MHSAA Announces 2016-17 Concussion Data
August 7, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has completed its second year of collecting head injury reports from member schools as it continues to build data that will assist in identifying trends and progress being made to reduce the incidence of head injuries in school sports.
Following a first mandate to do so in 2015-16, member schools again were required to report head injuries to the MHSAA identifying the sport that each student-athlete was participating in and whether the injury was sustained during practice or competition. As reporting for the 2017-18 school year is now underway, schools again are required to designate if potential concussions occur during competition or practice and at which level – varsity, junior varsity or freshman.
The full report of all head injuries experienced during 2016-17 by student-athletes at MHSAA member high schools – including percentages by sport (per 1,000 participants), gender and team level, as well as data tracking when athletes returned to play – is available on the Health & Safety page of the MHSAA Website.
As with the first year of reporting, the MHSAA received data from more than 99 percent of its member high schools after the fall, winter and spring seasons and continued to track each injury report through its conclusion this summer. Member junior high and middle schools also were allowed, although not mandated, to report their potential head injuries; and those findings are not part of the published report.
The 2016-17 concussion report found an 11-percent decrease in the number of confirmed concussions from the previous year. Student-athletes at MHSAA member high schools encountered during 2016-17 a total of 3,958 head injuries – or 5.2 per member school, similar but lower than the 2015-16 average of 5.9. Total participation in MHSAA sports for 2016-17 was 283,625 – with students counted once for each sport he or she played – and only 1.4 percent of participants experienced a head injury; that percentage in 2015-16 was 1.6.
However, MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said that while it’s significant to note the similarity in those statistics over the first two years of injury report collection, the lower percentages in 2016-17 don’t necessarily represent a trend – that conclusion can only be made after more data is collected in years to come. Some differences in data from the first year to the second could be the result of schools’ increased familiarity with the reporting system, the refinement of the follow-up reporting procedure and other survey error that is expected to decrease with future surveys.
“Our first survey in 2015-16 raised some initial themes, and the data we collected this past year and will continue to collect will help us identify the trends that will guide our next steps in reducing head injuries in interscholastic athletics,” Roberts said. “However, the necessity for more data to determine these trends should not delay our efforts to experiment with more head protection and modified play and practice rules in contact sports like ice hockey, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse – which all ranked among the top 10 sports for numbers of head injuries per thousand participants.
“We will continue to look for ways to make our good games better and our healthy games safer, and the collection of this data will continue to prove key as we work toward those goals.”
Although the total number of confirmed concussions was significantly lower in 2016-17, a number of findings detailing those injuries fell in line with results of the 2015-16 survey.
Boys experienced 2,607 – or 66 percent – of those injuries, nearly the same ratio as 2015-16 and as boys participation in sports, especially contact sports, remained higher than girls. More than half of head injuries – 55 percent – were experienced by varsity athletes, which also fell within a percent difference of last year’s findings.
A total of 2,973 head injuries – or 65 percent – came in competition as opposed to practice. More than half took place during either the middle of practice or middle of competition as opposed to the start or end, and 52 percent of injuries were a result of person-to-person contact. The largest percentage of athletes – 27 percent – returned to activity after 6 to 10 days, while 23 percent of those who suffered head injuries returned after 11-15 days of rest. All of these findings were within 1-4 percent of those discovered from the 2015-16 data.
Contact sports again revealed the most head injuries. Ranking first was football, 11 and 8-player combined, with 44 head injuries per 1,000 participants – a decrease of five head injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16. Ice hockey repeated with the second-most injuries per 1,000, with 36 (down two injuries per 1,000 from 2015-16), and girls soccer was again third with 28 head injuries per 1,000 participants (also down two from the previous year).
In fact, after football and hockey, four of the next five sports to show the highest incidences of head injuries were girls sports – girls soccer followed by girls basketball (23 per 1,000), girls competitive cheer (22) and girls lacrosse (20). Although girls basketball again showed the fifth-highest ratio, it did see a decline of six injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16.
Startling indications of another potential trend were seen again in the number of reported head injuries suffered by girls and boys playing the same sports. Soccer, basketball and baseball/softball are played under identical or nearly identical rules. Just as in 2015-16, females in those sports reported significantly more concussions than males playing the same or similar sport.
Female soccer players reported double the concussions per 1,000 participants as male soccer players, while female basketball players reported nearly triple the number of concussions per 1,000 participants (23 to 8). Softball players reported 11 concussions per 1,000 participants, and baseball players reported four per 1,000. The numbers from all three comparisons remained consistent from what the survey found in 2015-16.
