BULLETIN
December 2000/January
2001 Volume LXXVII Number 4
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING East Lansing, Nov. 8, 2000
Executive Committee Authority
and Responsibility - The
Executive Committee was reminded of its authority under Article
VII of the MHSAA Constitution and specifically its responsibility
to consider each application for waiver of an eligibility requirement
on its individual merits, determining if the regulation serves
the purpose for which it was intended in each case or if the
regulation works an undue hardship on any student who is the
subject of a request for waiver. (These underlying criteria may
not be restated for every subject of these minutes.) The Executive Committee was
reminded that it was the responsibility of each member school
involved to provide sufficient factual information about the
specific request for the Executive Committee to reach a decision
without further investigation. If information is incomplete,
contradictory or otherwise unclear or has been received too late
to be studied completely, the Executive Committee may deny the
request for waiver or delay action. Such requests may be resubmitted
to the Executive Committee with additional information at a subsequent
meeting or appealed to the full Representative Council. A determination of undue hardship
is a matter addressed to the discretion of the Executive Committee
within the educational philosophy and secondary role of voluntary
extracurricular competitive athletics in the academic environment.
The Executive Committee was cautioned to avoid making exceptions
that would create precedent that effectively changes a rule without
Representative Council action or local board of education adoption,
which would exceed Executive Committee authority. Students for whom waiver of
a particular regulation is granted must be eligible in all respects
under all other sections and interpretations of the regulations
prior to their participation. Adoption
of these regulations is a choice schools make locally when they
consider their option of MHSAA membership. Consistent with rulings
of the Attorney General and Michigan Supreme Court, schools are
not bound by the decisions of the Executive Committee, but the
association may limit participation in the post-season tournaments
it sponsors to those schools which choose to apply rules and
penalties as promulgated by the MHSAA and adopted by each member
school's board of education. The MHSAA exercises no independent
authority over schools or students during regular season.
Chassell
and Calumet-Copper Country Christian High Schools (Regulation
I, Section 1[E]) -
The Executive Committee approved the addition of boys and girls
track and field to the cooperative agreement that exists between
these schools in boys basketball. The combined enrollment of
110 students will place the school in Division 3 of the UP Tournament.
Onekama,
Bear Lake and Frankfort High Schools (Regulation I, Section 1[E])
- The Executive
Committee approved the addition of Frankfort to the cooperative
agreement in boys and girls skiing that has existed for the other
two schools since 1988. Onekama will remain the primary school
and the combined enrollment will be 324 for MHSAA tournament
classification purposes (Class B-C-D). Ann Arbor-Huron High School
(Regulation I, Section 9) -
A late request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf
of an 11th-grade student currently enrolled at Kingston (NY)
High School. The student will be moving with his family, who
intends to close on the purchase of a home in Ann Arbor approximately
Nov. 30, 2000, and on the sale of its residence in New York approximately
Dec. 15, 2000. This student will move with his father, who will
be employed in Ypsilanti beginning approximately Jan. 2, 2001.
The student's mother will complete the academic year as a principal
in New York while the student's older brother finishes 12th grade
and graduates. Noting
that the student has not enrolled in an MHSAA member school nor
relocated his residence to Ann Arbor, and considering also that
the family has not met the obligations at either end of a completed
change of residence and that the student is enrolled in a school
where he has athletic eligibility so that the standards of an
undue hardship are not approached, the Executive Committee denied
the request for waiver. Ann
Arbor-Huron High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - A late request to waive the
transfer regulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student
who previously attended high school in Nova Scotia where he did
not participate in athletics (the school has no teams). He seeks
to participate in ice hockey. Huron High School does not sponsor
a subvarsity team in the sport, so Section 9(B) is not an option.
He relocated from his mother's residence to relatives to assist
him in avoiding use of alcohol and other drugs. No date of enrollment
was provided. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Bay City-All Saints Central
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 10th-grade
student who attended Bay City Western as a 9th-grader when he
participated on its swimming team. He seeks to try out for junior
varsity basketball. He enrolled Aug. 28, 2000. Because of the specific conditions
of the regulation adopted by the Representative Council, the
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Bronson High School (Regulation
I, Section 9) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of
a 10th-grade student who moved from the residence of his mother
in Hillsdale to the residence of his father in Bronson. The parents
were never married but both are identified on the student's birth
certificate. An otherwise completed Educational Transfer Form
was received. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver. Carson City-Crystal High School
(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
at the subvarsity level only was made on behalf of a 10th-grade
student who attended 9th grade at Stanton-Central Montcalm where
it is unknown if the student participated in school sports. He
enrolled Aug. 22, 2000. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver for first
semester subvarsity eligibility, pending written confirmation
that the student did not participate at the previous school in
an interscholastic scrimmage or contest on any level in any sport
which concludes with an MHSAA tournament. Dearborn-Divine Child High
School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request was made to waive the transfer regulation on behalf of
an 11th-grade student who attended Divine Child for 9th and 10th
grades. He attended Redford-Thurston High School from Sept. 5
to Sept. 15, 2000, and then returned to Divine Child on Sept.
18. He did not participate in athletics at Thurston. Because the period of attendance
was brief and without athletic participation and the student
returned to the original school, the Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver. Detroit-St.
Martin de Porres High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request was made to waive
the transfer regulation to permit immediate eligibility on behalf
of a student who attended St. Martin de Porres High School during
the first semester of 9th grade and transferred to his local
public school in January 2000. His family relocated during the
summer to a new public school attendance area. The residence
is equidistant between Detroit-Benedictine and St. Martin de
Porres High Schools, and the student enrolled at St. Martin de
Porres. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver. Eau Claire High School (Regulation
I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01
school year was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student who previously
attended Watervliet High School where she did not participate
in its sports program. She enrolled Nov. 2, 2000 at Eau Claire.
The Executive
Committee granted the request to permit eligibility only at the
subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01 school year.
Gobles High
School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request was made to waive the transfer regulation on behalf of
a 10th-grade student who attended Gobles Public Schools for grades
K through 9. He began 10th grade at Allegan High School, attending
one day before reenrolling at Gobles High School. He did not
participate in athletics at Allegan. Because the period of attendance
was brief and without athletic participation and the student
returned to the original school, the Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver. Haslett
High School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of
an 11th-grade student who relocated from the residence of his
father in St. Louis (MO) to the residence of his mother in Haslett.
The parents were never married and only the mother is indicated
on the birth certificate. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver. Holland-West Ottawa High School
(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
A late request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade
student who previously attended Riverside High School in Brookfield
(IL) where he participated in football. He relocated from the
residence of his biological mother to the residence of his biological
father, who were never married. No documentation was provided.
The Executive
Committee denied the request for waiver. Howard City-Tri County Area
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) - Request
to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility only at
the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student
who previously attended Ravenna High School where she did not
participate in athletics. The date of enrollment at Tri County
was Oct. 24, 2000. The
Executive Committee granted the request to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01
school year. Houghton
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[C]) -
Requests to waive the transfer regulation were made on behalf
of two 11th-grade students who last year attended Calumet-Copper
Country Christian School where they practiced with the Houghton
High/Copper Country Christian School cooperative program in ice
hockey. The
Executive Committee granted the requests for waiver to participate
during the first semester of the 2000-01 school year in ice hockey
only, provided in each case the student was on the eligibility
list for ice hockey during the 1999-00 school year and was enrolled
at Houghton High School by the fourth Friday after Labor Day,
2000. Lowell
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the first semester of the
2000-01 school year was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student
who attended 9th grade at Rockford where she did not participate
in high school athletics. She enrolled at the beginning of Lowell's
2000-01 school year. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver at the subvarsity
level only during the first semester of the 2000-01 school year.
Mackinaw
City High School (Regulation I, Section 9[D]) - Request to waive the transfer
regulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who last
year attended 9th grade at St. Ignace-LaSalle where he participated
in 9th-grade basketball. He enrolled at Mackinaw City High School
on Oct. 9, 2000. The
Executive Committee granted waiver effective with the student's
91st school day of enrollment at Mackinaw City High School.
Rochester
Hills-Lutheran Northwest High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B])
- Request to
waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility only at the
subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student who
enrolled Oct. 31, 2000, having previously attended Rochester
Hills Christian Leadership Academy where he did not participate
in athletics (the Academy sponsors no sports). He enrolled Oct.
31, 2000. The
Executive Committee granted the request to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01
school year. Utica
High School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of
a 10th-grade student who attended 9th grade at Pontiac-Notre
Dame Preparatory where he participated in wrestling and football.
The student indicated his change of school was for law classes
available at Utica High School. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver, noting that
it cannot be put in the position of making decisions by comparing
member schools' curricula. Wyoming
Park High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request was made to waive
the transfer regulation on behalf of a 10th-grade student who
has relocated from the residence of his biological mother in
Newaygo to the residence of his birth father in Wyoming. The
parents were never married. The birth certificate does not name
the father but a joint legal custody order that identifies these
people as the plaintiff mother and defendant father and an otherwise
completed Educational Transfer Form were provided. The Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver. St.
Clair High School (Regulation II, Section 11[G]) - Request was made to waive
the "three-player" rule so that the school might hire
a girls volleyball coach who had coached the school's 9th-grade
team during the 1999-00 school year and coached an AAU team last
spring on which five St. Clair students participated.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver for the current school
year only, noting that neither the school nor coach intended
that this person would coach again in 2000-01, and the school
had made extensive but unsuccessful efforts to find an alternative
to this coach. Hillsdale
Academy (Regulation III, Section 1) -
Request was made to waive Interpretation No. 223 to permit 6th-grade
boys to participate on the 7th and 8th-grade basketball teams
of Hillsdale Academy, whose 9-12 grade enrollment is 43.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for boys basketball and the 2000-01
school year only. Inkster
High School (Regulation V, Section 4) -
At its August 1997 meeting, the MHSAA Executive Committee reviewed
the record of MHSAA Handbook violations by Inkster High School
and determined that the 1997-98 membership of Inkster High School
be held in abeyance until its superintendent, principal and athletic
director met at the MHSAA office with the executive director
to show cause why the school's membership should not be suspended
or its membership privileges not be reduced. At its September 1997 meeting,
the Executive Committee reviewed the actions of Inkster High
School to eliminate the violations of Handbook policies and procedures
that have plagued the school in recent years, accepted the school's
membership for 1997-98, and requested the executive director
provide at the Executive Committee's June 1998 meeting a review
of Inkster High School's compliance record during 1997-98. At the June 10, 1998 Executive
Committee Meeting, it was reported that one violation, failure
to rate any boys basketball officials during the 1997-98 season,
was known to have occurred during the 1997-98 school year. At
that meeting, the Executive Committee determined to continue
the school's probationary status through the 1998-99 school year
and requested that the executive director report to the Executive
Committee in June 1999 about the school's compliance efforts
during that year. After
the June 10, 1998 report to the Executive Committee, two more
violations came to light: (1) Regulation II, Section 8(B) - failure
to attend a Boys Tennis Rules Meeting or the head coach to pass
the rules examination; and (2) Regulation II, Section 7(B) -
failure to rate any officials in girls volleyball. In addition,
the MHSAA had been contacted by the United Federation of Officials
about failure by Inkster Public Schools to pay officials.
