MHSAA Connecting at Junior High Level
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 6, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Signs and banners were displayed at stadiums. Announcements were made to the crowd.
And most of all, questions were answered concerning the current role of the Michigan High School Athletic Association in junior high/middle school athletics – and the increased role the Association would like to take on in the future.
Throughout May, the MHSAA served as presenting sponsor at junior high/middle school track & field meets at Ravenna, Harrison, Grand Blanc and Saginaw White Pine Middle School.
This sponsorship pilot program was a first step on the path to making stronger connections with student-athletes before they reach high school. The MHSAA provided meet management with banners and other signage to hang at the events, and public address announcements on sportsmanship, multi-sport participation, officials recruitment and other notable topics affecting competitors and their families.
Also made available were printed materials on sportsmanship, officials recruitment and the benefits of taking part in junior high/middle school sports. And as part of the opportunity, the MHSAA donated grants of $500 to help with the administration of those meets – again, all in the name of getting the MHSAA message in front of students years before they reach high school.
“I couldn’t believe how many people did not realize middle schools were connected to the MHSAA. That in itself was huge for publicity,” said Damon Amey, athletic director at White Pine. “I feel that if they know we are members, they immediately know we follow a set of rules. We are student-first oriented.”
The MHSAA served 740 junior high/middle school members, plus 24 elementary schools with 6th graders participating, during the 2016-17 school year – up from 705 junior high/middle schools only a year before.
Junior high/middle schools long have been eligible for membership in the MHSAA. An entire section of the MHSAA Handbook is dedicated to them. But the Association also has turned a heavier focus toward that level over the last four years.
The MHSAA Representative Council approved the creation of a Junior High/Middle School Task Force during its December 2013 meeting, and that task force was instrumental in the addition of 6th grader participation this past school year and the lengthening of contests in some sports. The Council this spring approved a recommendation by the Junior High/Middle School Committee (a permanent committee separate from the task force) urging all MHSAA sport committees to consider opportunities to add more games and dates to middle school schedules.
Last month’s sponsorship pilot program also stemmed from this recent work.
“We need to, for the future of high school sports, get more involved at the junior high/middle school level,” said MHSAA assistant director Cody Inglis, who oversees the Junior High/Middle School Committee and led the task force. “It’s not a matter of should we, but how quickly can we get involved.”
Inglis served as something of an ambassador in setting up and attending multiple sponsored junior high/middle school meets. Because of the perception that the MHSAA is mostly associated with high school athletics, Inglis noticed some curious and questioning looks in response to the visible presence of the Association at those meets.
But there were more positives, by far. On multiple occasions, the winners of the meets asked to have their team photos taken with the MHSAA banner on the field. One team took individual photos of each athlete holding the trophy in front of the banner as well.
While not many, Inglis did have conversations about officiating with a handful of interested people – good news as the MHSAA is always in pursuit of adding to those numbers. And his presence gave fans an opportunity to ask about the MHSAA’s role both at the high school and junior high/middle school level – and gave him the opportunity to explain how the Association works and dispel some myths.
“I love the fact that the MHSAA was at our conference track meet,” Montague NBC Middle School athletic director Jay Mulder said. “Cody did a great job in talking with parents, athletes and coaches. The presence was just enough to get people to take notice of the MHSAA.
“As a middle school AD and a middle school coach, I am very encouraged and excited to see the active role that the MHSAA is taking with middle school sports. I think that it bodes well for the future.”
Amey noted a number of opportunities with printed materials and championship medals that could further promote the MHSAA’s messaging at junior high/middle school meets. Also part of future plans is the recruitment of regional “ambassadors” – retired coaches, athletic directors and officials would be among candidates – who will travel to junior highs and middle schools in their areas and grow connections at that level.
As members, junior highs and middle schools receive the structure and support of MHSAA rules and governance, and every athlete receives catastrophic and concussion care insurance managed by the MHSAA. More interaction by these ambassadors could lead to more membership – the meet at White Pine, for example, included nearly half non-MHSAA schools – and also more benefit to members, be it additional sponsorship, off-field programs or even MHSAA-created championship events to give those athletes more opportunities to shine at this lower level and as they work toward taking that big step to high school.
“It’s been like a light bulb has gone off,” Inglis said. “The brand of the MHSAA is viewed as a high school-only brand, and it was humbling to see the power in that brand as people look to the ultimate goal.
