Get on Your Feet for Our Great Games
January 27, 2017
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
Somewhere along the winding road in the long history of interscholastic athletics, gradual change has brought our product to a crossroads.
We, in this business of developing the minds, character and bodies of student-athletes, still understand the far-reaching benefits of school-based sports, and the mission of our programs. We understand their importance to community, the incomparable entertainment value for spectators, the bonds built between teacher and student that an hour a day in the classroom usually can’t match, and the memories and lessons that last a lifetime.
Somewhere along the way, however, some of the allure seems to have faded in the eyes and minds of others.
• Perhaps it’s the many options available to today’s young people, both in and out of athletics. Where once school sports and a letter jacket were THE thing, now it’s just another thing, with travel programs, virtual reality games, nonstop cable sports coverage and social media competing to fill free time.
• Maybe it’s parents, chasing the misguided dream of athletic scholarships for their children and in the process doting on the promises of untrained coaches intent on building their pocket books and reputations over building fundamentals and teamwork in kids.
• It could be that sensational stories from professional and collegiate levels warning of long-range effects of concussions and other sports injuries are causing fear in many parents who are making athletic participation decisions for their children.
• It’s possible that those once relied upon to spread the good word of our good work – our friends in the media – are far fewer. Administrators and coaches alike were once on a first-name basis with sportswriters in every community across Michigan. When a feel-good story took place, we knew whom to call to trumpet the news, and when the big game took place, they were sure to be there. The collapse and contraction of newspapers and the rise of faceless bloggers has delivered a blow.
• And, what of respect for authority? We are losing the keepers of our games – the contest officials – in bunches each year. People see the assaults, both verbal and physical, on these special men and women who give far more of their time than they are compensated for and figure it can’t be worth it to become an official, or to continue.
Ultimately, how we got here no longer matters. It’s what we do next. The focus for the 2016-17 school year is to define and defend educational athletics. We know that educational athletics is the best option. We are certain specialization is becoming a real health and safety issue, as real as concussions. We emphasize safety and risk management through our rules and regulations. We will utilize current media to tell our story. In doing so, maybe we can increase our pool of officials as well.
The following reveals the plan.
Teaching the Teachers
The 2016-17 school year is featuring a multi-faceted plan to Define and Defend Educational Athletics across Michigan, and one of the most critical strides aims at insuring that all varsity coaches – the educators of our programs – receive the proper instruction to pass along the mission of school-based sports to all involved, from students to parents to administrators.
For the first time each first-time varsity head coach of an MHSAA tournament sport needs to have completed Level 1 or 2 of the MHSAA’s comprehensive Coaches Advancement Program, the acclaimed continuing education program for school coaches.
Arming those most closely involved with student-athletes with proper perspective will go a long way in securing the future of interscholastic athletics.
“The role of a secondary school coach is so much more complex than it first appears, and it reaches beyond the responsibility of teaching skills to athletes,” said MHSAA assistant director Kathy Vruggink Westdorp, who oversees the CAP program. “The coach is first and foremost a teacher – that educational leader in an athletic setting – and it is often this coach’s responsibility to reinforce the connection between sports and academics. This defines the MHSAA brand of athletics.”
The connection between sports and academics cannot be overstated, and those sharing the hallways on a daily basis observe positive effects when students see that coaches show concern for their well-being beyond the playing surfaces.
Dan Hutcheson is in his first year as an assistant director at the MHSAA following a decade as athletic director at Howell High School. Prior to that, he served as the Highlanders’ wrestling coach. He knows first-hand the importance of the coach-student relationship.
“As a coach who’s in the building on staff, I know that I’m going to be in contact with my kids every day in class or in the hallways,” Hutcheson said. “When kids see that you care about them beyond the classrooms and fields or gyms, it can equate to improved academics. That is something other sports organizations don’t have.”
During the last three years alone, more than 1,800 individuals each year have attended CAP courses ranging from Levels 1-8, receiving instruction on topics such as “The Coach as Teacher,” to “Psychology of Coaching,” to “Effectively Working with Parents.” These are just three of the 18 courses making a difference in coaches statewide, and those attendance numbers will rise with this year’s requirement.
While some might see the word “requirement” as an added helping onto the already full plates of those who dedicate so much free time, such regulations add value and help define school programs.