Therefore,
at its June 9, 1999 meeting, the Executive Committee determined
that Inkster High School remain on probation through the 1999-00
school year and that the executive director communicate with
the school's administration about the two violations and ways
to improve its procedures for payments to officials. After the June 9, 1999 meeting,
three more violations came to light for 1998-99: Baseball - failure
to rate any officials; Softball - failure of head coach to attend
rules meeting or pass exam; and Softball - failure to rate any
officials. At
the Aug. 18, 1999 meeting of the Executive Committee, it was
requested that the executive director express the concern of
the Executive Committee directly to the superintendent and board
president, as well as principal and athletic director of Inkster
High School. The only response from Inkster High School was a
Sept. 16 telephone call from the new athletic director to inquire
what she needed to do. Therefore,
at its Oct. 13, 1999 meeting, the Executive Committee requested
that MHSAA staff meet with the new athletic director, other administrators
and board members regarding the association's expectations for
institutional control over its program. Subsequently, the athletic
director resigned and another was appointed. The next event of concern was
the failure of Inkster High School to show for its MHSAA Girls
Basketball District Tournament game at River Rouge on Nov. 18,
1999. On
Nov. 23, 1999, the new athletic director, interim superintendent
and a board of education member met with three MHSAA staff to
review problems and solutions. All
of this was reviewed by the Executive Committee on Dec. 1, 1999,
when the Executive Committee voted to continue probation for
Inkster High School through the 2000-01 school year and requested
staff continue to monitor the school's administration of its
interscholastic athletic program. After
that action, the following occurred: 1.
The school failed to rate any girls volleyball officials or wrestling
officials for the 1999-2000 season, both for a second consecutive
year; and staff added to the school's probation the condition
that the school would not be privileged to host any MHSAA tournaments
or to receive any reimbursements from MHSAA tournaments while
on probation. 2.
The school failed to have its head girls track and field coach
and head girls softball coach attend the MHSAA rules meetings
or pass the rules examinations for the 2000 season. 3. The school failed to rate
any girls softball officials for the 2000 season; and staff added
to the school's probation that its next action would be to recommend
the school's expulsion from the MHSAA. 4.
The school withdrew from the 2000 MHSAA Baseball Tournament after
the draw date; and staff extended the school's probation through
the 2001-02 school year. Then
the following occurred: A
12th-grade student who attended Inkster High School until November
of 1999, moved with his father to Southfield and attended Southfield
Lathrup High School. The student reenrolled at Inkster High School
March 4, 2000. Originally, MHSAA staff was told by school administration
and the father that the student relocated to Inkster without
his father and was advised by Inkster's previous athletic director
that if he enrolled by March 15, he would be eligible at the
start of the 2000-01 school year. More recently, it was alleged
but not established that the father relocated with his son to
an apartment within the Inkster School District. On Sept. 15, 2000, based on
information available at that time, an MHSAA assistant director
advised the superintendent of schools that the student was ineligible
under the transfer regulation and that Inkster High School must
forfeit all contests in which he had participated (the first
three games). On
Sept. 25, 2000, based on the fact that the school had provided
no information that the student had satisfied the transfer regulation
before his participation, and with a reliable report that the
student had played in a football contest (the fourth game) in
spite of the assistant director's earlier notification that the
student was ineligible, the executive director communicated to
the superintendent that in view of these violations, both inadvertent
and intentional, and inasmuch as the school was already on probation
through the 2001-02 school year for a long history of administrative
violations, it was required that the MHSAA now consider suspension
of the school from participation in MHSAA post-season tournaments
through the probationary period. The executive director asked
for the school's written response by Oct. 6, such response being
received Oct. 6 and requesting reinstatement of the student's
eligibility. At
its Oct. 11, 2000 meeting, the Executive Committee noted the
long history of administrative violations by Inkster High school
and that neither meetings with Inkster School District administration
and board members nor imposition of penalties had led to improved
compliance. Also noted was the administration's inability or
unwillingness to withhold from competition a student whose eligibility
had not been established. It was the Executive Committee's decision
that the student remain ineligible during the first semester
of the 2000-01 school year, that all games in which he participated
be forfeited, that the school be ineligible for MHSAA post-season
tournaments in all sports during the fall of the 2000-01 school
year, and that the school's administration appear before the
Executive Committee in January to show cause why the suspension
from tournaments should not continue through the 2001-02 school
year. Inkster
High School requested a review of its situation at this regularly
scheduled meeting of the Executive Committee so that consideration
might be given to permitting the girls basketball team to enter
the 2000 MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament. Representing the school district
were two members of the Board of Education, several administrators
and four student-athletes. The
school district's presentation included information regarding
past difficulties within the school district, current efforts
to reorganize from the board of education down through the department
of athletics and to improve the curriculum and resources of the
school district, and projections of increased student enrollment
and improved academic achievement. The
school district disclosed and admitted that the interim athletic
director had discovered two occasions during the 1999-00 school
year when ineligible students participated in competition: an
unenrolled student in girls basketball and an ineligible transfer
student in track and field (same student and coach involved in
the football situation this fall). It was also learned that the
school had violated the requirement that physical exam cards
be on file for all participants prior to competition.
While pleading
for relief from the current suspensions, school administrators
and board members described a decade of corruption and the current
commitment to change. They stated their appreciation for the
athletic association's past patience and cooperation and their
commitment to adhering to all rules in the future and to removing
persons who violate rules; and they welcomed renewal of the two-year
ban from MHSAA tournament participation should there be any future
violations. The
Executive Committee expressed concern that the aggressive recruitment
for students to assure the profitability of the district would
create problems in the administration of athletics, noting that
a letter attributed to the interim athletic director and girls
basketball coach to schools of the Mega Conference has already
created hard feelings and allegations of undue influence within
that program. The
Executive Committee noted that the MHSAA transfer regulation
accommodates the exercise of choices in education but tends to
frustrate excessive choice and choices made primarily for athletic
reasons. The Executive Committee determined that it is not its
role to make decisions that would encourage student transfers
or would benefit the finances of one school district over another;
in fact, it was reconfirmed that those must not be considerations
in Executive Committee decision-making. In response to the school district's
representatives' candor and their strongly stated commitment
to compliance and their general ideas for corrective action and
future oversight, the Executive Committee determined Inkster
High School will become eligible for MHSAA tournament competition
in the 2001-02 school year, provided: 1.
there are no violations during the 2000-01 school year for .
. . a) failure
to rate officials in any sport which Inkster sponsors for which
ratings are required; b)
failure to comply with rules meeting attendance or testing requirements
for any sport Inkster sponsors; c)
participation by ineligible students in any sport for any reason;
d) withdrawing from any
MHSAA tournament after the draw/seeding date for the initial
level of that tournament; e)
athletic-motivated transfers or undue influence; and 2. the school district demonstrates
to the Executive Committee at its August 2001 meeting that the
school district has actually implemented a specific and effective
plan of correction and ongoing oversight that addressed personnel,
policies and procedures. Transfer
Regulation -
As part of the ongoing study of the best practices and recent
innovations of other statewide high school associations, the
Executive Committee reviewed two recent changes in Ohio:
1. The OHSAA membership
is abandoning its recent liberalized transfer rule (eligible
wherever the school year is begun) for a rule which stipulates
a full year of ineligibility unless there is (1) relocation of
residence by the student with parents or guardians, (2) written
agreement between superintendents for the protection of the student's
physical or mental well-being, or (3) the school closes.
2. The OHSAA membership
is strengthening its rule regarding foreign student eligibility,
no longer allowing them immediate eligibility if they simply
reside with a legal guardian. It
was noted that both changes bring the rules of Ohio schools more
into conformance with rules adopted by MHSAA member schools.
Investigations
Primer - The
Executive Committee reviewed and contributed ideas for improvement
to a draft copy of material intended to guide staff in responding
to written or oral allegations of Handbook violations.
National
Federation Annual Meeting - The
Executive Committee reviewed Representative Council reimbursement
policies and recommended no changes. Ramblewood Park Condominium
- The executive
director provided progress reports regarding construction on
Unit 4, compliance issues for Unit 5, and road repair.
Lease Space
- The executive
director explained plans for building out the lease space at
the MHSAA office at no expense to the MHSAA. Next Meeting - The next meeting of the Executive
Committee is Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000, at 8:30 a.m. in Traverse
City (the Representative Council Meeting follows at 11 a.m.).
n
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
Traverse
City, Nov. 29, 2000 Executive
Committee Authority and Responsibility -
The Executive Committee was reminded of its authority under Article
VII of the MHSAA Constitution and specifically its responsibility
to consider each application for waiver of an eligibility requirement
on its individual merits, determining if the regulation serves
the purpose for which it was intended in each case or if the
regulation works an undue hardship on any student who is the
subject of a request for waiver. (These underlying criteria may
not be restated for every subject of these minutes.) The Executive Committee was
reminded that it was the responsibility of each member school
involved to provide sufficient factual information about the
specific request for the Executive Committee to reach a decision
without further investigation. If information is incomplete,
contradictory or otherwise unclear or has been received too late
to be studied completely, the Executive Committee may deny the
request for waiver or delay action. Such requests may be resubmitted
to the Executive Committee with additional information at a subsequent
meeting or appealed to the full Representative Council. A determination of undue hardship
is a matter addressed to the discretion of the Executive Committee
within the educational philosophy and secondary role of voluntary
extracurricular competitive athletics in the academic environment.
The Executive Committee was cautioned to avoid making exceptions
that would create precedent that effectively changes a rule without
Representative Council action or local board of education adoption,
which would exceed Executive Committee authority. Students for whom waiver of
a particular regulation is granted must be eligible in all respects
under all other sections and interpretations of the regulations
prior to their participation. Adoption
of these regulations is a choice schools make locally when they
consider their option of MHSAA membership. Consistent with rulings
of the Attorney General and Michigan Supreme Court, schools are
not bound by the decisions of the Executive Committee, but the
association may limit participation in the postseason tournaments
it sponsors to those schools which choose to apply rules and
penalties as promulgated by the MHSAA and adopted by each member
school's board of education. The MHSAA exercises no independent
authority over schools or students during regular season.
