001 Update Meetings:

Oct. 3 -- Pine West, Kalamazoo (Noon)
Oct. 7 -- English Hills Terrace, Comstock Park (Noon)
Oct. 14 - Holiday Inn West-Lansing Conference Center, West Saginaw Hwy. and I-96 (Noon)
Oct. 16 -- Zehnder's Restaurant, Frankenmuth (Noon)
Oct. 21 -- Hidden Valley Otsego Club, Gaylord (Noon)
Oct. 23 -- Main Event Restaurant, Pontiac Silverdome (Noon)
Nov. 1 -- Northern Michigan University, Marquette (10 a.m.)

Lunch will be served at all sites except Marquette.

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, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.