“I believe we have a better sense of the bigger picture. Sure, our coaches want to win. But compared to travel sports, it is more educationally sound,” said Tim Ritsema, athletic director at Zeeland East High School, who serves as one of the MHSAA’s CAP instructors. “For those coaches who complete CAP, it gives their profession more credibility – it tells athletes, parents and the community that they take this seriously and want to be knowledgeable in the best practices. In travel ball, there are no regulations on coaches, it costs a lot more, and there can be selfish agendas. Our coaches are ‘All In.’ They recognize the long-lasting impact that they have on our student-athletes.”
Fellow CAP instructor Mike Garvey, athletic director at Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, sees the same enthusiasm during his experiences in front of the diverse groups of coaches.
“I see buy-in. Coaches of all ages, with a tremendous range of experience, have shared that they learned, that they have gained insight into the profession,” Garvey said. “I had a coach contact me about a couple of theories presented and indicated that it helped her team in two categories: they had more fun and they performed better. It also drew praise for her from the parents.”
Proven results from the methods employed are a big factor in gaining repeat attendees and spreading the word to coaches who have yet to attend CAP. Nothing increases credibility like positive results and peer recommendation.
A couple other factors contribute to the success, including willingness to participate and the widespread availability of courses throughout the state.
“The best sessions are when the majority of the coaching staff is actively participating, and it doesn't always need to be positive; that seems to add to the program,” notes CAP instructor Karen Leinaar, athletic director at Bear Lake HS. “Sometimes this is the first time all the coaches have actively talked about their philosophy, and sharing just makes it more ‘real.’ Hearing from others that they are doing it right is a big affirmation. Making the program available within a reasonable distance also assists in participation.”
CAP also plays a pivotal role in indoctrinating those outside the school setting to the purpose of school-based sports. Non-faculty coaches might have different roots than faculty coaches, but receive the same messages to take with them.
“There really is not a big difference between faculty and non-faculty coaches in the appreciation for coaches education,” Westdorp said. “We have seen 40-year veterans and first-year protégés indicate similar impact regarding the message of educational athletics.
“However, the non-faculty coaches are definitely better linked to their school and the culture of their school after taking CAP. Each module contains the Ten Basic Beliefs of Michigan Interscholastic Athletics. The very first module in CAP 1 is entitled ‘Coaches Make the Difference,’ and works toward the development of a coaching philosophy, core beliefs, understanding your personal reasons for coaching, promoting high expectations and creating team culture. It includes exercises in making difficult decisions, why there are rules and creating team culture.”
Some of the residual effect might be that today’s coaches will become tomorrow’s administrators, a movement which some sense has stalled in recent years.
The National Federation of State High School Associations recently enlisted global communications marketing firm, Edelman, to assist in rolling out a national campaign this fall to elevate awareness of the NFHS and educational athletics.
“In many cases, we need to re-educate our own people,” NFHS Executive Director Bob Gardner said. “We don’t see coaches moving to principal and athletic director jobs much as we once did.”
In Michigan, CAP is assisting in that way.
“We have several athletic administrators, principals and superintendents who recognize the value of their coaches within the building,” Westdorp said. “Many of these administrators have been in CAP sessions and are utilizing the materials. They want trained coaches who know how to deal with student-athletes in regards to safety, sportsmanship and skill development.”
Communication is key to CAP’s success, not only from instructors to the coaches in attendance, but in turn from coach back to other coaches, students, parents and administration moving forward. That’s how the mission of school sports persists.
“I stress that communication is one of the most important things coaches need to do,” Ritsema said. “Being a poor communicator allows for many things to go bad.”
Zeeland East and Bear Lake are classes apart in enrollment, but the rule of communication is universal.
“I am lucky being in a small school; we have very few questions to our rules,” Leinaar said. “I know others that have huge issues, but many have caused their own because they lacked the art of communication. Share with everyone. Make Grandma understand. You’ll not necessarily get 100 percent support, but at least there will be a shared understanding and expectation.”
Ultimately, the component of school sports which ranks above all else is the participants.
“We emphasize working with young people and teaching. Working with young people and leading,” Garvey said, “and keeping young people as the reason for the activity.”
Well-Rounded Task
The MHSAA organized a multi-sport participation task force during 2015-16 to identify the main sources of sports specialization and to generate methods to encourage greater participation in a variety of activities.
During the first meeting last April, Dr. Tony Moreno of Eastern Michigan University and Dr. Brooke Lemmen of the Michigan State University Sports Medicine Clinic each cited research which is inconclusive if specialization is the path to the elite level of sports, but is conclusive that specialization is the path to chronic, long-term negative effects.