Saugatuck
and Holland Christian High Schools (Regulation I, Section 1[E])
- Request was
made to waive the enrollment regulation to allow these schools
to enter into a cooperative agreement in varsity football. Saugatuck
has been forced to drop its varsity program for two years and
Holland Christian will not offer football at the varsity level
for two years. The combined enrollment of the schools for 2000-01
MHSAA Tournament classification purposes is 1,176 while 991 is
the limit of the regulation. The
Executive Committee granted waiver of applicable regulations
and approved the cooperative program in varsity football for
2001 and 2002 only with the understanding that the team may not
participate in the 2001 and 2002 MHSAA Football Playoffs and
that the program will be considered a Class A program for the
purposes of determining opponents' Playoff point averages.
Grand Rapids-Creston
High School (Regulation I, Section 7) -
Request to waive the previous semester record regulation was
made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who passed two of six
courses during each semester of the 9th grade and three of five
courses during the first grading period of 10th grade. An Oct.
18, 2000 MET report indicates he was eligible for special education
services. An IEP referral was made Aug. 8, 2000, and the IEP
on Oct. 18 made an initial placement on Oct. 23. On Nov. 17,
2000, one grade of the first marking period was changed from
"no credit" to "credit." The Executive Committee denied
the request for waiver, noting it would be inappropriate for
it to consider waiver of a statewide policy when the local school
district either does not have or does not apply a policy to review
or revise grades of a previous semester. South Haven High School (Regulation
I, Section 8) -
Request was made to permit eligibility for students (and particularly
for a 10th-grade student who desired to play subvarsity basketball)
who attend Bangor Career Academy. South Haven had not previously
provided eligibility to alternative education students and did
not include any on the Enrollment Declaration Form it submitted
in February 2000 for the 2000-01 school year. The Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver, subject to the following conditions:
a. The school district's
board of education has revised its policy regarding the interscholastic
athletic eligibility of alternative education students since
submission in February 2000 of its Enrollment Declaration Form.
b. The school district
counts for MHSAA classification purposes all of its students
in alternative education programs which it administers directly
or through a consortium. c.
The increase of enrollment does not result in a change in classification
or division for the school in any MHSAA tournament during the
2000-01 school year. Alanson-Littlefield
High School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of
an 11th-grade student who relocated from the residence of his
father in Onaway to the residence of his mother in the Littlefield
district. The parents were never married. An otherwise completed
Educational Transfer Form was provided but no other documentation.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver pending submission of
documentation satisfactory to the executive director that demonstrates
these adults are the student's birth parents. Ann Arbor-Huron High School
(Regulation I, Section 9) -
For the Nov. 8, 2000 Executive Committee Meeting, a late request
to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade
student enrolled at Kingston (NY) High School. It was indicated
the student would be relocating with his family, who intends
to close on the purchase of a home in Ann Arbor approximately
Nov. 30, 2000, and on the sale of its residence in New York approximately
Dec. 15, 2000. This student would move with his father, who will
be employed in Ypsilanti beginning approximately Jan. 2, 2001.
The student's mother would complete the academic year as a principal
in New York while the student's older brother finishes 12th grade
and graduates. Noting
that the student had not enrolled in an MHSAA member school nor
relocated his residence to Ann Arbor, and considering also that
the family had not met the obligations at either end of a completed
change of residence (pursuant to Interpretation No. 71) and that
the student was enrolled in a school where he has athletic eligibility
so that the standards of an undue hardship were not approached,
the Executive Committee denied the request for waiver at its
Nov. 8 meeting. Based
on additional information from the school and family, the matter
was reconsidered; and the Executive Committee determined that
the student would become eligible under the following conditions:
a. Closing has occurred
on the sale of the family's home in New York and on the purchase
of the family's residence in the Huron High School District;
b. The student is residing
in that home in the Huron School District with at least his father;
and c. The student
is enrolled (registered and actually attending classes) in Huron
High School. Battle
Creek-Family Altar Christian School (Regulation I, Section 9)
- A late request
to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade
student who attended Family Altar in 8th grade when he was suspended
once and nearly again and then enrolled in a different Christian
school, where his conduct improved under that school's strict
rules of conduct. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Battle Creek-Family Altar Christian
School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
A late request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf
of a 10th-grade student who did not participate in sports at
her previous school. No date of enrollment was provided.
The Executive
Committee denied the request for waiver. If the school sponsors
a subvarsity program, this student may participate in it under
Section 9(B). Bloomfield
Hills-Brother Rice High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request to waive the transfer
regulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student who had
previously attended U of D Jesuit High School and enrolled at
Brother Rice before the first day of classes of the current school
year. The change would reduce travel time from the family's residence
in Rochester and permit the student's mother to assist more with
care of his grandfather who is ill. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Colon High School (Regulation
I, Section 9[D]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
after 90 school days of enrollment at Colon High School was made
on behalf of a student who attended Mendon High School before
enrolling April 12, 2000 at Colon. There was no change of residence
and no reason was provided. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Dearborn Heights-Robichaud
High School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of
a 12th-grade student who attended Redford-Bishop Borgess High
School through June 2000. The student has been without his father
since the age of 5 and the student's mother died June 21, 2000.
He moved to California to live with an aunt, and he attended
school there for ten weeks. He then returned to Michigan to live
with his brother in the Westwood Community School District (Robichaud).
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver. Dearborn Heights-Robichaud
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) - Request
to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility only at
the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student
who enrolled at Robichaud Nov. 13, 2000, having previously attended
U of D Jesuit High School where he did not participate in athletics.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver at the subvarsity level
only during the 2000-01 school year. Eastpointe-East Detroit High
School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request
to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade
student who was relocating from the residence of his mother in
New York to the residence of his father in Eastpointe. The parents
were never married, but birth records indicated the birth parents
and an otherwise completed Educational Transfer Form was provided.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver. Holland-West Ottawa High School
(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request was made to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level for a 10th-grade student who enrolled
Aug. 30, 2000 at West Ottawa after attending 9th grade at Holland
High School where the student did not participate in athletics.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver at the subvarsity level
only during the first semester of the 2000-01 school year.
Houghton
Lake High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request to waive the transfer
regulation was made on behalf of two 11th-grade students who
enrolled at Houghton Lake in November 2000. One was a victim
of sexual assault by an employee of their previous school while
both were at that employee's home. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver. Houghton Lake High School (Regulation
I, Section 9[B]) - Request
to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility only at
the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student
who previously attended another high school where she did not
participate in athletics. She enrolled at the start of Houghton
Lake's second marking period. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver at the subvarsity
level only during the 2000-01 school year. Hudsonville-Unity Christian
High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request
to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade
student who was experiencing difficulties with students at Jenison
High School, which affirmed the facts. She enrolled Nov. 14,
2000 at Unity Christian. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver. Jackson Christian High School
(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request was made to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level on behalf of an 11th-grade student
who had attended Parma-Western High School since moving from
Indiana last summer. He participated last year in basketball
at the small Christian school he attended in Indiana but did
not participate in any sport at Parma-Western. Pursuant to the specific conditions
of this section which have been adopted by the Representative
Council and member schools, the Executive Committee denied the
request for waiver. Lowell
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the first semester of the
2000-01 school year was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student
who attended 9th grade at Grand Rapids Baptist High School where
he did not participate in interscholastic athletics. He enrolled
at Lowell at the start of the 2000-01 school year. The Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver at the subvarsity level only during the
first semester of the 2000-01 school year. Manton High School (Regulation
I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 10th-grade
student who previously attended Ravenna High School where he
did not participate in an interscholastic scrimmage or contest.
The student enrolled at Manton in November. The Executive Committee granted
the request for waiver at the subvarsity level only during the
2000-01 school year. Mason
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[D]) -
A late request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
after 90 school days of enrollment was made on behalf of a student
who enrolled at Mason High School on March 20, 2000. The student
attended Jackson-Northwest High School until January of 2000
when he dropped out with the intention of working in Indiana.
The student is 18 years old and he relocated to a friend's residence
in Holt. The previous school would not complete the Educational
Transfer Form for the student. The
Executive Committee denied the request for waiver. Muskegon-Orchard View High
School (Regulation I, Section 9) -
A late request to waive the transfer regulation was made on behalf
of a student who relocated with his mother from the Reeths-Puffer
High School district where they lived with the student's father.
There was no divorce. The student enrolled at Orchard View High
School on Nov. 10, 2000. Pursuant
to the requirement of the regulation for completed court documents
of finalized divorce proceedings, the Executive Committee denied
the request for waiver. Muskegon-Orchard
View High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - A late request to waive the
transfer regulation was made on behalf of a student who relocated
with his mother from the Muskegon-Oakridge School District where
they lived with the student's stepfather. A divorce is in progress.
The student enrolled at Orchard View High School on Aug. 24,
2000. Noting
that the regulation adopted by the Representative Council and
member schools requires the divorce be final, the Executive Committee
denied the request for waiver. New
Baltimore-Anchor Bay High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B])
- Request to
waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility only at the
subvarsity level was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student who
enrolled on Anchor Bay's first day of school (Aug. 29) after
attending for one week at Lutheran East High School where he
did not participate in any sports activities. The Executive Committee granted
the request for eligibility at the subvarsity level only during
the first semester of the 2000-01 school year. Ortonville-Brandon High School
(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01
school year was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student who enrolled
Nov. 2, 2000, having previously attended Springfield Christian
Academy where she did not participate in interscholastic athletics.
The Executive
Committee granted the request for waiver at the subvarsity level
only during the remainder of the 2000-01 school year.
