Answers from the Athletes
By
Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
May 22, 2014
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
MHSAA Student Advisory Council members were asked their opinions on several of the current issues facing the MHSAA Junior High/Middle School Committee and the MHSAA JH/MS Task Force. Students also shared experiences from their junior high/middle school days and from participation with non-school teams. Following is a sampling of responses:
Length of Contests and Seasons
Based on your junior high/middle school experiences, would you favor an increase in the number of contests/events that a junior high/middle school is allowed to play? Would you favor longer game times?
Kiersten Mead, Saginaw Swan Valley: “I personally don't believe that longer seasons are necessary. In middle school, student athletes are just starting to learn how to balance sports and school, so I think that the season time is already pretty reasonable.
“I do, however, believe that longer games would be really beneficial to all ages. It would allow more students to play and participate.”
Jonathan Perry, McBain Northern Michigan Christian: “When I was playing, I wish my season would have been longer, but it is at a reasonable length. It would be harder on parents having a middle school player and a high school player, but it would get you more ready for a high school-length schedule.
“The games are at a reasonable length also. The one benefit of having more games and longer games is that more kids get to play who otherwise might not if they had a shorter game or season.”
Connor Thomas, Marlette: “As a player, I would be totally in favor. If I were an adult, I would say no because of the traveling. As for the lengths of games, again, I’d favor it as a player. But with schools that have A and B teams for both grades, that could be a late night.”
Kristen Law, Bloomfield Hills Andover: “I really enjoyed playing in middle school, and I would have loved to be able to play more. Increasing the length of games might depend on the sport. For tennis, from what I remember, the matches were a shortened version of what we play in high school, and I thought they were appropriate given the level of the majority of the players that were competing.”
Zack Nine, Pinconning: “Based on my middle school sports experience, I would favor an increase in the number of contests and a longer game time. These changes would give athletes who do not get much playing time a chance to gain more experience. I also believe that more games and a longer game length would keep our youth in better shape and better prepare them for high school athletics through an easier transition.”
Mandy Paull, Cheboygan: “I think that middle school sports should be allowed to play more games, but I do not think that the length of games should be increased.”
Coby Ryan Manistique: “I would favor an increase in the number of contests. The seasons are quite short and go by too quickly, in my opinion.
“I would also favor longer game times. With this, more kids will get the opportunity to play, and it will also make the travel and the time invested more worthwhile.”
6th-Grade Participation
Is it time to also include 6th-graders at junior high/middle schools under MHSAA guidelines? Consider enrollments, sports and participation with 7th- and 8th-graders.
Eliza Beird, Holland Black River: “I would favor the addition of 6th-graders in all sports. This would allow for the possibility of two teams in some sports and it gets the kids playing with people they might be playing with for the rest of their high school careers.
“It is definitely easier to put 6th-graders with 7th- and 8th-graders at a smaller school because one grade usually won’t out-number another grade. In a big school, a bunch of 8th-graders will try out for the team because more go to a school. In larger schools, 6th-graders would have a chance to make only a 6th-grade team.
Hayden Smith, Hamilton: “I think it’s time for 6th-graders to be included, but not in all sports; just the non-contact ones. The various sizes of schools would make it easier for some to compete and harder for others, but it shouldn’t matter overall. All schools’ 6th-graders should be able to play. I think that would be a great experience for them.”
Mandy Paull, Cheboygan: “I think that 6th-grade students should be able to play middle school sports. Sports are a good way to initiate incoming elementary students to the middle school as well as provide a fun, constructive activity that they can participate in with their friends, and a way to make new ones as well.
“The 6th-grade athletes should only be mixed with the 7th and 8th grade in cross country and track, and have their own teams for sports like volleyball and basketball, just as the 7th- and 8th- graders do. Only non-contact sports should mix all grades.”
Connor Thomas, Marlette: “Coming from a smaller community, I think the MHSAA should include 6th-graders in only the schools that need them, such as small Class D schools. They should be allowed to play with 7th- and 8th-graders as long as the schools need them, and aren't bringing them up to have a ‘dream team.’ Enrollment has to be a factor; the schools should be struggling for numbers in order to have a 6th-grader on a team.”