“However we can parlay that into more of a presence and use that brand to get involved in school sports at the younger levels, that helps in that transition.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Students from Grand Blanc West Middle School, Fenton Schmidt Middle School and Linden Middle School stand together with an MHSAA banner during the Flint Metro League meet last month. (Middle) The Montague NBC Middle School girls track & field team poses with a banner after winning the West Michigan Conference championship. (Photos courtesy of the Grand Blanc and Montague schools’ athletic departments.)
Forsythe Honorees Led with Statewide View
March 6, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Jim Derocher always tried to listen to everyone before making a decision while serving on the MHSAA's Representative Council. He wanted to best serve not just the stars but all student-athletes, and not just those down the road but all over Michigan.
Longtime Council member Fred Smith always thought back to something Lake Michigan Catholic coach Terry Rose once told him: when making decisions, do what's best for kids first. Smith did so while trying to consider the needs not just of the student-athletes in his community, but in the many communities all over the state.
Both Derocher and Smith served thousands of students locally over decades of service and provided statewide contributions that continue to guide educational athletics in Michigan today. In recognition of their dedication, Derocher and Smith have been named the 2019 recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Charles E. Forsythe Award.
The annual award is in its 42nd year and named after former MHSAA Executive Director Charles E. Forsythe, the Association's first full-time and longest-serving chief executive. Forsythe Award recipients are selected each year by the MHSAA Representative Council, based on an individual's outstanding contributions to the interscholastic athletics community. Derocher and Smith will receive their honors during the break after the first quarter of the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Basketball Final on March 16 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
After beginning his career as a teacher and coach at L’Anse, Derocher went on to serve as athletic director and assistant principal at Ishpeming Westwood from 1989-94, then as superintendent at Brimley from 1994-98 and finally Negaunee from 1998-2014. He also represented the Upper Peninsula’s Class C & D schools on the MHSAA Representative Council from 2003-14 and served as its president from 2008-14.
Smith taught, coached and served as athletic director at St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic from 1981-91, then served as athletic director at Comstock from 1991-2007, Buchanan from 2007-2015 and Benton Harbor from 2015-17. He represented the Lower Peninsula’s Southwestern Class A & B schools on the MHSAA Representative Council from 2008-17, including serving as vice president his final four years.
“Jim Derocher was an outstanding Council president, always approaching things first as a superintendent and looking at the big picture,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “He provided a statewide perspective through an Upper Peninsula prism, always considering how decisions would impact schools from Monroe to Menominee.
“Fred Smith is simply one of the best athletic directors I’ve gotten to work with during my career in athletics,” Uyl added. “I met him while he was at Comstock; from Comstock to Buchanan to Benton Harbor he was presented with and led his programs through different challenges. And he always served as a champion for those schools in that part of the state while keeping a statewide perspective when helping shape the Council’s work.”
Derocher finished his time at L’Anse earning the Copper Country Conference Coach of the Year award for boys basketball in 1989, and he also served as an MHSAA-registered official in football, boys and girls basketball from 1970-90. While on the Representative Council, Derocher served concurrently on the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee.
He was a member of the Michigan Association of School Administrators from 1994-2014 and selected as its Region 1 Superintendent of the Year in 2013. He also received MASA’s 20-year Distinguished Administrator Award.
“I believe the experiences our student-athletes get in school athletics molds their future, whether they are the stars of the team or the supporting cast that make a team. This experience is no different for students in Brimley, Negaunee or Detroit," Derocher said. "I was always trying to work with other members of the Representative Council to recognize that these student-athletes are the same all over the state. I wanted to provide the best possible experience while also giving equality to all.”
Smith’s impact continues to be far-reaching. He remains active as part of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), having served on the Board of Directors for both and recently named to the Strategic Planning Committee for the latter. He also continues to teach courses for the MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program (CAP) and taught the NIAAA’s Leadership Training Course at the national conference and via the internet in 13 states. He has presented at a number of MHSAA New Athletic Administrator In-Service programs and served as the co-chairperson of the MIAAA’s Professional Development Committee.
Smith has been a registered cross country and track & field official for more than 30 years, and while an athletic director at his various schools hosted a multitude of MHSAA Tournament events in cross country, volleyball, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls basketball, track & field, wrestling, baseball, boys and girls soccer and softball. He received the MHSAA’s Allen W. Bush Award in 2014 for his many contributions behind the scenes, was named the MIAAA’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2000 and George Lovich State Award of Merit winner in 2007, and received the Art Jevert/Bruce Jacobs Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Track Officials of Michigan (ATOM) in 2013. He was named Midwest Athletic Director of the Year in 2000 as well by the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors (NCSSAD), and recognized by the NIAAA with a special commendation in 1999, its Distinguished Service Award in 2000, its Thomas Frederick Award of Excellence in 2004 and its Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award in 2012. Smith also is a member of the Battle Creek St. Philip and Comstock halls of fame.
