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Software Development

August 8, 2014

In his book The Sports Gene, author David Epstein causes the reader to think about athletic performance as software more than hardware; and I believe this is even more important for us to consider in educational athletics.
In school sports, at least in most situations, we still believe that opportunity is for everybody, regardless of gene pool or body type. High school sports teams often have an eclectic mix-and-match look that defies each sport’s stereotype on other levels.
In school sports, coaches don’t select and sculpt the body type as much as welcome what comes to them and work to develop skills to overcome inherent shortcomings.
In school sports, we focus on the software more than the hardware on other levels as well.

We are concerned with character development more than physical development, on principles more than physiques. It’s the operating system we focus on, much more than the hardware.

We also judge success differently – more on intangibles than tangibles, more on heart and mind than trophies and medals.

    Engagement

    October 31, 2017

    In addition to daily calls, texts, emails and old-fashioned mail delivery, Michigan High School Athletic Association staff engaged face to face with its core constituents in these ways from August of 2016 through July of 2017:

    • More than 350 local school visits, including:
      • Approximately 120 to attend regular season local contests to evaluate officials for MHSAA tournament readiness.
      • More than 60 to support or evaluate MHSAA pre-Final tournament events.
      • More than 60 to speak at or support MHSAA CAP sessions (plus 25 CAP sessions at the MHSAA building).
      • 12 for MHSAA.TV, NFHS Network or School Broadcast Program.
      • 6 for Second Half website features.
      • 6 for new school orientation.
      • 5 for Battle of the Fans (each involving 3 MHSAA staff).
      • 5 for officiating classes.
      • 2 for Reaching Higher (each involving 4 or more staff).

    • More than 60 local officials association visits, including:

      • 45 for rules meetings/presentations.

    Plus 8 visits to officials camps,
             5 presentations to college officiating classes, and
             9 officiating recruitment events.

    • More than 50 coaches association meetings.
      • 24 for MHSAA rules meetings/presentations.
      • 6 for CAP programs.

    Plus the Coaches Association Presidents dinner at the MHSAA office involving 9 MHSAA staff.

    • More than 50 league meetings, including:
      • 8 to conduct student leadership or sportsmanship events or for team captains clinics (usually involving multiple MHSAA staff).
      • 8 to provide event marketing assistance.
      • 7 to provide MHSAA information/updates.
      • 6 to provide MHSAA rules meetings/presentations.
      • 3 for ArbiterGame training (usually involving 2 or more MHSAA staff).

    Plus the League Leadership Meeting at the MHSAA office involving most MHSAA staff.

    • More than 15 MIAAA meetings.
      • 10 MHSAA staff at the March conference.
      • 2 MHSAA staff at the summer workshop.
      • 2 to 4 MHSAA staff at most board meetings.
      • At least 1 staff at multiple committee meetings, strategic planning, etc.
    • More than 50 standing committees, task forces and ad hoc study groups convened at the MHSAA office, and several did so multiple times.

    What is abundantly clear here is that the MHSAA staff does not operate from an ivory tower or information vacuum.