Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics
Michigan High School Athletic Association - Promoting Educational Athletics |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 20, 2008 2007-08 Officials Registration Sets Record EAST LANSING, Mich. – May 20 – The final numbers are in, and officials registrations for the 2007-08 school year for high school sports set a record with 12,743 people signing up with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. The previous record was 12,159 during the 2003-04 school year. Registrations were up in all sports during the 2007-08 school year except in girls gymnastics, which saw a decrease of seven over the previous year; and ice hockey, which was down by four. Sports in which registrations were up significantly over 2006-07 were basketball and volleyball. There was an increase of 845 registrations in basketball (16.5 percent), and the volleyball total was up by 533 (24.3 percent). Here is a sport-by sport listing of officials registrations for the 2007-08 school year and the increase or decrease over the 2006-07 school year: Football - 2,882 (up 102); basketball - 5,967 (up 845); baseball - 2,894 (up 227); track & field – 806 (up 23); swimming & diving – 390 (up 16); wrestling – 587 (up 9); ice hockey – 654 (down 4); soccer - 1,430 (up 80); gymnastics – 90 (down 7); softball - 2,826 (up 127); volleyball - 2,730 (up 533); competitive cheer – 263 (up 10); boys lacrosse – 213 (up 58); and girls lacrosse - 117 (up 27). Registration for the 2008-09 school year continues with the exclusive online registration period for new registrants and renewals running through June 1. After June 1, applications will be accepted online, by mail, and on a walk-up basis in the MHSAA Office for the upcoming school year. The MHSAA Office has a lobby kiosk available for online registrations. Online registrants will receive a $5.00 discount off their processing fees, regardless of when they submit their application. MHSAA registration fees are among the lowest in the nation. A $10 fee is charged for each sport in which an official wishes to register, and the online processing fee is $20. Officials submitting registration forms by mail or on a walk-up basis will incur a $25 processing fee. Officials registered in 2007-08 will be assessed a late fee of $20 for registration after July 11. The processing fee includes liability insurance coverage of up to $1 million for officials while working contests involving MHSAA schools. There is an officials' registration test, which is for first-time officials and officials not registered in the past year. The test consists of 50 questions derived from the MHSAA Officials Guidebook, which is available on the Officials page of the MHSAA Web site, and may be used during the open-book test. To address the continued need for more officials in basketball and volleyball, the MHSAA will again provide an incentive to all currently registered individuals to add either or both of those sports to the activities they are already working when they renew their registration online. Those officials who add basketball or volleyball for the very first time for the coming year when they register online will have their sport registration fee of $10 waived. Online registration can be accessed by clicking “Officials” on the Home Page of the MHSAA Web site. More information about officials registration may be obtained by contacting the MHSAA at 1661 Ramblewood Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823. Telephone: 517-332-5046. E-Mail: [email protected]. The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 1,800 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. -0- AT&T, Farm Bureau Insurance, Henry Ford Health System and MEEMIC Insurance |