Logo

Marriage Reflections

October 18, 2013

Recently, and for the first time, I drew parallels between marriage and the hiring of staff. It occurred when a gray-haired, ponytailed officiant in the Phoenix foothills exhorted the wedding couple to be “the mirror of their partner’s best values.”

Hearing this, I measured myself against the best values of my own wife of 41 ½ years, thinking how much stronger it could make our marriage and my character if, in fact, I actually did reflect the best of my bride.
 
And then my mind wandered to one of my current preoccupations - completing the selection of the MHSAA’s newest administrative staff member.

We want our newest staff person to be everything we need and want, immediately filling every hole and completing our wish list. Frankly, that’s impossible.

But, the one thing I am sure we must have and can have is a person who mirrors the MHSAA’s best values – an individual who reflects the core values of school-sponsored, student-centered sports and of the MHSAA on its best days as it serves and supports educational athletics.

And just as it’s not lethally late for a husband in his fifth decade of marriage to work harder to reflect his wife’s best values, neither is it too tardy for veterans of the MHSAA staff to focus on our reflection of the best values of school sports and the organization that has served educational athletics for ten decades.

Opportunities Abound

February 2, 2018

This weekend – for the 23rd time – the Michigan High School Athletic Association will host its Women in Sports Leadership Conference. The event is Feb. 4 and 5 at Crowne Plaza Lansing West.

Featured speakers are USA National Volleyball Team member Alisha Glass, who starred at Leland High School; University of Michigan’s Carol Hutchins, the winningest coach in NCAA softball history; and Michigan State University Women’s Volleyball Coach Cathy George, who is just off a season when the Spartans reached the NCAA Elite Eight.

But the real juice for this inspiring event is the energy of 550 students and the investment of our schools’ coaches and administrators to facilitate the attendance of these students.

Students will learn leadership skills for today and be exposed to a variety of career opportunities in athletics. Sports in general and school sports in particular continue to have far fewer female contest officials, coaches, administrators and athletic trainers than we need. This weekend’s program is another effort to inspire change.