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WISL Honoree Leads by Making Connections
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 29, 2020
Nikki Norris received her life’s education from professional educators. Her father Howes Smith served as an assistant principal and then principal at Ithaca High School, and her mother Maple was a teacher. Howes’ mom also taught.
Their influence and example certainly rubbed off on Nikki and her siblings. Norris has worked in education for more than 30 years, while her sister is a school guidance counselor and their brother a college professor.
In fact, Norris has impacted educational athletics in nearly every role possible as a teacher and athletic director at multiple schools, coach at various levels and game official. She is in her second year as athletic director at East Lansing High School after eight in that position for Corunna Public Schools. She previously taught for six years at Carson City-Crystal and then 11 at Corunna before taking over the Cavaliers’ athletic department during the summer of 2010.
She also coached volleyball at multiple levels over more than 15 years including Corunna’s varsity from 1999-2002 and 2006-09, and coached high school basketball for a combined eight years during her time at the two schools where she taught. Before and between her volleyball coaching stints, Norris also has served as an MHSAA registered volleyball official for a total of 12 years.
Norris’ many and continuing contributions will be celebrated Sunday, Feb. 2, when she receives the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s 33rd Women In Sports Leadership Award during the WISL Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West.
“I try to connect with all students, athletes or not, because there are so many kids who just need a connection," Norris said. "And if we can find it through sports, or through clubs, or teaching – I do look at them all as my own children, to a certain extent. We used to say in Corunna, 'They're all our kids.' And I want them to be successful in whatever it is they want. And if I can help them, that's what I'm there for.
“So many people did it for me. Coming from a family of educators, and my dad an administrator, I knew what that entailed as far as how they get into your heart. I want to do that for kids.”
Each year, the MHSAA Representative Council considers the achievements of women coaches, officials and athletic administrators affiliated with the MHSAA who show exemplary leadership capabilities and positive contributions to athletics.
Those who wrote letters recommending Norris for this year’s WISL Award especially noted that personal impact she has on students, staff and colleagues.
Fowlerville athletic director Brian Osborn – one of her former coaches – wrote of how Norris goes above and beyond to care for and connect with her student-athletes. Owosso athletic director Dallas Lintner wrote of Norris’ dedication to children’s safety and educational values. Fenton athletic director Mike Bakker noted how fortunate her students are that Norris made the decision to leave coaching for administration, where she can have an even larger impact.
“Someone asked me once, why do you want to be an athletic director? Well, I can go from impacting 100 kids a day, at that time (as a coach and teacher), to maybe 600 kids a day, to now 1,200 kids a day (at East Lansing),” Norris said, then quipping, “Well, maybe (not all) 1,200 every day.”
But she does continue to lead on wide-ranging levels, both at her much larger school and beyond.
While at Corunna, Norris served as master scheduler and part of the constitution committee for the Genesee Area Conference. Her schools have hosted various MHSAA Tournament events in multiple sports, in addition to local invitationals and conference meets. She’s served on every type of MHSAA Committee, providing input on a variety of sports, site selection, officials selection and the Scholar-Athlete Award. She also annually volunteers as a tournament administrator at the MHSAA’s Volleyball Finals in November and Baseball/Softball/Girls Soccer Finals in June.
A certified Red Cross instructor, Norris has provided CPR/AED training to coaches, bus drivers and staff members. Corunna in multiple years received the state’s HEARTSafe School designation recognizing preparedness to respond to cardiac emergencies.
As a member of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA), she has facilitated sessions and presented at its conferences and served on the newsletter committee.
She was named the MIAAA’s Region 7 “Athletic Director of the Year” in 2016. She also has received “Certified Athletic Administrator” designation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
“Nikki is one of the most genuine, caring and hard-working people I’ve ever met in athletics,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “She has worked extremely hard in both Corunna and East Lansing to develop a first-class program that produced high-character people. Nikki is truly a role model to everyone in the world of athletic administration.”
A 1987 graduate of Ithaca High School, Norris received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in exercise health science from Alma College – where she also competed as a runner and thrower in track & field – and then earned master’s degrees in biological sciences from Michigan State University and educational leadership from American College of Education.
Norris lives in Bancroft and is the mother to two daughters, Meredith and Elizabeth Norris. Neither is planning to go into education – but sports is a big part of both their current lives and likely futures, and no doubt the impact of growing up in a sports family has played a significant part. (Their dad, Dr. Robert Norris, played basketball at Alma College and serves as physician for the MSU hockey, volleyball and baseball programs and Lansing Lugnuts.)
Meredith was named the state’s Miss Volleyball Award winner in 2017 as a senior at Corunna and plays currently at Michigan State. Elizabeth is a senior at Corunna and was a finalist for the same award this past fall, and will continue her academic and volleyball careers at University of North Dakota. Meredith is majoring in kinesiology, and Elizabeth is planning on orthopedic surgery.
“I look at the names that are on the (WISL Award) list, and there are so many deserving women who over my career I've looked up to and aspired to be like when I 'grow up,'" Norris said. "So to even be considered in that group is amazing, humbling. It's an honor."
