Our Job
January 29, 2013
When I’m asked to describe the MHSAA’s job in a three-second sound bite, I say: “Our job is to protect and promote educational athletics.”
Give me three seconds longer and I’ll say: “Our job is to protect and promote the values and value of student-centered, school-sponsored sports.”
Give me three seconds longer and I’ll add “. . . by raising standards for, and increasing participation in, educational athletics.”
And give me time to complete the thought and I’ll add that we do this through:
-
training for coaches, officials and athletic directors;
-
tournaments that keep sportsmanship levels high and both expenses and health risks low; and
-
telling the story to these groups: students and parents, school personnel, and the media and public.
We provide training and tournaments, and we tell the story of school-based sports.
That’s the job. And it’s how we judge the “good idea du jour” that bombards our office. We can’t do everything. To do so would not be doing our job well.
A Shift
April 10, 2018
The disease of youth sports generally – observed in premature sports specialization and the commercialization of kids’ games by both local entrepreneurs and corporate giants – is infecting school-based sports, especially basketball.
We see it in transfers by starters and dropouts among reserves.
We see it in short benches for JV and varsity games and empty gyms.
There is no shame in identifying our weak spots; it’s the only way to start fixing them.
And heavens! NCAA men’s basketball is being investigated by the FBI. Players are being ruled ineligible. Coaches are being fired. Others are being arrested.
School-based basketball is beautiful by comparison! But we can and must be better. And that can only begin to happen by facing up to our shortcomings.
The clock is ticking on the life of school-based basketball, and only a change in emphasis – a cultural shift – may save what arguably has been the most historically important sport in our schools. A shift ...
Away from all-star games for a few graduating seniors and toward junior high/middle school programs open to all kids.
-
Away from national events and toward city, county and conference rivalries.
-
Away from “elite” travel teams and toward local K-6 development programs operated by schools.
-
Away from creeping commercialism and blatant professionalism and toward a re-commitment to amateurism.
-
Away from gamesmanship and toward sportsmanship as a precursor to citizenship.
-
Away from running up the score – a lot – and toward playing every kid – a lot.
The leaders and lovers of school-based basketball must resist the slippery slope and advocate for the cultural shift. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon or rocket scientist to save school-based basketball; but it does take courage and persistence.