Ortonville-Brandon
High School (Regulation I, Section 9[B]) -
Request to waive the transfer regulation to permit eligibility
only at the subvarsity level during the remainder of the 2000-01
school year was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who enrolled
Nov. 2, 2000, having previously attended Springfield Christian
Academy where he participated in its soccer program. Pursuant to the explicit condition
of the section of the regulation developed by the Representative
Council and adopted by member schools, the Executive Committee
denied the request for waiver. Southgate
Anderson High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Request was made to waive
the transfer regulation on behalf of an 11th-grade student who
began this school year at Detroit-Mumford and was enrolled at
Southgate Anderson Oct. 5, 2000, having begun the process of
withdrawal from Mumford on Sept. 27, 2000. He relocated from
his mother's residence to relatives in the Southgate Anderson
High School district. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver, effective
with the first day of classes of the second semester of the 2000-01
school year. Holt
High School (Regulation II, Section 15) - Request
was made on behalf of a 12th-grade student to compete in Division
2 of the 2001 Girls Gymnastics Tournament, which will be conducted
in two divisions: Division 1 for gymnasts who at any time competed
in a non-school event at USAG Level 9 or above or who have competed
in USAG Optionals (Level 7 Optional or Level 8) since Jan. 1,
1999; and Division 2 for all other gymnasts. This student competed
at USAG Level 10 at ages 9 to 11, leaving USAG in October 1994.
The student competed in Division 1 in 9th, 10th and 11th-grades.
Noting that
some of the student's scores are competitive and in the absence
of documented injury, the Executive Committee determined that
the student must participate in Division 1 if she participates
in the MHSAA Girls Gymnastics Tournament. Hillsdale-Will Carleton Academy
(Regulation III, Section 1) -
Request was made to waive Interpretation No. 223 to permit 6th-grade
male students to participate in the 7th and 8th-grade boys basketball
program. The
Executive Committee granted the request for waiver for boys basketball
and the 2000-01 school year only. New Member School - Pursuant to the MHSAA Constitution
adopted by member schools and according to procedures for MHSAA
membership as established by the Representative Council March
21, 1997, an application for membership was approved for Wyoming-The
Potter's House Christian High School, enrollment 105. The school also sought waiver
of the condition that its Membership Resolution must be received
by the fourth Friday after Labor Day in order to participate
in MHSAA tournaments during that school year. The school's resolution
was received Oct. 2, 2000. Its support material was completed
Nov. 22, 2000. The school desired to participate in Boys Basketball
and Volleyball Tournaments, in which schools were assigned to
Districts by committee earlier in the fall. Because winter tournament formats
have been set by committees and the addition of this school would
require reassignment of schools in several cases, the Executive
Committee determined that the earliest MHSAA tournament participation
by this school would be the tournaments concluding the spring
season of the 2000-01 school year. Credit Card Authorization -
As the first
step in permitting constituents to utilize credit cards when
transacting business with the MHSAA on the Internet, the MHSAA
will allow officials to renew their registration online with
the MHSAA for 2001-02, charging with one of several credit cards.
The Executive Committee approved the resolution required by National
City Bank of Michigan/Illinois before utilizing its services
to administer the credit card convenience. Representative Council - The Executive Committee reviewed
the schedule and agenda for the Representative Council Meeting
later that morning. Next
Meetings -
The next meetings of the Executive Committee are scheduled for:
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001, at 8:30 a.m. in East Lansing; Wednesday,
Feb. 14, 2001, at 9 a.m. in East Lansing; Thursday, March 22,
2001, at 9 a.m. in East Lansing; Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at
9 a.m. in East Lansing; Saturday, May 5, 2001, at 6 p.m. in Gaylord;
and Wednesday, June 6, 2001, at 9 a.m. in East Lansing. n
REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING
Traverse
City, Nov. 29, 2000 Accounts
of Meetings -
Motion by William Newkirk, supported by Keith Eldred, to approve
with presented amendments the minutes of the Representative Council
Meeting of May 6-9, 2000; the Executive Committee Meetings of
May 5, June 14, Aug. 16, Sept. 13, Oct. 11 and Nov. 8, 2000;
the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee Meeting of Sept. 15, 2000;
and the Board of Canvassers Meetings of Sept. 15 and Oct. 4,
2000. Adopted. REPORTS Legislation - The executive director previewed
the "lame duck" session of the Michigan Legislature
and expectations for the new year. Several persons who serve
on or who have attended meetings of the Blue Ribbon Panel on
Gender Equity in Michigan High School Sports provided observations
that were mostly uncomplimentary of the process but encouraging
regarding the outcome with respect to the MHSAA's image.
Litigation
- Attorney
Edmund Sikorski reviewed the only new litigation in which the
MHSAA has been involved since the May meeting of the Council,
which was a successful defense of the MHSAA's policies and procedures
in an action brought against the MHSAA by the parent of a basketball
player at Inkster High School, which has been prohibited from
participation in MHSAA tournaments in all sports through at least
the 2000-01 school year as a result of accumulated violations
and an absence of institutional control over the interscholastic
athletic program. Mr.
Sikorski reviewed possible time schedules for decisions in the
Reid (home school) and CFE (sports seasons) cases which were
initiated against the MHSAA 19 and 29 months ago, respectively.
Mr. Roberts
provided an overview of sports season challenges involving other
state high school associations. In spite of schools' long-standing
opposition to change, in Montana and South Dakota girls volleyball
and basketball seasons will be reversed by schools in 2002-03
as a reaction to their concerns for the expense of litigation,
the threat of loss of insurance and fear of US government intervention.
It was pointed out, however, that the settlements negotiated
with the US government in those cases assure government oversight
for at least four years. Administration
- The association's
Annual Business Meeting of Nov. 30, 2000 was previewed. Results of the 2000 Update
Meeting surveys were reviewed by the executive director and discussed
by the Representative Council. The
requirement of schools to register all nonfaculty coaches and
the variety of ways that may be accomplished were presented by
the executive director, who noted that high school registrations
were the highest ever in 1998-99 (9,643 coaches) and again in
1999-00 (11,571 coaches), junior high/middle school registrations
were the highest ever in 1999-00 (1,562 coaches), and that the
number of schools registering nonfaculty coaches was the highest
ever in 1999-00 (651 high schools and 326 junior high/middle
schools); and he predicted that new forms, procedures and means
of communication will continue to increase the number of coaches
who are registered during 2000-01. There was discussion by Council
of the rationale for the administrative requirement to register
nonfaculty coaches and the fact that there is no organizational
consequence for failure to register any nonfaculty coaches.
OLD BUSINESS Athletic Director In-Service/New
Coaches Orientation -
Associate Director Jerry Cvengros reported the staff's plans
for Athletic Director In-Service programs in 2001 and 2002, as
well as ideas for new coach orientation in 2001 and how it might
expand thereafter. Motion by Eric Federico, supported by Karen
Leinaar, to affirm the initiatives in these areas of in-service
training for athletic directors and coaches. Adopted. Council
members endorsed the MHSAA's hands-on role in in-servicing both
athletic directors and coaches, and urged that the four-hour
new coach orientation complement and not compete with the longer
PACE program and that staff be prepared to provide the new coach
orientation at multiple large sites to meet demand. Out-of-Season Issues - At its May 2000 meeting, the
Representative Council authorized the convening of an ad hoc
committee to study concerns and promote communication to entities
involved with out-of-season AAU and other competitions. Assistant
Director Nate Hampton reported on the progress of the ad hoc
committee, which has made four recommendations to the Representative
Council, including the preparation of a flier to identify MHSAA/member
school philosophy on sports specialization, a brochure directed
toward member school administrators, coaches, athletes and parent
support groups on the philosophy and reasons for participating
in multiple sports, and a video directed at coaches, athletes
and parents on the philosophies and reasons for participating
in multiple sports. Motion
by William Newkirk, supported by Judy Raica, to commend the committee
for its work to date, to support continued efforts and to request
updates to the Representative Council regarding these projects
in March and May. Adopted. Three-Person
Rule - At its
May 2000 meeting, the Representative Council authorized an ad
hoc committee to examine three-player rule applications and alternatives
in several sports. Assistant Director Gina Mazzolini and two
Council members who participated on the ad hoc committee reported
on the committee's deliberations. Motion
by Tom Rashid, supported by William Newkirk, to approve a second
meeting of the ad hoc committee with primary but not exclusive
focus to be on the application and effect of the three-person
rule to individual sports. Adopted. Officials - At its May 2000 meeting, the
Representative Council approved a Basketball Committee recommendation
to convene a panel to develop strategies to educate coaches and
spectators who have misinformed perceptions regarding officials
and to promote the need for professionalism of officials. Assistant
Director Nate Hampton reported on the committee's progress to
date and its recommendations: (1) to redefine a survey instrument
to be more specific and administer it to a larger pool, starting
with basketball; and (2) to use the Illinois example for a brochure
on guidelines for behavior and school responsibility for hosting
officials. Motion
by Earl Rickman, supported by Tom Rashid, to approve the ad hoc
committee recommendations. Adopted Authenticating Mark - The executive director provided
an update of the National Federation Authenticating Mark Program
and the possibility that the MHSAA could be excluded from National
Federation rules committees if the association continued to delay
implementation. Council members expressed negative comments for
the National Federation initiative, objecting to this program
on philosophical as well as practical concerns, citing the potential
for disruption of contests and increased costs to schools.
Motion by Randy
Salisbury, supported by Robert Riemersma, to follow the National
Federation Authenticating Mark rule at the varsity level only
in all applicable sports except ice hockey beginning with the
2001-02 school year. Adopted. Administrative
Violations and Penalties -
The most frequent violation of the MHSAA Handbook is Regulation
II, Section 7(B) -- failure to rate any officials at all in a
sport for which ratings are maintained, and compliance is getting
worse. The Executive Committee requested at its August 1998 meeting
that the Representative Council December 1998 agenda include
a discussion of this topic and the possibility of publishing
in the MHSAA Bulletin the names of schools which fail to rate
any officials at all in a sport for two consecutive years. At
that meeting, several Council members expressed the need to take
a harder line with schools that repeatedly violate this regulation,
while some Council members were concerned that students should
not lose the opportunity to participate in MHSAA tournaments
because of the administrative failings of school staff. Ultimately,
the Council voted to publish in the MHSAA Bulletin the names
of schools which fail to rate any officials at all in a sport
for two consecutive years. The first listing occurred following
the processing of ratings for the 1999-00 school year.
At its August
1999 meeting, the Executive Committee noted that many schools
were continuing to violate both the ratings requirement (Section
7[B]) and the requirement that head coaches attend a rules meeting
or pass the rules examination for the sport (Section 8[B]). The
Executive Committee requested that the Representative Council
December 1999 agenda include the possibility of (1) publishing
in the MHSAA Bulletin the names of schools whose head coach fails
to attend the rules meeting or pass the examination, and (2)
imposing penalties that reduce or eliminate MHSAA tournament
reimbursements, hosting opportunities and participation privileges.