Past recipients of the Women In Sports Leadership Award
1990 – Carol Seavoy, L’Anse
1991 – Diane Laffey, Harper Woods
1992 – Patricia Ashby, Scotts
1993 – Jo Lake, Grosse Pointe
1994 – Brenda Gatlin, Detroit
1995 – Jane Bennett, Ann Arbor
1996 – Cheryl Amos-Helmicki, Huntington Woods
1997 – Delores L. Elswick, Detroit
1998 – Karen S. Leinaar, Delton
1999 – Kathy McGee, Flint
2000 – Pat Richardson, Grass Lake
2001 – Suzanne Martin, East Lansing
2002 – Susan Barthold, Kentwood
2003 – Nancy Clark, Flint
2004 – Kathy Vruggink Westdorp, Grand Rapids
2005 – Barbara Redding, Capac
2006 – Melanie Miller, Lansing
2007 – Jan Sander, Warren Woods
2008 – Jane Bos, Grand Rapids
2009 – Gail Ganakas, Flint; Deb VanKuiken, Holly
2010 – Gina Mazzolini, Lansing
2011 – Ellen Pugh, West Branch; Patti Tibaldi, Traverse City
2012 – Janet Gillette, Comstock Park
2013 – Barbara Beckett, Traverse City
2014 – Teri Reyburn, DeWitt
2015 – Jean LaClair, Bronson
2016 – Betty Wroubel, Pontiac
2017 – Dottie Davis, Ann Arbor
2018 – Meg Seng, Ann Arbor
2019 – Kris Isom, Adrian
PHOTOS: (Top) East Lansing athletic director Nikki Norris confers with Grand Ledge athletic director Steve Baker during a 2018 football game. (Middle) Norris with daughters Elizabeth, left, and Meredith, after Nikki presented the Cavaliers with a District championship trophy won in 2016. (Top photo courtesy of the Lansing State Journal; middle photo courtesy of Nikki Norris.)
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Rep Council Approves Expanded Basketball Schedules, Classification Changes at Winter Meeting
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 29, 2022
An increase in the number of regular-season games high school basketball teams are allowed to play may be the most visible action taken by the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association during its annual Winter Meeting on March 25 in East Lansing. However, a change in classification procedure expected to bring more equity to tournament groupings should have the most far-reaching effects across all sports.
The Winter Meeting frequently serves as an opportunity for the Council to discuss items expected to come up for action at its final meeting of the school year, scheduled for May 1-2. However, the Council took a number of actions at this meeting as they relate to scheduling currently underway for the 2022-23 school year, or Spring tournaments this May.
The Council approved a Basketball Committee proposal that will allow, beginning with the 2022-23 season, high school basketball teams to play up to 22 regular-season games at every level (varsity, junior varsity and freshman). Teams previously played a maximum of 20 games during the regular season; this adjustment brings MHSAA school schedules in line with what is allowed in most other Midwest states. Additionally as part of that proposal, mandatory preseason practice was reduced by one week, allowing teams to begin playing games after 14 days instead of 21.
The Council also approved a proposal by the Classification Committee that will result in postseason divisions more reflective of the number of schools actively sponsoring teams for that season. Divisions are assigned by taking the number of teams playing a sport and dividing equally by the number of team championships awarded in that sport (for example, four in baseball and softball). Previously, by the time seasons started the smallest-school divisions in many sports ended up with fewer teams than larger-school divisions because several small schools would declare they would be sponsoring a team during the classification process in March but then be unable to do so because of lack of participation or other reasons.
With this change, schools that have indicated they will sponsor a sport but haven’t participated in that sport as a team or with individual qualifiers over the previous two years will be removed from the classification process before divisions are determined. Those schools that have been removed must then notify the MHSAA they have an active team before being added back into the tournament.
A number of other actions will affect competition as quickly as this spring’s MHSAA Tournaments, and into the 2022-23 school year.
The Council approved a Cross Country/Track & Field proposal to allow for more MHSAA Tournament opportunities for wheelchair athletes. Starting with this Spring 2022 season, Regional and Final meets will include four events for wheelchair participants – 100, 200 and 400-meter races and shot put. These events will be open to wheelchair track & field athletes at MHSAA member schools. Additionally, the Council approved the expansion of postseason Paralympic opportunities in swimming, adding a 100-yard freestyle heat to the 50-yard freestyle heat that has been offered at Finals since 2020.
In baseball and softball, the Council approved committee proposals in those sports to allow District first-round games to be played during the week before Memorial Day. Baseball may play first-round games that previous Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and softball may play that previous Thursday and Friday, beginning this upcoming season. Previously, all first-round games were played the Tuesday after Memorial Day. This change is expected to alleviate pitch count concerns in baseball and provide scheduling flexibility for later District rounds that could allow athletes – especially at small schools where baseball and softball players frequently participate in track & field – opportunities to compete in both sports during the week following Memorial Day.
Another change proposed by the Classification Committee and approved by the Council will raise the enrollment cap for cooperative hockey programs, potentially allowing for more opportunities for schools to contribute athletes who wish to play the sport. Nearly 50 percent of hockey teams playing in the MHSAA Tournament are cooperatives made up of students from multiple schools, and for hockey those schools’ enrollments now may total up to 5,500 students, an increase of 2,000 students for hockey only. Schools participating in a cooperative hockey program must continue to receive Executive Committee approval and show a demonstrated lack of participation in hockey.
The Council also approved a Classification Committee proposal that will allow football teams to opt up in division after the annual release of classifications for the upcoming season in late March/early April. Football teams may opt up one division, with Executive Committee approval, and must show reason and rationale for their request. All football opt ups will be for a minimum of two years, and the Executive Committee will consider those opt-up requests at only its April and May meetings each year.
The Council approved a number of increased benefits for MHSAA-registered game officials, including raises in postseason game fees paid to officials across all sports. Also moving forward, MHSAA officials will be provided membership in the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), which will provide expanded liability insurance plus additional resources and professional services for all MHSAA registered officials. The Council also approved a change to the registration process and fees that will automatically provide each official registration in two sports. All three changes were proposed by the Audit & Finance Committee.
The Council also approved a rule change allowing the use of school transportation during summer, but it must be funded from school-approved activities of booster clubs, school teams, student groups and community, civic or service groups. This includes the use of busses, vans and other vehicles owned or leased by the school district or operated by any entity with which the district contracts to provide transportation services.
The Representative Council is the legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities, and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.