Zack Nine, Pinconning: “I believe that 6th- graders should not be held accountable to MHSAA regulations. My opinion largely stems from the fact that not every school includes 6th grade as part of its middle school. I know mine does not. It would be difficult to regulate the participation of 6th-graders in some schools (because they're considered middle schoolers) while other schools cannot let their 6th-grade elementary students compete.”
Jonathan Perry, McBain Northern Michigan Christian: “I think all sports should be included if 6th-graders were allowed to play. I think it’s more helpful to small schools, but wouldn’t limit it based on enrollment. I go to a small school; last year my school did not have enough kids for a 7th-grade team.”
Kiersten Mead, Saginaw Swan Valley: “I understand the monetary considerations schools may have with 6th-grade teams through the MHSAA, but I do believe that the MHSAA should start setting guidelines for the schools which see it as feasible. Middle schools don't have to go through the MHSAA, but I believe that by including 6th-graders, it may generate a positive reaction from member schools.
“I feel like as long as the coaches don't see a major physical disadvantage to it, then it would be okay for 6th-graders to participate with the 7th and 8th grade in all sports. Non-contact sports would most definitely be alright, because in high school, you compete against all ages anyways.
Coby Ryan Manistique: “I believe that it is time for 6th-graders to get the chance to participate in athletics, regardless of school size. By choice, a child should always be given the opportunity to be active, stay out of trouble, learn about teamwork and leadership, and build a foundation for fundamentals that will be used for the rest of their athletic careers. Many schools do not have locally run programs, and the MHSAA running it would give thousands more kids a chance to play.”
Kristen Law, Bloomfield Hills Andover: “When I was in 6th grade, I was competing against 7th- and 8th-graders (on community teams), and I probably would have been upset if I couldn't compete against them. Sixth-grade participation should definitely be allowed in non-contact sports, but I don't know too much about contact sports and the risk of injury to 6th-graders if it were to be allowed.
“I don't think the size of the school should determine whether or not 6th-graders can compete against 7th- and 8th-graders.”
Community and Club Sports
If you played community sports during your JH/MS years, how did the experience compare with school sports? If you could have played MHSAA-based sports in 6th grade, would you have done so?
Emileigh Ferguson, Bear Lake: “I played little league softball prior to middle school, until 5th grade. I prefer MHSAA sports over other kinds because they are more serious and organized. My school has basketball for 5th and 6th grade so we don’t play with middle school.”
Eliza Beird, Holland Black River: “I played soccer and basketball from Kindergarten through 6th grade and still play club sports. My outside-of-school sports tended to be a bit better.
“If there were MHSAA sports in 6th grade, I would have definitely played basketball. I already played with a bunch of girls from school so playing for my school would not have been much different. Plus it’s fun to play for my school. I probably would not have played soccer because the club team I was on at the time was quite a bit better than the school team.”
Hayden Smith, Hamilton: “In my experience (community sports) was somewhat similar, but still different. School sports weren't coached by parents anymore; the best players got to start. Also, it was different in that a lot of kids stopped playing; only the ones who really liked it kept playing. However, it was similar because there were always people (parents and kids) complaining about playing time. It was similar in that there was always a strong community at your back.
“If I could have played school sports earlier, I would have done so because of the aspect of representing my community and school. I think I still would have done the travel baseball stuff, but that is always in the summer.”
Mandy Paull, Cheboygan: “I played girls little league softball from 3rd to 5th grade, and house hockey from 1st grade to 9th. In middle school the sports were more serious and I enjoyed them much more. As a team we would dress up for our games, and we got to travel on a bus to away games. There was a much stronger bond and all the players were more serious. The teams were also better in middle school due to tryouts.
“I definitely would have played middle school sports in 6th grade as opposed to community teams.”
Jonathan Perry, McBain Northern Michigan Christian: “I did not notice a huge difference between community sports and school sports. The big difference in community sports is that you get a wide range of kids, not just the kids in your school. I like playing the school sports better because I knew that the kids I was playing with were who I would play high school sports with.