At that meeting, the Council's action was to require that the
MHSAA Bulletin list the names of schools whose head coach fails
to attend the rules meeting or pass the examination and that
further consideration of other actions be delayed until December
2000. It
was reported to the Council that violations of both types continue
to increase. A discussion was held regarding the value of these
requirements, new ways to encourage compliance, and alternative
penalties. It was pointed out that while violations of these
requirements are numerous in quantity, they are small in percentage,
given the number of schools and sports that must adhere to these
administrative requirements. There was discussion of the value
of these requirements and root causes for failure to meet the
requirements. Communications
Director John Johnson explained and demonstrated a webcast of
a rules meeting as an idea for supplementing the traditional
delivery system for rules meetings to coaches and officials.
More discussion
is scheduled for the March meeting of the Representative Council,
and no action is anticipated before the May meeting of the Representative
Council with respect to changes in requirements or consequences.
Baseball
Bats - At its
May 2000 meeting, the Representative Council took no action regarding
a proposal from a league to delay implementation of the new National
Federation baseball bat standards, which are scheduled to become
effective Jan. 1, 2001. The executive director was to appeal
to the National Federation Board of Directors to delay implementation.
The executive director reported to Council in a memo on Aug.
4, 2000 that there was no sentiment on the National Federation
Board to delay implementation. The National Federation Baseball
Rule Book bat standards will be effective for all levels of competition
involving MHSAA member schools beginning with the 2001 season.
NEW BUSINESS Softball Bats - A proposal of the Michigan
High School Coaches Association was considered. It asked the
MHSAA to make an exception to National Federation rules so that
softball bats which meet existing standards and have a "grandfathered"
sticker allowing their use through Dec. 31, 2001 may be used
after that date as well. Motion
by William Newkirk, supported by Karen Leinaar, to instruct staff
to carry this proposal to the National Federation Softball Rule
Interpreters Meeting in January and National Federation Softball
Rules Committee Meeting in June 2001. Adopted. Saline High School (Regulation
I, Sections 4 & 5) -
In the spring of 1999, request was made of the Executive Committee
to waive the maximum semesters portions of the eligibility regulation
on behalf of a student who first enrolled in the 9th grade for
the 1996-97 school year at a large school in Virginia where he
did not participate in high school sports. Upon his transfer
to Saline, he was reenrolled in the 9th grade, and he completed
eight semesters in 1999-00. He requested 9th and 10th semesters
during the 2000-01 school year. Meeting
with the Executive Committee on Aug. 18, 1999, the parents indicated
they chose to have their son repeat 9th grade because his father
had a job change, the student's brother had left for college,
and the student had not done well academically in 9th grade (B-
grade point average). Other factors indicated were his size,
maturity and that he didn't fit in. He tried out for the baseball
team but didn't make the team. The athletic director indicated
the student could have sufficient credits to graduate in June
2000. At
its Aug. 18, 1999 meeting, the Executive Committee found there
were no special circumstances that required the repeat of 9th
grade. It was a choice, and Saline High School even accepted
four credits from the student's first year in 9th grade. Therefore,
the student was enduring no hardship by the application of the
maximum semesters rules, which were serving their intended purposes
in this case. The request for waiver was denied. The school requested that the
Representative Council waive the maximum semesters section of
the regulation for this student. Motion
by Norm Johnson, supported by William Newkirk, to deny the request
for waiver, consistent with the rationale of the Executive Committee.
Adopted. Ann
Arbor-Huron High School (Regulation I, Section 9) - For the Nov. 8, 2000 Executive
Committee Meeting, a late request to waive the transfer regulation
was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who previously attended
high school in Nova Scotia where he did not participate in athletics
(the school has no teams). He sought to participate in ice hockey.
Huron High School does not sponsor a subvarsity team in the sport,
so Section 9(B) was not an option. He relocated from his mother's
residence in Canada to relatives in Ann Arbor to assist him in
avoiding use of alcohol and other drugs. No date of enrollment
was provided. The
Executive Committee was not persuaded that this student's circumstances
were analogous to a Bosnian war refugee or that precedent should
be established to grant waiver for students who were transferring
because of their alcohol use; and the Executive Committee denied
the request for waiver. The
school requested that the Representative Council waive the transfer
regulation for this student. Motion
by Keith Alto, supported by Don Weatherspoon, to refer this item
to the Executive Committee for its reconsideration if additional
independent documentation is provided regarding the circumstances
of this student's living situation in Canada. Adopted.
Awards -
Associate Director
Jerry Cvengros reported that there were nine nominees for the
11th Women in Sports Leadership Award and that the Awards Committee
narrowed the candidates to four, which were presented to the
Representative Council. Council members were asked to vote for
one or two candidates. The name(s) of the recipient(s) will be
released at an appropriate time and the recipient(s) will be
honored during the awards luncheon of the 2001 Women in Sports
Leadership Conference. Mr.
Cvengros reported that there were 13 nominees for the Charles
E. Forsythe Award and that the Awards Committee narrowed the
candidates to four, which were presented to the Representative
Council members for a ballot vote. The names of the recipients
will be released at an appropriate time and the recipient(s)
will be honored during the 2000 Class B Boys Basketball Finals
Tournament game. Meeting
Expenses -
Expenses for this meeting were approved at the specified hotel
rates for accommodations and parking, the IRS specified meal
allowance and a 30¢ per mile mileage allowance round-trip.
Future Meetings
- The next
meeting of the Representative Council will be held on Friday,
March 23, 2001, 8:15 a.m. at the MHSAA building in East Lansing.
The spring meeting of the Representative Council will be May
6-8, 2001, at Marsh Ridge in Gaylord. The meeting was adjourned.
n REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING
Traverse
City, Nov. 29, 2000 Election
of Officers -
Officers elected to serve through the fall 2001 meeting of the
Representative Council were President Paul Ellinger, Vice
President Keith Eldred and Secretary-Treasurer Tom
Rashid. The
president appointed Dan Flynn to serve on the Executive
Committee on a regular basis during 2001, with the fifth position
filled on a rotating basis by other Council members. William Newkirk and Randy Salisbury
were invited to serve with the president and secretary-treasurer
on the MHSAA Finance Committee for 2001. Selection of Appointed Members
- According
to the MHSAA Constitution, "It is the annual responsibility
of the Council to ascertain that the Council elective process
has provided for the representation of females and minorities.
If, in the judgment of the Council, these results have not been
achieved, said Council shall appoint not to exceed four Representative
Council members-at-large for two-year terms." The Representative Council
appointed Margra Grillo, Board of Education member for
the Gladwin Community Schools, and Kathy McGee, Athletic
Director at Flint-Powers Catholic High School, to two-year terms
on the Representative Council. The
meeting was adjourned. n
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NEW WAYS
TO SAY OLD THINGS Closing comments at MHSAA Update
Meetings, October 2000 We're always looking for new
ways to say old things. When we had the breakdown of sportsmanship
during the 1995-96 school year, we sought new ways to talk about
sportsmanship. People had begun to tune out, so we spoke with
new vocabulary and new volume. When
you believe in what you're doing, you don't seek to change what
you're doing when people tune out; you seek to find new ways
to say old things. This
really wasn't on my mind, but it happened anyway, as I was reading
Steven L. Carter's book, God's Name in Vain: The Wrongs and
Rights of Religion in Politics. Carter makes the statement,
"If faith lives by resisting, it dies by conforming."
I believe the
same is true for educational athletics. School sports survive so long
as they resist characteristics common to other sports programs,
such as nationalism, commercialism, professionalism and hooliganism.
School sports
will die by conforming to nationalism, commercialism, professionalism,
hooliganism, and to the absurd policies and excessive practices
of non-school youth sports, much of intercollegiate athletics
and professional programs. If we try to be like them, we will
lose our place and our purpose. School
sports were created several generations ago to be different than
the opportunities that were available to school-age students
at that time, which were run by colleges or were semi-professional
programs in which it was not unusual for 15-year-olds to be matched
with 25-year-olds, some of whom were "professionals"
and some of whom were not even enrolled in the schools they were
representing. It
is by our separation that school sports exist and have a place
and a purpose both within schools and within sports. Our niche
in the world of education, and our niche in the world of athletics,
is local, wholesome, pure, amateur, low-commercial, sportsmanlike,
educational athletics. If
we look at other sports programs and say, "Everybody does
it," or, "If you can't beat 'em, then join 'em,"
then we assure we will be beaten. Our
purpose and place, our strength and survival, is in not doing
what everybody else does. Our purpose and place, our strength
and survival, is by not joining in the excessive and absurd.
Our purpose and place, our strength and survival, is in our difference.
Our future is in being different. If
there is no difference between a high school program and a non-school
program, then there is no reason for a high school to bother
with that program. There has to be a difference for schools to
make the effort. There has to be a difference for the MHSAA to
make the effort. There has to be a difference for you to make
the effort. So
in closing on this day, I use with new meaning the over-used
phrase, "Make a difference." Make our program different
than sports by any other sponsor on any other level. Do this
to preserve our place in schools and our place in sports. n
REVIEWING THE REGULATIONS
WHEN TO
GET APPROVAL, WHEN TO SANCTION... The MHSAA Handbook,
Regulation II, Sections 5 and 6 lists requirements for competitions
which are hosted by non-member entities, involve teams or individuals
from another state or are held out of the state. Depending on
the situation, the following actions should be taken:
1. No action by MHSAA
-- Competition held in Michigan, conducted by member schools
needs no MHSAA approval. All such meets shall use MHSAA registered
officials and rules of competition adopted by the MHSAA for that
sport. 2. Approval
by the MHSAA -- Any meet or tournament with three or more
teams held within Michigan for Michigan schools and sponsored
by a non-member school or organization must be approved by the
MHSAA prior to the contest. The
non-member school/organization must submit in writing the terms
and conditions of the competition. The sponsors must assure that
the competition will be conducted in accordance with MHSAA eligibility
regulations, using MHSAA registered officials and rules of competition
adopted by the MHSAA for that sport. 3.
Sanction by State Association -- Interstate competition,
which is sponsored by a member school and involves three or more
schools from border states must be sanctioned by the state association
of the host school, as well as the respective association of
the state or states of participating schools. The
sanction form is on page 94 of the Handbook, and on the
NFHS website (www.nfhs.org). The application must be received
by the state association at least 30 calendar days before the
event. 4. Sanction
by the NFHS -- A. Any interstate competition involving two
or more schools which is cosponsored by an organization outside
the high school community (e.g. a university, shoe company, etc.),
in addition to being sponsored by a member school, shall require
sanction by the NFHS office. B. Schools must also receive
NFHS sanction and state association sanction when: (1) Eight or more schools,
at least one of which is from a state that does not border the
host state; or (2)
Five or more states, at least one of which does not border the
host state. * Whenever an event requires
NFHS approval, there is a $50 fee made payable to the NFHS. This
payment must be sent along with the request for sanction to the
state association office. The host school or the organization
that is hosting the event is required to have the request submitted
to the state association office at least 30 days before the event.