The mission ahead for the task force is to change the culture in and around their schools.
“There’s a misconception that, ‘I have to only participate in that one sport to get to that next level,’” Hutcheson said. “But, when you hear college coaches talk, they want the kids who are athletes, who participated in more than one thing.
“I’d hear kids say, ‘I just want to lift weights out-of-season.’ Well, what do you do when you’re tired of lifting weights? You put them on the ground and rest. If you want to be a competitor, you need to compete. Playing another sport provides the opportunity to continue competing and growing as a competitor.”
While the committee discussed potential plans for such items as online resources, printed material and social media discussion to generate heightened awareness, those avenues have already been traveled to various lengths. In fact, the mission has changed little over the years.
“The most remarkable thing is that when I reviewed a couple of old videos we produced on the value of multi-sport participation about 10 years ago, our message really hasn't changed,” said MHSAA Communications Director John Johnson. “We now need to emphasize the injury factor – which is now so much more well-documented – and the fact that an increasing number of recognizable faces at higher levels are now endorsing the playing of multiple sports at youth levels.”
The trick is to develop the most effective delivery system and target those who most need exposure to the topic: coaches and parents.
“The task force sees educating parents as a priority, informing them of the dangers of early specialization in terms of burnout and injuries, as well as the financial burden families take on to advance their child towards a possible scholarship,” said long-time Traverse City Area Public Schools administrator and task force member Patti Tibaldi. “Parents need to understand that only one percent of high school athletes will receive athletic scholarships. Educational athletics should address the needs of the other 99 percent, don't you think?”
In many communities around Michigan, multi-sport athletes are not simply an added benefit; they are a must for programs to exist.
“I’m from a small school,” said Bronson athletic director and task force member Jean LaClair. “For our teams to be successful across the board, we need our student-athletes participating in multiple sports. We had a volleyball and softball team both make the state championship games, and seven kids were on both rosters! And, playing in a championship game, with the small-town support, is something you will never emulate in a club sport.”
It takes support from parents and coaches to build successful school sports programs, and administrators play a pivotal role in steering the ship.
“The biggest thing we discuss is the multi-sport athlete in our high school,” Ritsema said. “Luckily, our coaches are on the same page, and we deliver that message unified to our athletes and parents.”
Those involved with the task force understand the importance of the issues. It’s time for the choir to do the preaching, and project the chords beyond their buildings.
“Multi-sport participation within the school-based system teaches students the valuable lessons athletics should provide: how to work with different groups of people, the discipline of practice, how to respond from failure, how to understand and accept different roles within each sport, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each coach and teammate,” said Tibaldi. “School-based sports have a fundamental belief system that, while every sport has its individual differences, all sports need to comply with the philosophy of educational athletics adopted by the school district.”
As Johnson points out, the sooner that message reaches its target, the better.
“We need to literally reach the bottom of the food chain: elementary school kids who play sports, and their parents,” he said.
To that end, the MHSAA is focusing efforts in two ways during 2016-17: increased communication with its junior high/middle school membership, and the formation of regional strike teams.
Going Back to the Future
As the MHSAA moves forward with several initiatives this school year to help in defining and defending educational athletics, some staff members will be working their way backward – in age, that is.
Various findings in recent years through committees, task forces and personal experiences reveal that often times students are reaching secondary schools without positive prior experiences in school sports. That is about to change.
During the 2016-17 school year, the MHSAA is conducting two Junior High/Middle School Committee meetings rather than one, with an emphasis on the MHSAA more closely aligning itself with various JH/MS events through sponsorship efforts.
“The multi-sport task force has been a great discussion tool,” said MHSAA Assistant Director Cody Inglis, who oversees the JH/MS Committee. “You see that no matter the size of the school, everyone has the same problem; it’s become a true health and safety problem. Kids are specializing too soon and too often.”
One of the steps to help combat the trend is to reach children, parents and coaches before they hit the high school hallways.
“The task force recognizes that parents want to do what is best for their children,” Tibaldi said. “Our recommendations include finding ways for schools to offer earlier and better programming, stressing the development of overall physical skills versus the constant competition at an early age which is leading to an exodus from athletics by the age of 13.”
More than 700 junior high/middle schools across Michigan were members of the MHSAA in 2015-16. But just how many participants and parents – or even coaches at that level – are aware of the benefits afforded by that membership? The answer is likely a stark minority. It is the MHSAA’s charge to be more visible in the coming years.