It is the hope that Michigan’s universities, health care systems and the National Federation of State High School Associations will take part in analyzing the data and questions that have arisen during the past two years. Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports submitted a paper titled “Gender Differences in Youth Sports Concussion” based on the 2015-16 results, and that subject will remain closely monitored in 2017-18 and beyond.
“The Institute’s research concluded that there is merit for believing females may be more susceptible than males to having concussions because of structural differences to the neck and head, and also due to neurological differences in the brains of females and males. But the findings also show merit for believing females may be more honest in reporting concussions,” Roberts said.
“We need to find out why. Are girls just more willing to report the injury? Are boys hiding it? These are some of our most important questions moving forward, and they will be critical in our efforts to educate athletes, their parents and coaches on the importance of reporting and receiving care for these injuries immediately.”
Schools report possible concussions online via the MHSAA Website. Reports are then examined by members of the MHSAA staff, who follow up with school administrators as those student-athletes continue to receive care and eventually return to play. Student privacy is protected.
The reporting of possible concussions is part of a three-pronged advance by the MHSAA in concussion care begun during the 2015-16 school year. The MHSAA completed this past spring (2017) the largest-ever state high school association sideline concussion testing pilot program, with a sample of schools from across the state over the last two years using one of two screening tests designed to detect concussions. The second year of the pilot program (2016-17) allowed participating schools to use the sideline detection tests in all sports but mandated they be used in sports (11 total over three seasons) showing the highest prevalence of concussions.
The MHSAA also was the first state association to provide all participants at every member high school and junior high/middle school with insurance intended to pay accident medical expense benefits – covering deductibles and co-pays left unpaid by other policies – resulting from head injuries sustained during school practices or competitions and at no cost to either schools or families. During 2016-17, a total of 139 claims were made – 20 fewer than in 2015-16 – with football (44) and girls basketball (27) the sports most cited in those claims for the second straight year.
Previously, the MHSAA also was among the first state associations to adopt a return-to-play protocol that keeps an athlete out of activity until at least the next day after a suspected concussion, and allows that athlete to return to play only after he or she has been cleared unconditionally for activity by a doctor (M.D. or D.O.), physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.
In addition, the MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program – which includes courses that must be completed by all varsity head coaches hired for the first time at a member school – has augmented for this fall its already substantial instruction on concussion care. Separately, rules meetings that are required viewing for all varsity and subvarsity head and assistant coaches at the start of each season include detailed training on caring for athletes with possible head injuries.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 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.
2024 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 12, 2024
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected nine student-athletes from Class B member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 35th year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 16 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Navya Ashok, Ann Arbor Greenhills; Isabella DeWildt, Sault Ste. Marie; Gwenyth L. Geiger, Caro; Elaine Gordon, Adrian; Cecilia Postma, Manistee; Ollie Brown, Williamston; Jackson Dell, Chelsea; Austin Hinkley, Big Rapids; Lucas Nor, Ann Arbor Greenhills.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Navya Ashok, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Ran three seasons of varsity cross country and will compete in her fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-league recognition and helped teams to conference titles in both sports. Serving as track captain and served as cross country junior varsity team mentor. Named AP Scholar with Honor and National Merit Scholarship semifinalist and received silver medal for Le Grand Concours national French contest. Participating in third year in student government and serving as class president. Participating in fourth year of Science Bowl and as captain. Served as vice president of Washtenaw County’s Michigan Asian Youth Liberty League as junior. Participating in third year of forensics and was a novice state champion in 2021. Participating in third year as part of Teen Leadership Council for Canton Public Library. Participated for three years and served as appointed research head and facilitator for ByKids4Kids non-profit organization. Participating in fourth year of biology club as a group leader. Served as layout editor of yearbook and editor of school’s literary magazine. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study biochemistry.
Essay Quote: “I have always been passionate about equity for all and will continue to advocate for bridging these gaps. I believe that acts of sportsmanship transcend the sports realm. … To me, sportsmanship is not only about helping out the other team or competitor, but also providing equity in sports, and giving others the chance to rise up to their occasion.”