** Reminder: The practice
of taking a team on a "spring trip" is a separate issue.
Any school which conducts practice sessions out of state at a
site more must submit to the state association office a travel
form for out of state practice. This does not allow schools to
compete in a scrimmage or practice with a team from another school.
The form can be found
on page 104 of the Handbook or on the MHSAA website. n NOTE: Schools voluntarily join the
MHSAA and, to that end, it is necessary that each school district
sign each year a Membership Resolution adopting the rules and
regulations of the MHSAA as their own and agreeing to primary
enforcement of those rules. While a school district is not bound
by the decisions rendered by the MHSAA regarding rule violations,
the MHSAA may condition eligibility for its tournaments on compliance
with its rules and its determinations concerning rules violations
and the penalties to be imposed for violations of the rules.
See Attorney General Opinions No. 4795 (1977) and No. 6352 (1986).
Many
school districts have additional rules that may also apply to
the subject matter of this column.
ALLOW PROS IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS?
WHAT IS
NCAA THINKING? Since
the beginning of intercollegiate competition, college sports
has had to balance three competing forces -- amateurism, commercialism
and education. The mutual dependence of each of these principles
-- the image of a three-legged stool comes to mind -- coupled
with controlled growth, has made college athletics the great
institution it is today. Now
the NCAA is considering cutting off one of those legs. At its
October meeting, the NCAA Management Council for-warded to member
schools for com-ment proposals to eliminate amateurism expectations
for student athletes at the Division I level. The issue is expected
to generate substantial debate until the legislative process
takes its course and a final decision is rendered in April 2001.
The debate
over amateurism is being framed as a way to enhance the welfare
of student athletes while expanding their commercial opportunities
and maintaining competitive balance. Under current proposals,
the NCAA would allow athletes who had played professionally,
signed professional contracts or accepted prize money based on
place of finish to compete at the collegiate level, with a loss
of one year of eligibility for each year of professionalism.
It is laudable
that student athletes may finally have an opportunity to profit
directly from their own images and fame in the same manner as
universities have been doing for years. However, the balance
between commercialism and education would be thrown into turmoil
if amateurism is lost, and this would likely result in two unintended
outcomes: *
Reduction in the academic aspirations of student athletes.
* Diminished commercial
appeal for college athletics. Clearly
education and commercialism can co-exist in college sports, as
they do throughout higher education. Whether they can continue
to co-exist if amateurism is no longer part of the balance, though,
remains to be seen. Elimination of amateurism as an educational
support impinges on the academic pretense necessary to justify
intercollegiate sport. The sport of basketball provides a likely
scenario if the expectation of amateurism is eliminated.
Each summer,
the media cover a group of elite high school basketball athletes
and debate publicly the merits of their going straight to the
NBA as opposed to enrolling in college. The usual subtext behind
many of these discussions is whether the individual will be able
to achieve the necessary SAT score that will allow him to be
eligible as a freshman. If
amateurism is eliminated, earlier steps to improve academic preparation
will be undercut. An athletic scholarship, now a primary motivation
that supports good academic choices, will become a backup play
for some athletes if the professional ranks don't work out. College
sports will become an even greater "farm system" for
professional sports' young dropouts. The academic interest of athletes
coming to college with professional backgrounds is likely to
be significantly lower than that of their "non-professional"
counterparts. College attendance for professional athletes would
simply become another high-level athletic opportunity, rather
than an educational opportunity that includes a significant athletic
component. The number of individuals who consider professional
athletics a realistic career opportunity is likely to grow, despite
the staggering statistics against becoming a professional athlete.
Finally coaches
will be forced to change the way they recruit, scanning the waiver
wires and the transaction columns in the newspaper to see which
athletes may need collegiate seasoning to have another shot at
the professional leagues. Ironically,
the amateurism deliberations occur simultaneously to discussions
by the NCAA's Men's Basketball Working Group, whose initial charge
was to address academic concerns and "clean up" a summer
basketball recruiting scene that is run by sneaker companies
and AAU coaches. Athletes leaving early for the NBA, influences
from agents, runners and entourages, as well as the taint of
gambling are just a few of the problems that threaten an industry
that generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Yet, college
sports ultimately risks sabotaging its commercial success without
the balance provided by expectations of amateurism. Perhaps the greatest allure
of college sports is that it is predicated on the glory of competing
for one's alma mater in an environment that is bigger than the
individual. The mythology that makes college athletics special
-- and ultimately drives the commercial engine -- is that college
athletics has purpose beyond 40-yard-dash times, vertical jump
measurements, scores and highlights. Intercollegiate athletics
has educational purpose and finite limits as to who can contribute
to its lore and for how long. Intercollegiate
athletics is commercially successful because it is special, high-quality
entertainment. Adding lower-tier professional athletes to the
mix makes the commercial product more unseemly and ultimately
less appealing. The 1999-2000 NCAA men's and women's basketball
tournaments would have been less commercially appealing if Michigan
State and the University of Connecticut won their championships
with individuals who had previously competed for the Detroit
Pistons or the New York Liberty. While
it is possible that the short-term interest surrounding college
sports may increase with professionals competing, there will
be long-term costs. One needs look no further than the declining
interest in Olympic men's basketball. The difference in interest
between Dream Team I and the team that recently competed in Australia
is stark. The novelty of seeing professionals compete in the
Olympics, a setting that depends on the myth of the amateur ideal,
has digressed to being another ugly commercialized experience.
Indeed, college
athletics risks the same outcome if it decides to homogenize
its product with former professionals. Amateurism, rather than becoming
an anachronism, has become increasingly essential to collegiate
athletics. By further blurring the lines between college and
professional athletes, the NCAA would be sacrificing an essential
balancing agent between academics and commercialism. Clearly college athletics has
numerous problems -- but does anyone think for a second that
permitting former professional athletes to compete as collegians
is a positive step toward solving those problems? -- Michael E. Cross
Associate Director
of Athletics Princeton
University
BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL BAT REQUIREMENTS
REMINDER: the National Federation rule
book requirements for bats used in baseball and softball have
undergone changes. The softball change occurred Jan. 1, 2000.
The baseball change becomes effective Jan. 1, 2001. BASEBALL - NEW REQUIREMENTS
(Rule 1-3-5)--EFFECTIVE JAN. 1, 2001 Maximum diameter: 2 5/8 inches Length:
36 inches or less Weight:
A bat shall not weigh, numerically, more than three ounces less
than the length of the bat (e.g. a 35-inch long bat cannot be
less than 32 ounces. SOFTBALL
- CONT. REQUIREMENTS (Rule 1-3-5)--EFFECTIVE JAN. 1, 2000 Maximum
diameter: 2
1/4 inches Length: 34 inches or less Meet
ASA bat performance standard: *
labeled with ASA approved certification mark * be listed on ASA web site
(www.softball.org) NOTE:
While the rules only govern competition, it may be advisable
to remove from your 7-12 grade inventory all bats that do not
meet the standards so they are not used in any practices, scrimmages
or games.
MERRILL
GRID TEAM LAUDED FOR SPORTSMANSHIP On behalf of the McBain Rural
Agricultural School Board and Administration, I would like to
congratulate the Vandals of Merrill for their performance on
and off the football field o Nov. 3 in the MHSAA Division 7 Playoffs
(a 25-15 McBain win in the District Final). More inspiring than the actual
play was the exemplary sportsmanship exhibited by the Merrill
football players and coaching staff. During the game there was
no trash talk from the Vandals. On several occasions after a
play, the Merrill team members could be seen helping various
Ramblers off the ground and giving them a quick pat on the back.
Even before the final play was over Merrill players were extending
their hands in congratulations to our players. Another outstanding
gesture by Merrill came at the medal presentation ceremony. All
Vandal players stood across midfield to acknowledge each McBain
player as he received his medal and the District trophy was awarded
to the school. During
game week there were several communiques and conversations between
the two schools and communities. McBain could not have been treated
more cordially or graciously. It is evident the Merrill community
compliments the school where high values and appropriate behavior
is the norm. As
a parent of a McBain football player and administrator in the
McBain district, I only hope when the time arrives, the "Bainers"
will take a page from the Merrill sportsmanship book and react
with such class. It is with great appreciation and admiration
we acknowledge a fine Merrill football team, coaching staff,
band, school, and community. Thank
you Merrill and with God's blessing we look forward in meeting
you again. Good Sports Are Winners in Merrill! -- Patrick J. Smith
Elementary Principal
McBain Rural Agricultural
School
ELIGIBILITY ADVANCEMENT REMINDERS School administrators, counselors
and coaches are reminded to present advanced eligibility opportunities
to over-age jr. high/middle school students. MHSAA Regulations
prohibit seventh and eighth-grade students who become 15 years
of age before Sept. 1 to participate in interscholastic sports
competition at their respective grade level. The same is true
of 16-year-old ninth-graders in a 10-12 high school system if
the birthday occurs before Sept. 1. If
the local school administration and parents can agree and arrange,
these over-age students can be advanced athletically and participate
in the 9-12 program, even if it is in a separate building. The students will be limited
to four years of high school eligibility and must maintain the
requirement to be passing work in at least four full credit courses.
Eligibility
Advancement Application forms are available on the MHSAA website
at www.mhsaa.com and are also included in the MHSAA
Handbook. n
2001 WRESTLING TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Two (2) sets of entry
materials are required to be submitted by each school in order
to enter the 2000-01 Wrestling Tournament. An entry consists
of three (3) documents; the bright yellow Entry Form,
a current Eligibility Form and the 2000-01 Weight Certification
Form. Entry documents are to be sent directly to the Manager
of the Individual and Team District Tournament to which a school
is assigned. DO NOT SEND TO MHSAA. The revised Season
History Form will be presented at the Individual District Weigh-In.
Actual weights must be recorded on the Revised Season Summary
to comply with the 50% Rule.