“I would have played school sports in 6th-grade or earlier if the option was there. A lot of community sports I played on (were) all about winning. The school team sports provide learning sessions for both sports and life. It's an extension of the classroom. I saw that more with school sports than community sports.”
Kiersten Mead, Saginaw Swan Valley: “I did not play anything prior to middle school, but in 6th grade I was a part of an AAU volleyball team since my school did not offer a 6th-grade team. I also bowled in leagues at a few different bowling alleys.
“I definitely would have played with my school versus community. We really didn't have a solid AAU program in our area so the school team was much more organized. I found that the volleyball teams through my school were much more beneficial to me. We practiced on a regular basis, and it was nice to play with girls that I was already friends with. We were able to grow more as a team and gain a greater sense of unity. I believe that my school team made me a better athlete as well.”
Kristen Law, Bloomfield Hills Andover: “I enjoyed being able to play sports with my friends in middle school, but I also liked the competitiveness of the community- based sports I participated in. The middle school sports atmosphere didn't feel as competitive.
“When I was in 6th grade, I played tennis on the middle school team, but it was not affiliated with the MHSAA.”
'Distinguished' Garvey Serves Hackett Well
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
March 28, 2017
KALAMAZOO — Mike Garvey’s high school sports career took him to Switzerland, England, West Germany, Belgium and France.
As unorthodox as that was, it set the foundation for his life’s work as a director of athletics, currently at Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
For his work in high school athletics, Garvey has a collection of honors and awards, including his latest: a 2016 National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award, presented at the national banquet in Nashville, Tenn., in December.
“It was pretty neat,” said Garvey, who prefers talking about his coaches and athletes instead of himself.
“I don’t have a job; I have a mission and my mission is to serve the kids, which is really why this one means so much to me, because it’s a distinguished service award.”
The award, based on service to the NIAAA and interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels, followed his 2015 Allen W. Bush Award from the MHSAA for “giving and serving without a lot of attention,” he said. “Mr. Quiet and Humble,” he added with a laugh.
“While Mike’s first priority is at his school and the students there, he involves himself in league, state and national organizations, sharing his knowledge and experience with others so they can become better at what they do,” said Gary Ellis, athletic director at Allegan High School for 17 years before retiring in 2013.
“His willingness to mentor others has had a positive effect on many districts within his conference and throughout the state.”
Coaches enjoy working with Garvey, said Jesse Brown, who is starting his 12th season as Hackett’s head baseball coach.
“The great thing about Mike is that he is focused on the kids first,” Brown said. “As a coach, we put kids first. It puts us on the same page immediately.
“It’s that relationship building he has, even with his coaches. I look at him as a mentor for me. He’s very, very open and is willing to help you grow. He pushes you to do that, too.”
With none of 27 varsity head coaches working in the building, Garvey has an interesting dynamic, keeping in touch with them through emails or phone calls when they are not on campus.
“We have an awesome staff here, and that makes my life easier,” Garvey said. “Our head coaches own their programs. I tell them, ‘If I wanted to be the head coach in your sport, I would have hired me. So go run it.’ I think they like that.”
Garvey recently finished his term as the liaison between the state and national associations, and he is MIAAA coordinator for leadership training.
At the national level, he teaches “Coaching for Character,” starting each class with a quip: “‘I thought this class was characters in coaching.”
New initiatives at Hackett
Garvey was instrumental in starting two initiatives for athletes at Hackett: The Captains Clinic and, this year, an award called Scholar Athletic of Distinction.
He instituted the clinic because with no varsity head coaches in the building, “I felt like throughout my career, I watched coaches and their captains but it really didn’t mean anything,” he said.
“You’re the most popular kid, and you’re going to get one of those little captain’s bars at the end of the season. That wasn’t good enough.”
The clinic is a three-hour session and this year totaled 57 athletes. Any captains who do not attend lose that status.
“This year, we talked about what it means to be a good teammate,” he said. “They appreciated the pizza at the end. Free T-shirt and pizza; I got kids right there.”