Isabella DeWildt, Sault Ste. Marie
Played three years of varsity volleyball, playing second of varsity basketball and will compete in fourth of track & field in the spring. Earned all-region and all-league in volleyball and all-league honorable mention in basketball. Also earned academic all-state in volleyball and served as captain for volleyball and basketball teams. Participating in third year of Students United and earned state and national awards for impact and service. Participating in third year on Sault High Native Youth Council and served as president as a junior. Served as student representative on Title VI Indian Education Committee. Participating in second years of National Honor Society and Youth Advisory Council, and in third year of Business Professionals of America and as vice president of communications. Served as ambassador for athletics and career center and student representative for 2023 graduation and baccalaureate. Will attend Grand Valley State University and join its Army ROTC program, and study finance.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship comes from more than just the player; it must also come from parents, coaches, and spectators. … Due to my education then and now, I have been able to turn myself into a leader with outstanding sportsmanship. I have even acquired the knowledge of producing sportsmanship outside of physically-exerting activities. Most do not realize it, but one channels sportsmanship within everyday life.”
Gwenyth L. Geiger, Caro
Played four seasons of varsity golf, playing third of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity tennis in the spring. Earned multiple all-league honorable mentions and helped golf team to first MHSAA Finals appearance. Named all-conference scholar-athlete in all three sports all four years. Served as golf and basketball captain and will captain tennis team this upcoming season. Carries 4.1 grade-point average and earned AP Scholar Award. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as chapter president, and serving second year on student council and as secretary. Participating in second years in Interact club (as treasurer), student advisory club and as founding member of school’s book club. Competed two years in academic games and has participated in 4-H throughout high school. Played first-chair trumpet in band throughout high school, and twice was selected for lead role in drama production. Will attend Michigan State University and study environmental biology and microbiology.
Essay Quote: “For many athletes, their energy is solely focused on two main goals, to do well, and to win. To have only these goals, however, you disregard the whole point of playing a sport. Some say you are only successful at sports if you are winning because that's what's on the scoreboard, but that's not what's in your heart. At some point, you will forget the wins and the losses, but you will always remember the love you had for a sport and the respect people had for you.”
Elaine Gordon, Adrian
Playing third season of varsity basketball and will play second season of varsity softball this spring. Also participated on sideline cheer team as a senior. Earned league sportsmanship and scholar-athlete awards and served as captain of basketball and cheer teams. Dually enrolled and expects to graduate high school with 52 college credits. Playing in marching band and symphony for third year, and has served as section leader for both and qualified for state competition for solo and ensemble every year. Performed in school’s spring musical throughout high school and in lead roles every year. Participating in first year of National Honor Society and second as part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has served as president, first counselor and second counselor of church youth group and as a church camp coordinator and counselor. Is undecided where she will attend college but intends to study Spanish education and sports management.
Essay Quote: “Our experiences shape our lives. They help sculpt us into who we become. However, they do not mold the core of who we are. The credit for that feat is given to our choices. … I have learned through educational athletics that sportsmanship needs to be continuous to build the habit so it becomes part of our core. An individual with good sportsmanship will make it a lot farther than an individual without.”
Cecilia Postma, Manistee
Ran four seasons of cross country, will compete in her fourth season of track & field this spring and also play her third season of varsity soccer; additionally, played two seasons of junior varsity basketball. Earned all-state in cross country and all-conference and academic all-state in cross country and track. Served two seasons as cross country captain. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and has served as president, and fourth year of student council and has served as vice president. Has participated in Science Olympiad and symphonic band throughout high school, and in Youth in Government and as part of Manistee’s student newspaper staff the last two years. Qualified for Science Olympiad state competition three times, and served as band section leader. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study on a premedical track.
Essay Quote: “Our coaches approach the sport from a social standpoint before we even touch a ball. We are given lessons in maintaining positive competitiveness, personal responsibility, and the respect we are expected to hold for everyone on the field. These values held by my coaches have helped me appreciate the abilities of others. In game settings, they are quick to compliment our opponents and often point out others' talent as inspiration for our team. As players we take the same approaches, making sure we acknowledge a teammate's extra dedication, or willingness to work outside their comfort zone on the field, or even thanking a teammate for coming to practice with a smile on their face.”
Ollie Brown, Williamston
Played two seasons of varsity football, will play his second season of varsity golf in the spring, and also wrestled and competed in track & field one season apiece. Earned all-academic recognition in all four sports and all-conference in wrestling. Helped golf team to fourth-place Regional finish. Served as football team captain and golf team leader. Selected to represent school at Michigan High School Football Coaches Association athlete leadership conference. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and College Board Rural and Small-Town Awards. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars. Participated in robotics and worked as technician’s assistant through high school, and earned certificate of achievement from CHAMP gifted and talented math program at Michigan State University. Participated in Business Professionals of America as a freshman and qualified for state competition, and also played in symphony as a freshman. Participated in YoungLife throughout high school and is caring for adults with disabilities at a local community center. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study computer science and business.