Tournament |
Due Date |
Required Entry Documents |
Individual District |
4 p.m. 2/9/01 |
Individual Entry Form; Eligibility
Form; Alpha Master |
Team District |
4 p.m. 2/9/01 |
Team Entry Form; Eligibility Form;
Alpha Master |
Team District winners qualify to the
Team Regional and are paired according to the Master Regional
Pairings. Regional winners will advance to the Quarterfinal competition
at Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek on Friday, March 2, 2001. Quarterfinal
pairings were determined by open draw. The Semifinal round in
all classes will be contested on March 3, 2001, at the Kellogg
Arena, followed in the afternoon by the Championship Final in
each division. Entry
materials and tournament information will be sent to schools
in January. Remember, all entries are due by 4 p.m. on Friday,
Feb. 9, 2001. THE MHSAA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERY OR
MAIL DELAYS WHICH RESULT IN LATE ENTRIES.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFIERS--INDIVIDUAL
DISTRICT WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
1 . Brackets may not exceed 32 competitors.
It is necessary that district places be determined by competition.
Wrestlers are restricted to 5 matches per day. 2.
Teams are limited to 14 wrestlers; no more than two in any weight
class. 3. Coaches reminded
to enter only "second wrestlers" who are legitimate
contenders and have winning records. 4.
When two wrestlers from one team are entered in a weight class,
the record of the wrestler with the greatest number of varsity
matches (all weight classes) will prevail as the No. 1 wrestler.
5. To be eligible, "second
wrestlers" must have total winning varsity record (.500
is not a winning record) and have wrestled 12 varsity matches
during the season. (B team, reserve team are not varsity competition.)
When two are entered in a weight class, both shall have winning
records and at least 12 varsity matches. 6.
All entrants in the individual tournament shall comply with Rule
1-3-2b. 7. When the number
of entrants exceeds 32, the total number of entrants must be
reduced to 32, or fewer, competitors.
A. Initially, call for volunteers
to withdraw "second wrestlers". B. If the bracket continues to exceed
32, withdraw those "second wrestlers" with the most
total varsity losses. The Season Summary Form will be the document
of reference for items "B" and "C". C.
If necessary, to break tie withdraw those "second wrestlers"
with the fewest total varsity wins. D. If necessary, place the names of
all "second wrestlers" who remained tied in a container.
Withdraw those wrestlers whose names are drawn from the container
until the number of contestants is reduced to the allowable 32.
CONDUCTING THE INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT
TOURNAMENT 1 .
Individual tournaments may be extended beyond 16 wrestler brackets.
The extended bracket is referred to as a "rat tail".
2. Rat tails occur as indicated
in the sample district bracket in the "round of 32"
(GIB No. W-5). 3. All matches
in the "round of 32" will be wrestled in each weight
class before any matches in the "round of 16" are wrestled
in any weight classes. 4.
Seeding of wrestlers will follow the procedure utilized in the
past (GIB #W-5). All entrants may be considered for one of the
eight (8) possible seeds. All unseeded wrestlers will be drawn
into the weight bracket by blind draw/computer draw. Wrestlers
from the same team shall not be separated by design. It is possible
that wrestlers from the same school can meet in the first round
of wrestling. 5. Each
weight class will utilize the double-elimination wrestle-back
beginning with the quarterfinal round (round of eight). n National Federation Wrestling Questions
Regarding Rule 1-3-2B "The 50% Rule"
1. What is the 50% rule?
Answer: Each
wrestler who enters the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Tournament
is required to have weighed in at the weight he will compete
at in the MHSAA Individual postseason tournament for at least
one half of his regular season weigh-ins. 2. Does the 50% rule apply to the MHSAA
Team Wrestling Tournament Series? Answer:
No. Wrestlers may enter
the Team Tournament with no record which has been the case since
the Team Tournament began. 3. Will the 50% requirement be the same
for all wrestlers? Answer:
Each wrestler must weigh-in,
in half or more of his weigh-ins, at the weight he is entered
in the Individual District. A wrestler who weighs-in and wrestles
in eight of the sixteen allowed weigh-ins would qualify. As well,
a wrestler who weighed in three times as a varsity wrestler,
wrestling twice at the weight he will compete at in the Individual
District, will accommodate the 50% rule. 4. If a wrestler weighs-in 12 times;
six at 135 and six more times at 140 pounds at which weight classes
would he be eligible? Answer:
Rule 4-4-3 allows a contestant
to be eligible at the weight class above that class for which
his actual stripped weight, at the time of weigh-in, qualifies
him. The wrestler under consideration is eligible at 135, 140
and 145 pounds. 5. If a wrestler weighs-in three times
at 145, three times at 152 and three times at 160 is he eligible
to compete in the Individual Wrestling Tournament?
Answer: The
wrestler could wrestle at 160 pounds because the six weigh-ins
combined at 152 and 160 exceed 50% of his weigh-ins for his season.
6. Which weigh-ins count in determining
eligibility with respect to the 50% rule? Answer:
Only the 16 regular season weigh-ins may count. Even though the
Team District occurs before the Individual District, that weigh-in
is part of the MHSAA postseason tournament and not one of the
regular season weigh-ins. All varsity and sub-varsity competition
must be recorded on the season history summary to be submitted
at the District (Individual) Tournament Saturday, Feb. 17, 2001.
7. If a wrestler's actual weight is not
recorded on the Season Summary Form, at which weight may he compete
in the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Tournament series?
Answer: Without
a record of actual weights at each weigh-in, a wrestler does
not qualify at any weight. The MHSAA recommends the coach maintain
a record of all weigh-in forms and have them available at the
Individual District Wrestling Seeding Meeting. 8.
Can a wrestler weigh-in, but not compete in order to count the
weigh-in toward the 50% requirement? Answer: The MHSAA has never required a wrestler
to count toward his personal limit of 16, a weigh-in which does
not result in competition. A wrestler must compete, accept a
forfeit or default, in order for a weigh-in to count toward compliance
with Rule 1-3-2b. n
FOREIGN EXCHANGE ELIGIBILITY
The EF Foundation for
Foreign Study was denied listing by the Council on Standards
for International Educational Travel (CSIET) for the 2000-2001
school year. Member
schools appealed to the Executive Committee for relief because
students had committed to the program and had been placed in
schools before the program exhausted all of its opportunities
to appeal. Pursuant
to the Executive Committee Meeting on August 16, 2000, the following
is now in effect: Expressing
support for CSIET and respect for its process and noting that
the students were innocent victims of the exchange program's
lack of disclosure to prospects, the following determinations
were made by the Executive Committee: 1.
Foreign exchange students already placed by this program in MHSAA
member schools for 2000-01 were eligible immediately and for
a maximum of the fall and spring semester insofar as the transfer
regulation is concerned. However, 2.
No students from this exchange program will qualify for exception
(4) of the transfer regulation in 2001-02, whether or not listed
by CSIET; and the status of students placed through this program
for 2002-03 and beyond will be subject of a later determination
of the Executive Committee. If you have any questions,
please contact the MHSAA office. n
NEWAYGO
HONORED IN "LEGENDS" PROGRAM
In an effort to
promote educational athletics by showcasing some of the great
teams of past years, the Michigan High School Athletic Association
instituted a program called "Legends Of The Games"
in 1997, which honored its fourth girls basketball school at
halftime of the Class A Girls Basketball Final on Dec. 2. Following
is MHSAA historian Ron Pesch's account of Newaygo's 1984 and
1985 championship teams.
Smitten. Is there a better
term to describe the city of Newaygo's love for its girls basketball
teams of 1984 and 1985? The
small community northwest of Grand Rapids embraced their squad
of "Little Lions" as they traveled the previously uncharted
trail of the MHSAA playoffs. It was a magical journey for all
involved. Crowds swelled as the dream of a title approached.
For many, it was their first exposure to girls playing basketball,
and they had found a stunning collection of tour guides.
Thanks to the
efforts of this special group of girls, memories flowed forth
from the little village: reminiscence of a boys basketball team
that reached the MHSAA semifinals in 1951; long lost tales about
a state championship track team in 1929. The thrills were endless
for all involved. They clung to each other with love and respect.
With teamwork, and a never-say-die attitude, the players and
their coach represented all that is good about high school athletics.
Newaygo's rise
to the top of the girls Class C cage circuit coincided with the
arrival of coach Stan Thomas. A second-team all-state selection
in 1961 at Newaygo, Thomas returned home following college and
took the reigns of the girls program in 1979. He quickly earned
a reputation for turning out solid teams. His oldest daughter,
Jacki, earned all-state honors for the Lions in 1981, and Thomas'
team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament
in 1983. Junior
Keri Thomas, the third of Thomas' four daughters, and senior
guard Dawn Bulk co-captained the team in the fall of '84. Kristen
Westcott, Sonja Beckman and Sheryl Frye also returned for their
final year of varsity ball. They were joined by juniors Sandy
Wagner and Doreen Berger, and sophomore Kristen Long. Freshman
Erica Thomas or ET, as she was known by her teammates, rounded
out the roster. She was the youngest of the Thomas children.
While the team
was expected to do well, a lack of height (no one on the roster
exceeded the 5-7 mark) was considered a real detriment to post-season
success. As anticipated, the team rolled to a solid 18-2 mark
in the regular season behind aggressive play and a knack for
creating turnovers. Bulk and Keri Thomas emerged as the team's
top offensive threats, and the team advanced through the districts,
regionals and quarterfinals with relative ease. Once again, the Lions faced
a size disadvantage as they headed into the semifinals against
Flint Academy at Western Michigan University's Read Field House.
In an ironic reversal of roles, the Lions struggled with turnovers,
coughing up the ball nine times in the opening quarter, and 19
times overall, but pulled out a 48-46 win and earn the school's
first trip to the finals. A
crowd of 2,930 showed up at Read Field House the following night
for the championship match against Pewamo-Westphalia. Once again,
the Lions found themselves trailing as the game neared the halfway
mark. Down 21-15, they rallied for a 23-21 lead, behind four
buckets by Bulk within 35 seconds. With the solid play of two
seniors, Lynda Rademacher and Michelle Wieber, the Pirates grabbed
a 39-37 lead late in the third, but buckets by Westcott and Bulk
gave Newaygo a 41-39 edge at the end of the quarter. Sandy Wagner, who finished
with 11 points, opened the final frame with a basket from the
outside, followed by another by Bulk from the top of the key
for a six-point margin. The Pirates cut it to four, 45-41, with
six minutes to play before the Lions went into their stall offense.