“We’ll discuss becoming a presenting sponsor at some pre-existing league meets at the junior high/middle school level, whether it be track, basketball, cross country or any sport,” Inglis said. “We want to get into those existing leagues and conferences to have a presence.
“We could help financially, to offset the cost of officials and medals, for instance. And, we can brand those events from an educational athletic standpoint, versus the youth sport model which most kids that age have experienced. The goal is to give them a perspective they’ve yet to have in school-based sports. We want to make sure putting on a school uniform is a positive experience.”
Of course, biggest proponents of school sports are those who have dedicated hours, years and careers to the product. Those people, the ones the MHSAA leans on and appreciates the most, will be called upon again to deliver a huge assist at youth levels via forthcoming “Regional Strike Teams.”
“These local teams could be veteran or retired ADs in various areas who understand educational athletics and are familiar with junior high/middle schools in their communities,” Inglis said. “They can emphasize sportsmanship and multi-sport involvement so we can get in on the ground floor.”
The formation of these liaisons between the MHSAA and its youngest members will be discussed at length during the 2016-17 school year.
The junior high/middle school gyms and fields are not only stocked with future high school students, but they also offer a valuable forum for officials recruitment, training and retention, another critical piece to the welfare of school sports.
“With our Regional Strike Teams of people connected to schools and local officials associations, we can increase the connections made at the local, personal level to attract more people into officiating,” said MHSAA Assistant Director Mark Uyl, who oversees the MHSAA’s services to registered officials. “The members of the Strike Teams will know what events are going in an area of the state which could be conducive to officials recruitment events. The best way to recruit is at the local level between people with shared interests, and the Regional Strike folks can make these local connections.”
Serving a Balanced School Sports Diet
May 1, 2018
By John E. “Jack” Roberts
MHSAA Executive Director
If you really want to know what a person thinks is important, look at that person’s calendar and checkbook or credit card receipts. How a person spends his/her time and money tells you more than anything that person says.
The same can be said for organizations. How they spend their time and money identifies what they value.
So, an observer of the Michigan High School Athletic Association might notice that the only standing committee that meets more than once each year is the MHSAA’s Junior High/Middle School Committee, and the MHSAA’s longest-standing work group is the Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation, which has had six formal meetings during 2016 and 2017.
Promoting multi-sport participation, and doing so before students reach high school, is a documented MHSAA priority. We believe it’s good for students, schools and society.
By encouraging participation but not specialization, balanced multi-sport participation provides the sweet spot between two unhealthy extremes – on the one hand, inactivity that contributes to a childhood obesity epidemic or, on the other hand, year-round specialization that is too early, intense and prolonged, leading to an epidemic of overuse injuries in youth sports.
Within the pages of this issue of benchmarks are descriptions of initiatives to elevate the profile of school-sponsored sports programs for junior high/middle school age youth and to under-gird multi-sport participation as the means to maximize benefits for students and schools today, and for society in the future.
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The MHSAA is tailoring efforts to put the multi-sport athlete back in style. Among the initiatives is bolstering participation at the junior high/middle school ages.
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
Saugatuck’s high school football season had just come to an end with a 21-0 loss to Pewamo-Westphalia in the MHSAA Division 7 Final last November when three key players were being led up the tunnel to represent the school for postgame media interviews.
When asked how many on the team would have a one-day break before joining the basketball team for practice on that Monday, one of the players replied, “We have about seven of us who begin basketball Monday.”
The response was comforting to hear in an age that has seen specialization and year-round, single-sport focus render the multi-sport student-athlete to minority status in many hallways across the nation’s high schools.
Granted, participation in multiple sports is necessary for programs to exist in smaller schools such as Saugatuck, but even those communities can benefit from a renewed emphasis and earlier introduction to school-based athletics.
As MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts points out above, there are just two groups that meet more than once each year at the offices in East Lansing: the Junior High/Middle School Committee, and – during the past two years – the Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation.
Each will continue to play pivotal roles in promoting increased participation, one by examining early introduction to school sports at the junior high/middle school level, and the other by evaluating education, cooperation and recognition of multi-sport numbers at the high school age.
“One of the challenges we currently face is that in some cases students enter high school never having experienced school sports,” said MHSAA Assistant Director Cody Inglis, who oversees the Junior High/Middle School Committee. “Now they go cold-turkey into high school sports and we have to introduce them to rules and regulations that aren’t a fabric of non-school sports which they may play. The earlier we can expose them to our programs, the better off we’ll be at the high school level.”