“Looking back on the service, it goes back to something my mom taught me when I was young and tried to impress on my brothers and sisters – it’s better to serve than to be served,” Smith said. “I’ve always tried to serve. I was very blessed with good high school coaches, and I enjoyed my high school experience at St. Philip. I was wanting to give back and fell into that niche, and I really enjoyed it.”
Derocher graduated from L’Anse High School in 1970 and earned his bachelor’s in secondary education, mathematics and physics in 1975 and master’s in education in 1988, both from Northern Michigan University. He also earned education specialist certification in 2003. He was a member of the Lake Superior Community Partnership from 2003-14 and remains a member of the Negaunee Lions Club. He resides in Ishpeming and works as an account executive for SET SEG, which coordinates benefits for Michigan public schools and their employees.
Smith graduated from Battle Creek St. Philip in 1973 and Western Michigan University with his bachelor’s degree in 1979. He received the Certified Master Athletic Administrator designation from the NIAAA in 2004. He remains active through his church, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Bridgman, and resides in Stevensville.
Past recipients of the Charles E. Forsythe Award
1978 - Brick Fowler, Port Huron; Paul Smarks, Warren
1979 - Earl Messner, Reed City; Howard Beatty, Saginaw
1980 - Max Carey, Freesoil
1981 - Steven Sluka, Grand Haven; Samuel Madden, Detroit
1982 - Ernest Buckholz, Mt. Clemens; T. Arthur Treloar, Petoskey
1983 - Leroy Dues, Detroit; Richard Maher, Sturgis
1984 - William Hart, Marquette; Donald Stamats, Caro
1985 - John Cotton, Farmington; Robert James, Warren
1986 - William Robinson, Detroit; Irving Soderland, Norway
1987 - Jack Streidl, Plainwell; Wayne Hellenga, Decatur
1988 - Jack Johnson, Dearborn; Alan Williams, North Adams
1989 - Walter Bazylewicz, Berkley; Dennis Kiley, Jackson
1990 - Webster Morrison, Pickford; Herbert Quade, Benton Harbor
1991 - Clifford Buckmaster, Petoskey; Donald Domke, Northville
1992 - William Maskill, Kalamazoo; Thomas G. McShannock, Muskegon
1993 - Roy A. Allen Jr., Detroit; John Duncan, Cedarville
1994 - Kermit Ambrose, Royal Oak
1995 - Bob Perry, Lowell
1996 - Charles H. Jones, Royal Oak
1997 - Michael A. Foster, Richland; Robert G. Grimes, Battle Creek
1998 - Lofton C. Greene, River Rouge; Joseph J. Todey, Essexville
1999 - Bernie Larson, Battle Creek
2000 - Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo; Jerry Cvengros, Escanaba
2001 - Norm Johnson, Bangor; George Lovich, Canton
2002 - John Fundukian, Novi
2003 - Ken Semelsberger, Port Huron
2004 - Marco Marcet, Frankenmuth
2005 - Jim Feldkamp, Troy
2006 - Dan McShannock, Midland; Dail Prucka, Monroe
2007 - Keith Eldred, Williamston; Tom Hickman, Spring Lake
2008 - Jamie Gent, Haslett; William Newkirk, Sanford-Meridian
2009 - Paul Ellinger, Cheboygan
2010 - Rudy Godefroidt, Hemlock; Mike Boyd, Waterford
2011 - Eric C. Federico, Trenton
2012 - Bill Mick, Midland
2013 - Jim Gilmore, Tecumseh; Dave Hutton, Grandville
2014 - Dan Flynn, Escanaba
2015 - Hugh Matson, Saginaw
2016 - Gary Hice, Petoskey; Gina Mazzolini, Lansing
2017 - Chuck Nurek, Rochester Hills
2018 - Gary Ellis, Allegan
PHOTOS: (Top left) Fred Smith, left, congratulates Edwardsburg football coach Kevin Bartz after the 2017 Division 4 Final at Ford Field. (Top right) Jim Derocher, left, presents Tecumseh's Jim Gilmore with the Forsythe Award in 2013 at the Breslin Center.