Sophomore Natalie Toweson not only attended the clinic but helped design the T-shirts.
“His big thing is quotes,” Toweson said of Garvey. “I think I learned a lot from seeing other leaders and what they take out of certain situations. He has senior captains come in and share their experiences and how you can follow their lead because they’re really big role models to the underclassmen.
“Mr. Garvey brings a lot of energy and experience. He gives us new experiences, like playing Class A schools we’ve never played before, but is also very supportive and is at every game he can be.”
For the scholar-athlete award, Garvey has a rubric where athletes get points for years on freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams; bonus points for extra service hours, a higher GPA, all-conference, serving as captains and captains clinics attended.
Long way back to Michigan
Growing up in Detroit, Garvey attended Catholic schools, but during his first month as a freshman at Birmingham Brother Rice, his father was transferred to Geneva, Switzerland, for his work with Chrysler.
Mike’s sophomore year, his dad was transferred to the office in London, where Garvey honed his athletic skills.
“I was in an American school, so we did have sports,” he said. “In Europe the school sports aren’t that big because the parents don’t think they’re that good, so we competed with other American schools, which meant that for tournaments or competitions, we’d go to what used to be West Germany.
“We’d go to Belgium; we would go to France. It was really cool. When I moved back at the end of that last year, I had been in way more countries than I had been in states.”
Garvey competed in soccer, rugby, wrestling, baseball and swimming, which “was not my best sport,” he quickly added. “I just kind of had a jock heart and loved sports.”
After high school, he spent the next year in Europe and finally decided he had to choose a career.
“My two options in my brain were teach PE (physical education) and coach or be a dentist,” he said. “Vastly different. The year after I graduated, I stayed to help my previous coaches in London, and I was sold.”
After graduating from Western Michigan University, Garvey took a job in Illinois where he taught four hours of French, a language he learned while in Switzerland, and two hours of religion.
He was also head coach of wrestling and baseball and a football assistant coach.
Four years later, he moved back to Michigan, teaching at Lawton High School. That led to his first job as director of athletics, spanning his last five years there.
Garvey went from Lawton to Delton Kellogg, where he spent seven years as AD.
“I really felt like I grew there because I was away from my comfort zone,” he said. “It was stand up and be the guy. That’s where I got real involved with the state AD association.”
When Delton added assistant principal duties to his job description, Garvey decided he did not want to play the good guy (AD)/bad guy (assistant principal) roles and took a job at Otsego High School.
“I got to be involved in the building process,” Garvey said. “I loved Otsego and the people I worked with, and I worked with an awesome principal (Herve Dardis).
“I was involved in all the building stuff: the stadium, the ball fields, the tennis courts, the building. It was really fun.”
In 2010, Garvey had the opportunity to return to his Catholic roots when the AD position became available at Hackett.
“I went through the interview process, and I decided I had to come home,” he said. “My kids (Erin and Kristy) went here and I knew 20 years ago I was going to finish at a Catholic school.”
As conflicted as he was at making the choice, Garvey knew he made the correct one.
“It was really hard to leave Otsego because as an administrative team we had put together the facilities, which were outstanding.
“But I just couldn’t say ‘No’ to a Catholic school. I just couldn’t do it.”
And he remains up to the two toughest challenges in his work leading Hackett’s athletic department.
“No. 1, keep all our programs strong because we don’t have that many kids, yet we offer a crazy number of opportunities for them,” he said. “To keep those programs viable, we need bodies.
“The other hard part is I’m married to my best friend (Jennifer) and it keeps me away from her. When this becomes a job, then I’m done.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep athletic director Mike Garvey holds up his NIAAA Distinguished Service Award; adjacent, attendees of a “Captains Clinic.” (Middle) Retired Allegan athletic director Gary Ellis, Hackett baseball coach Jesse Brown, sophomore athlete Natalie Toweson. (Below) Garvey enjoys some down time with grandson Dylan Alexander (left) and granddaughter Maya Wilson. (Photos courtesy of Mike Garvey; plaque photo and head shots by Pam Shebest.)