Inglis outlined three main topics in front of the Junior High/Middle School Committee currently: 1) how to introduce school sports to students earlier; 2) the effect more games – not length of season – would have on JH/MS participation, and 3) whether the MHSAA should sponsor Regional tournaments in select sports prior to high school age.
The Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation, meanwhile, has turned its focus on the following: 1) educating groups on the benefits of variety in participation and the perils inherent in specialization, 2) preparing tools for administrators, and 3) creating recognition programs for multi-sport student-athletes.
The following are results from a fall 2017 survey on junior high/middle school programs and explanations of tools created by the multi-sport task force to encourage participation for all seasons.
Start in the middle ... or even before
The prevailing sentiment among athletic administrators, coaches and student-athletes themselves is that early introduction to a variety of sports will foster a culture of future participation and the tendency to continue in more than one sport.
“Students at the JH/MS level need to experience sports sampling so that they can be physically literate; to gain competence and confidence to move their bodies in a variety of movements so that they can achieve lifelong health and wellness and stay injury-free,” said Scott Przystas, teacher and coach at Grand Haven Area Public Schools and member of the MHSAA Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation.
The overriding question is how to strike a delicate balance between opportunity and excess at the target age group.
The good news is that MHSAA JH/MS membership has increased by more than 100 schools during the last two years, bringing the total to nearly 800. The MHSAA is exploring means to ensure the trend continues, surveying the schools last fall on matters such as modifying the Limited Team Membership rule to allow student- athletes at the JH/MS to compete in up to two outside events in the same sport in the same season, having the MHSAA sponsor regional or even state competitions in certain sports and expanding the number of JH/MS games and contests allowed during the 13-week season.
“The survey attempted to answer several questions,” Inglis said. “Would opening up options to participate in a couple non-school events during the same season draw athletes to our JH/MS programs or keep them in non-school sports? Would statewide or regional tournaments be attractive?”
Survey results reveal the current climate pertaining to several topics.
Of the 616 completing the survey, 436 were athletic directors and 166 were principals, with the remainder consisting of other positions within the schools, ranging from coaches to superintendents. The grades served by the schools were 6th-8th, with about 36 percent indicating that 5th-graders were also in their buildings.
“The survey response has shown there’s a definite hesitation for state tournaments at the JH/MS level, but there is some favorable feeling toward regional tournaments,” Inglis said.
For example, when asked about the possibility of regional tournaments in track & field and/or cross country, the results were about 50/50 for and against.
Yet, when it comes to the idea of statewide tournaments in those sports, the attitude changes significantly, with roughly 30 percent in favor. Further, when the question of JH/MS state championships for any other sports is posed, the response is an overwhelming “No,” from 84 percent of those surveyed.
Following is a sampling of comments regarding postseason tournaments at the JH/MS level:
• “Middle school athletics should be a time to expose students to the sport and develop their skills. Increasing the competitiveness of it would change the focus.”
• “Logistically, it would create more challenges to have regional and state tournaments at the middle school level. However, we are at the point where we are in a struggle competing with club sports such as basketball and soccer, to name two. At a minimum, a regional championship would create additional buzz and competitive atmosphere at the school setting. A state championship is not as critical. However, if we do this for one sport, we will have to consider doing this for all sports.”
• “I think we are headed down a dangerous path of too much too quick for junior high kids. They can play for championships in high school and beyond if they are good enough. More games mean less practice, more expense and less of a focus on the things that are important.”
• “I think middle school sports is a great opportunity to expose students to sports. We need to keep it pure with learning each day without the pressure of trying to win trophies and medals.”
• “State championships at a younger age will just start the clock earlier of recruiting and illegal transfers. Add more games to be competitive with the non-school sports.”
That last sentence hits a couple hot buttons. Can more games be added while maintaining an appropriate amount of competition? Can an environment be created to pull students from, or co-exist, with non-school options at the JH/MS level?
“Overall, our JH/MS constituents do not want to lengthen athletic seasons, but there is some opinion to increase the number of contests within the current seasons, particularly on days not followed by school days,” Inglis said.
For example, respondents indicated just 45 percent were in favor of increasing the number of basketball games in a season from 12 to 15, while only 39 percent would support the same increase in soccer schedules.