Essay Quote: “I had to fight my way up to the role of captain and learn that sometimes being a good sport means putting what’s best for the team over individual goals. … What I wanted more than anything was for the team to succeed, which meant that we had to play cohesively.”
Jackson Dell, Chelsea
Ran four seasons of cross country and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-region and academic all-state in cross country and helped team to MHSAA Finals runner-up finish. Earned all-region eight times in track and qualified for MHSAA Finals in that sport as well. Serving as team captain for both sports as a senior. Earned College Board Hispanic and Rural and Small-Town recognition awards. Participating in second years of National Honor Society and Interact club. Works as certified nurse aide at retirement community, caring for residents with dementia. Studied piano throughout high school and played one year in marching band, earning superior ratings for solo and ensemble. Participating in second year as Link Crew leader. Participating in economics club and earned full scholarship to University of Michigan Ross Summer Business Academy, and takes business immersion classes at U-M as part of MREACH program. Will attend University of Michigan and study business.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is about bringing positivity to the sport, uniting others, and having fun. I believe that too often student-athletes get caught up in the pressure and competitiveness, and forget why we really do it. We are student-athletes because we love to play, compete, and forge unbreakable bonds with our teammates. We are student-athletes not to win, but to grow as individuals.”
Austin Hinkley, Big Rapids
Played fourth season of varsity tennis in the fall, is competing in fourth varsity bowling season this winter, and will play his fourth season of golf this spring. Earned all-state first-team in 2022 and honorable mention this past fall for tennis doubles, and also earned academic all-state individual and team awards in that sport. Served as tennis team captain and bowling team rotating captain. Selected as National Merit Scholarship Commended Student and earned College Board Rural and Small-Town recognition. Participating in second years of National Honor Society, Interact and Key Club and served as class president during two years on student council. Serving third year on Mecosta County Youth Advisory Council and as grants chairperson. Has played in marching band, wind symphony, pep band, jazz band and chamber winds ensembles throughout high school, serving as section and drumline leader and earning Division 1 ratings at state competitions. Participating in third year of quiz bowl and as rotating captain. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study mechanical engineering.
Essay Quote: Sportsmanship is honoring truth, even when you have the opportunity to be untruthful, because it is the right thing to do. … It is realizing that high school athletics are a prelude to the highs and lows of life to come. Wins and losses are important in the moment to fierce competitors like me, but success has no meaning when it is accomplished through unjust means.”
Lucas Nor, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Played four seasons of varsity tennis and is playing his fourth season of varsity basketball this winter. Earned multiple Finals individual championships in tennis and was part of two Finals championship teams while earning all-state recognition in that sport three times. Earned all-league honorable mention in basketball and helped that team to District title. Participating in third year of school ambassador program, and as lead ambassador, and has participated throughout high school in Affinity Group Hispanic and Latinx organization and earned National Hispanic Recognition Award. Participated three years in economics/finance club and as part of National Federal Reserve Challenge team. Served two years as laboratory intern with University of Michigan dental school. Served as tennis coach for middle school team and children with disabilities. Taught trumpet to middle school band musicians. Will attend Princeton University and study molecular biology.
Essay Quote: “I believe that sportsmanship isn't just the ways in which one directly interacts with others, rather the way one carries themselves and serves as an example for other players, spectators, and future stars watching on the bleachers. … And this is why I believe that sportsmanship is so important to educational athletics, as it fosters the values of respect and a shared passion for the game. When people make a difference, it serves as an influence to not only inspire others, but also helps sprout newfound athletic careers.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Anika Bery, Ann Arbor Greenhills; Hannah Herman, Buchanan; Reese Herioux, Gladstone; Julie Ashbaugh, Grant; Grace deWaalMalefyt, Hudsonville Unity Christian; Megan Marta, Ishpeming Westwood; Addison Rutter, Kingsford; Libby McCarthy, Manistee; Malena Johnson, Marshall; Katelyn Baney, Paw Paw; and Malia Thelen, Portland.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Angelo Ciarelli, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard; Logan Cripps, Brooklyn Columbia Central; William E. Ribby, Eaton Rapids; Logan Lipka, Frankenmuth; Charles Lindemann, Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Ben Sytsma, Grand Rapids Christian; Stephen Petersen, Hillsdale; Michael Stout, Howard City Tri County; Anthony Mariotti Goatley, Madison Heights Lamphere; Braydon Sorenson, Manistee; Ethan Chambliss, Niles; and Aiden Roulo, St. Clair.
The Class D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 6, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 20.
Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services — life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more — protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.
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.