The move paid off with another basket by Bulk and a quick layup
by Keri Thomas on a steal to give Newaygo an insurmountable 49-41
lead and ultimately, a 57-52 win. Following
graduation, only four members of the '84 team -- the Thomas sisters,
Wagner and Long -- returned. Four others -- Lori Mauter, Tammy
Morton, Amy Saum and Amy Schenk -- joined the veterans to defend
the title. The Lions posted a 19-1 mark in the regular season,
winning the Newaygo County Athletic Association crown along the
way. Still,
few basketball experts gave the Lions the chance to get out of
the regionals of the tournament. But Newaygo emerged with convincing
wins over Mason Country Central and Middleville Thornapple Kellogg
to advance to the quarterfinals against league rival and surprise
winner, Morley-Stanwood, whom it had defeated in two previous
meetings during the regular season. Despite
some nervousness over facing the Mohawks for the third time,
Newaygo jumped out to a quick lead. This time Erica Thomas gave
the Lions the early momentum, scoring the game's six opening
points. Newaygo rolled to a 30-10 halftime lead and a 47-30 win
en route to a berth in the semifinals round. The semifinal
game with Benzie Central pitted teams of similar size against
each other. Keri Thomas, named to the Associated Press Class
C all-state squad for the second consecutive year, scorched the
nets for 26 points to lead the defending champs to the final
round with a 59-35 win over the Huskies. With the win, Newaygo and its
collection of devout fans would face top-rated Detroit St. Martin
dePorres. Featuring 6-3 junior center Daedra Charles, the Eagles
were heavy favorites in the contest. Regardless, more than 1,000
fans made the trip to Read Field House in Kalamazoo to cheer
on this band of overachievers. With
Newaygo up, 44-40, dePorres' Dawn Douglas delivered a three-point
play to pull the team within one, 44-43. On Newaygo's inbounds
pass, Erica Thomas was fouled. With 11 seconds to play, the pressure
was immense as she headed to the line for a one-and-one situation.
The sophomore had hit only one of six free throws during the
contest. Once more, her shot failed to drop. But Thomas chased
down the rebound, and was fouled again. The drought at the line ended
for ET, as she connected on the first shot. Pandemonium tumbled
to the floor from the stands as Thomas sank the second shot,
ensuring an upset victory and a second consecutive crown for
the Lions, 46-43 The
victory celebration continued on through the night and into the
next day, as the community honored the team at the high school
on Sunday afternoon. Few in attendance could truly believe what
had happened. They had witnessed a rare occurrence: back-to-back
titles. More importantly, they had watched a classy collection
of young ladies unite a village. n
CHAMPS CLINIC DRAWS RECORD NUMBER
AT GIRLS
BASKETBALL FINALS To enhance the atmosphere of
selected tournament finals, the Michigan High School Athletic
Association is in its third year of conducting youth clinics,
entitled CHAMPS (Cooperation, Hard Work, Attitude, Motivation,
Participation, Sportsmanship). The
clinics target local female junior high/middle school-aged students
and their parents in a morning-long workshop designed to provide
game skills and life skills information. The CHAMPS Clinics are
free, and are underwritten by Farm Bureau Insurance and Little
Caesars Pizza. The
2000 Girls Basketball CHAMPS Clinic held Dec. 2 at Central Michigan
University drew a record 100 participants. While the youngsters
improved their game skills, their parents heard from different
members of the Central Michigan University athletic and physical
education staff about sports nutrition, academic eligibility
requirements and parental sportsmanship.
Ad
Hoc Committee For Out-of-Season Issues October 18, 2000 East Lansing PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE
This committee
was proposed by the Basketball Committee to look into voiced
concerns of member school coaches and administrators regarding
non-school teams, non-school competitions and non-school organizations
involved with student-athletes outside of the defined school
sport season. The Representative Council broadened the scope
of the inquiry to include other sports in addition to basketball.
DISCUSSION Committee member Tom Hursey,
Executive Director for the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association,
began discussion with defining the concern for out-of-season
issues. Mr. Hursey related BCAM concerns with some AAU basketball
programs. The concerns included recruiting students from school
teams, gifts and awards, college recruiting and directing student-athletes
to specific schools. The leadership of BCAM established conversation
with leadership of the AAU and its basketball organization and
developed enough dialogue to establish the Michigan Youth Basketball
Advisory Council. That Council then established a set of rules
and recommendations for Michigan AAU basketball that is intended
to lessen the concerns for and perceptions about AAU basketball.
DISCOVERY During the discovery stage
of the meeting, the committee began to list and discuss concerns
from past experiences and those of their respective communities
and areas. The major issues discussed included the following:
* Most agree that the central
areas of concern are with several team sports, not every sport.
Basketball and volleyball are of primary concern and soccer,
track and field, baseball and softball are growing in levels
of concern. * Most
agree that the organizations in general are not the issue, but
rather those coaches within the organizations that seek to "overstep"
the value and legitimacy of school coaches in areas of college
recruiting and student-athletes specializing in single sports.
* All agree the stipulated
time periods for college coaches to recruit athletes is a concern.
* All agree that many
coaches and parents place false expectations on students to participate
in a sport year-round to achieve college scholarships.
* All agree that many
school coaches place false expectations on students to participate
in a sport year-round to better their own programs and in the
name of seeking scholarships. *
All agree that kids who want to play for the school team will
do what is demanded or suggested or requested by coaches and
parents to achieve the desired goal. *
All agree that the single most important issue relating to concerns
with out-of-season non-school teams is that of sport specialization.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
* Produce a flier similar to
our current Camp, Clinic Competition Guide with more detail directed
toward out-of-season sport organizations and specific out-of-season
team units that will identify MHSAA/member school philosophy
on sport specialization and MHSAA regulations that will apply
to out-of-season participation. *
Produce a brochure directed toward member school administrations,
coaches, athletes and parent support groups on philosophy and
reasons for participating in multiple sports. *
Produce a video directed toward coaches, athletes and parents
on philosophy and reasons for participating in multiple sports.
Use identifiable college coaches and successful pro athletes
and others who were multiple sport participants while in high
school. *
Identify and maintain database of out-of-season organizations,
and where possible team units in order to maintain communication
on a regular basis. n
October 24, 2000 East Lansing The 2000-01 Ski Committee met
on Oct. 24, 2000, at the MHSAA office in East Lansing. The committee was welcomed
by the MHSAA Executive Director, Jack Roberts. Mr. Roberts also
described the process for rule change and the various groups
that have input.
SELECTION OF REGIONAL
AND FINAL SITES FOR 2001
Regionals
1. Boyne Mountain - Gaylord
2. Pine Knob - Lake Orion 3.
Mt. Brighton - Brighton 4.
Black Jack - Ironwood 5.
Crystal Mountain - Suttons Bay, Maple City Glen Lake 6. Cannonsburg - Caledonia
Finals Class A - Nub's Nob - Traverse
City Central Class
BCD - Boyne Mountain - Charlevoix, Boyne City The committee next selected
a three-year rotation for Final Sites. Class A Class BCD
2002 Boyne Marquette 2003
Marquette Nub's Nob 2004
Nub's Nob Boyne
SKI MANUAL REVISIONS Page
2 C Add: Note:
All races up to the Finals count in the school team limitation
(excluding the MHSAA Regionals). Page
3 C Equipment Add: The
words "It is strongly recommended" that coaches and
competitors become aware of and consider the availability and
value of supplemental equipment which might include helmets,
shin guards, body armor and basher bands. Page 5 VII B: If a disqualification is
given during the Regional Meet, the recipient is disqualified
for the rest of the season (Final Meet and League or Invitational).
For misconduct disqualifications, the Regional and Final are
considered one meet. Page
6 Add: F. Schedule
Option (Regional and Final) - The meet manager has the option
of skiing the entire first run then allows a 30 minute inspection
of the second run, then start the second run. Meet manager has the option
to change times according to weather or other conditions.
MHSAA
SCRIMMAGE RULE The
committee voted to retain the current scrimmage regulation (12-0
in favor). SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS TO REGIONALS The committee was presented
with Regional assignments. After a few revisions, the assignments
were approved (10-2 in favor). PROPOSALS BY MHSSCA
1. Qualify four
teams (each gender) from each region to the Final Meet (7-3 in
favor). 2. Allow
an individual who qualifies at the Regional in one discipline
to ski in both disciplines at the Final. The individuals would
be placed in the last seed (10-1 in favor). PROPOSALS TO THE REPRESENTATIVE
COUNCIL 1.
Qualify four teams from each Regional to the Final Meet.
2. Allow
an individual who qualifies at the Regional in one discipline
to ski in both disciplines at the Final. The individuals would
be placed in the last seed. n
Volleyball Committee Meeting
November
14, 2000 East
Lansing The
2000-01 Volleyball Committee met for the purpose of reviewing
the status of volleyball and the MHSAA tournament series as well
as to review rule changes and proposals for change. DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Scrimmage Regulation:
The MHSAA scrimmage rule
for volleyball was reviewed as requested by the Representative
Council. The committee voted unanimously to retain the current
regulation. 2.
Review of Substitution Experiment: Michigan
is one of four states to experiment with a team substitution
cap. For the 2000-01 season, the limit is 15 subs per game. The
committee voted unanimously to request the National Federation
to move the limit to 18 substitutions per game in subsequent
years. 3. Use
of Flags by Line Judges: The
National Federation has made the use of flags by line judges
optional. The committee made no motion on the use of flags, but
suggested leagues or conferences experiment with flags and report
back to the committee as to the effectiveness. 4. Warm-up Procedures at the
MHSAA Tournament Series: In
keeping with the notion of sportsmanship, the head coach should
avoid any acts that are deemed unsportsmanlike, gamesmanship
or intimidation. Therefore, during the prematch warm-up (6-6-3)
the team that is not using the playing court may not line the
court while the other team is hitting (in an attempt to intimidate).
The team may ball handle, or pass or observe the hitting from
their team bench area. 5.
3-Player Regulation: The
committee voted unanimously to retain the current regulation
and then suggested better education for the athletic administrators
and coaching staff. CHANGE FORMAT OF MHSAA
TOURNAMENT SERIES
The committee
discussed a proposal from MICVA to play the best 3-out-of-5 matches
for the MHSAA Tournament series. The change would necessitate
a schedule similar to basketball, one week for District play,
one week for Regional competition, then to the Quarterfinal on
Tuesday night with Semifinals/Finals on Friday and Saturday.
The Friday of the Semifinals, two facilities would be used with
2 classes at each facility (11-4-1 in favor). ITEMS DISCUSSED BUT NOT MOVED
FORWARD
1. Using two nets in the
early rounds of the District Tournament. 2.
Have site selection committees become aware of selections by
other committees -- don't overload a school with tournaments.
3. Allow leagues/conferences
to modify the substitution limit at the junior high/middle school
level. 4. Encourage
recruitment and training of volleyball officials. 5. Look at the start date for
girls basketball -- possibly move earlier to end the season earlier.
n |