However, support resonated with the notion of allowing multi-contest events on days not followed by school days.
The group in favor of the above scenario was also 83 percent in favor of limiting such doubleheader dates to four per season.
In soccer, a similar scenario also was approached in the survey.
Basketball and soccer are two sports in which non-school entities offer plenty of competition for participants, even at ages prior to JH/MS.
For youth already involved in such programs prior to reaching local junior highs and middle schools, the challenge is to display the benefits of school-based sports.
Justin DiSanti is a doctoral student and research assistant at Michigan State University with a concentration in sport psychology who also serves on the multi-sport task force for the MHSAA. His research interests include talent development and sport specialization, particularly in youth and high school sports.
DiSanti points to a model that is frequently used in the world of youth sport, the Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP).
“This model has three stages providing approximate age guidelines and associated recommendations for shaping youth athletes’ schedules,” DiSanti said. “I believe that this model is highly-applicable to today’s world of youth sport, but the proper interpretation of the model is critical. When looking at specialization through the lens of the DMSP, we can begin to answer the question, ‘Is an athlete specializing too early?’”
The first stage, “The Sampling Years,” affects children from 6 to 12 years old, during which time participation in a wide range of athletic endeavors is encouraged. By this model, many youngsters are already thinking about specializing, or at least narrowing their focus by the time they arrive at junior highs and middle schools.
Przystas, the 2016 Michigan Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the state’s chapter of Society of Health and Physical Educators, concurs that this is a key time for future student-athletes.
“I think the multi-sport message needs to start from the ground up, with elementary physical education teachers, continuing to middle school PE and middle school sports and then into high school,” Przystas said.
In an effort to ease the transition from community and club teams, or to introduce students to sports in a school setting, JH/MS programs are critical. Leaders were asked whether allowing some non-school participation in the same sport during the same season would create a viable bridge leading to school sports participation.
The vote was nearly split when considering the allowance of two non-school events for team and individual sports per season for current MHSAA JH/MS student-athletes, with 54 percent of respondents in favor.
Yet, 63 percent believe that scenario would create conflict between the two options, and the feeling was again split as to whether such an allowance would increase or decrease participation in either the school or non-school setting.
With the degree of uncertainty as to the effect of non-school allowances, some think it best to focus on the many unique benefits offered through school sports which are lacking in alternative settings.
“I think it is important for student-athletes at this level to understand what having school pride means,” Przystas said. “When they are playing with their school logo on the front of their jersey they are representing something bigger than themselves. It is important for the coach/teacher/administrator to emphasize the importance of history and tradition not only in sports, but in other endeavors such as Science Olympiad or Spelling Bee.”
Following is a sampling of comments regarding non-school relationships at the JH/MS level:
• “Junior high is a great time for kids to increase their skill, and for many kids who don't have parents to tote them to clubs and travel teams to try the sport.”
• “It is understood that in many areas, getting kids back from travel teams is important, but in our area finding gym time, etc., is very tough.”
• “I'm uncomfortable with allowing just two non-school sporting events; I have no idea how that will be monitored. I would rather allow it or not.”
• “My biggest concern for a middle school student to play on multiple teams during the season is safety. Their bodies are still growing and I see injury being the biggest concern.”
• “School-sponsored, MHSAA sports being offered by any particular school, should take precedent over any non-school sponsored sport being offered at the same time.
• “We have a lot of football players choose to play with area little league teams instead of our school team. The non-school teams have the opportunity to play more games than our school team and they also have the opportunity for playoffs. We are limited to six games and we have academic requirements that non-school teams don't have.”
• “In my opinion, kids are going to play for either the school or play outside. Many parents are of the mindset that their child is a star and playing travel sports will get them noticed. MS sports can't compete with this mindset and I believe we should not compete with it. Those who stay and play for schools are the ones we should be focusing on. Let's make it (a) better situation for them.”
The MHSAA also carries with it something else that other organizations lack: a brand. That much came through in the spring of 2017 when a pilot program on “Presenting Sponsorship of JH/MS events” was completed.
MHSAA staff visited five areas of the state and joined in presenting pre-existing track & field league or conference meets with branding presence and financial support.
“One of the big takeaways was the power of the MHSAA brand,” Inglis said. “Student-athletes flocked to get pictures with the MHSAA banner behind them and with their trophies or medals won. The power and positivity of the MHSAA brand is something that will be used to get additional JH/MS programs into school membership.”
Future plans include sponsorship at conference events that already exist in numerous other sports.
Multiple choice is the best answer
The meeting room where the MHSAA Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation gathered for its sixth meeting over a two-year span last November was plenty big enough for the group.
But, it would never contain all of those involved in school sports to whom the task force wishes to convey its message.
Therein lies the purpose and challenge of this most important group of individuals: how to get the attention of the desired audiences, and how to best deliver the virtues and benefits of multi-sport participation.
One task force member equated it to so many parent-teacher conferences; the parents that need to attend, do not. While it is universally accepted that specialization leads to burnout and detracts from the full school sports experience, all too often the two groups with the most influence – parents and coaches – are fine with that notion as long as it’s someone else’s kid, or someone else’s player.
“One obstacle to multi-sport participation are parents. They need to understand that by having their student-athlete play one sport year-round does not guarantee a full athletic scholarship,” Przystas said. “The benefits of exposing their student athlete to a variety of sports needs to be reiterated by coaches and ADs.”
Athletic directors can further assist in the movement by coordinating coaches within their schools.
“The high school coaches need to be on board with encouraging their athletes to play multiple sports and must understand the benefits they will receive from it in the long run; athletes will not be burned out, will still have another level to at which to compete, will be willing to learn, healthy and uninjured,” Przystas said. “I think the message should be advertised in middle school events that the MHSAA sponsors as well as throughout communities and at youth level leagues.”
And, the younger the better in terms of sampling a wide variety of activities, thus preparing students for the opportunities that await them as they move through the school system.
“I believe the message needs to be heard at the elementary and middle school levels,” St. Joseph athletic director and task force member Kevin Guzzo said. “Any type of informative flyers or public service announcements touting the benefits of multi-sport participation would help educate parents on this message.”
That is the task of the group, which is currently considering numerous methods to apply the force.
Prior to the November meeting, a brochure entitled “Coaching Our Coaches” was produced and disseminated statewide, and posted to the Multi-Sport Participation page of MHSAA.com.
An accompanying PowerPoint presentation was presented by Przystas at a state conference for physical education professionals in October. Feedback from the presentation led to modifications in the PowerPoint. Among the modifications were slides less directed at the audience and more toward what the audience can do to help promote the initiative.
“The feedback from that first presentation showed us that we need to acknowledge the very many aspects of the problem, establish a positive tone, set realistic expectations and goals for the session, and identify target audiences – perhaps parents and coaches,” said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts. “We might ask audiences how they can put the right people in place and what methods they use to promote the multi-sport experience to athletes, parents and coaches.”
Further educational tools and settings also have been discussed. Any time gatherings of MHSAA constituents take place, the time is ripe for delivering the message – including sportsmanship summits and coaches association meetings.
The medium for delivery must reach far beyond print and personal interaction. Social media will play a key role in advancing multi-sport participation initiatives with great frequency,
Ultimately, the task force concluded that the best way to influence and shape the culture of school sports moving forward is to recognize those schools and individuals who are living the multi-sport life and reaping the benefits.
"Recognizing Our Best" has been created and will be fluid in its content, periodically updated and delivered electronically to recognize exemplary efforts.
Some discussion took place regarding the creation of MHSAA or MIAAA awards to recognize efforts in promoting multi-sport participation, but the consensus was that local efforts and existing success stories will get greater results.
“We have implemented a program called the Iron Bear Club at our school that rewards those who are three-sport athletes,” Guzzo said. “Numbers have slightly increased over the last few years and we are hoping to continue to see an increase. Students who are three-sport athletes receive an ‘Iron Bear’ shirt, and we celebrate them on social media.”
Local efforts serve to strengthen relationships within school buildings and school systems.
“Coaches – both of in-house school-sponsored sports and private club coaches – need to be on the same page as to what is best for the athlete long-term and what advice they are giving their athletes once their season is over,” Przystas said. “This is a big obstacle that needs attention because some coaches are selfish and want what’s best for themselves and will do whatever they can do to win.
"Coaches – especially middle school and subvarsity coaches – need to understand that no one cares what their record is, but rather whether the student-athletes are having fun and continuing with school-sponsored athletics after their season is over.”
PHOTOS: (Top and top middle) Letter jackets from Owosso and Fenton, respectively, display recognition for high school athletic careers with plenty of variety. (Middle) Davison athletes pose with an MHSAA banner at a junior high event. (Below) East Grand Rapids lacrosse players high five before a game.