MHSAA Network Receives MAB Awards
March 5, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA Network was honored Wednesday night with three awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters at its annual Broadcast Excellence Awards presentation for 2019 at the conclusion of the Great Lakes Media Show at the Lansing Center.
This Week In High School Sports, the network’s five-minute weekly flagship program – powered by Michigan Student Aid – which is heard on more than 100 over-the-air and internet audio outlets across the state during the Fall and Winter sports seasons, won the Best of category for Sports Program for Statewide Radio Networks. The program also received a Merit Award in the category.
The MHSAA Network origination of the 2019 Division 1 Boys Basketball Final – presented by Sparrow Health – also took a Merit Award in the Sports Play-by-Play category. The 64-62 win for Ypsilanti Lincoln, decided on a putback at the buzzer by Jalen Fisher, had Topher Goggin and Jeff Sommerville of MHSAA Network affiliate WQBX in Alma on the call, John Kreger as the host and Mike Stump as the sideline reporter.
“We’ve always felt that we were providing quality coverage of high school sports and had never entered the MAB awards program prior to this past year,” said John Johnson, MHSAA Director of Sports Broadcast Properties, who also hosts This Week in High School Sports. “It’s humbling to receive such an honor from those in the broadcasting community that we serve.”
The MHSAA Network produces audio coverage of the Association’s championships in Boys Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Football in the Fall; Ice Hockey and Basketball in the Winter; and Lacrosse, Girls Soccer, Baseball and Softball in the Spring – 90 games in all. All games can be heard on the MHSAANetwork.com website, and the Basketball Finals in March are broadcast by 20 to 40 over-the-air radio stations. In addition to This Week In High School Sports, the Network also produces the weekly 60-second vignette – Be The Referee – which takes a look into the fine art of officiating. Those programs are also available at MHSAANetwork.com and the MHSAA Website.
MHSAA Reopening Update (6/9/20)
June 9, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has updated its guidelines for reopening of school sports based on updated recommendations from Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office announced Friday, June 5. All updates for MHSAA member schools are effective Wednesday, June 10.
Following are points of likely interest from today’s MHSAA update:
• As noted in the June 2 MHSAA update, member schools may begin summer activities at school facilities as long as these two conditions are met: 1. School administration has announced schools facilities are open to students and staff, and 2. The academic school year (last day of online instruction/exams) has ended.
• Schools that are reopened in Regions 6 and 8 (northwestern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, respectively) may begin indoor activities with no more than 50 people but must continue social (physical) distancing and proper cleaning of equipment as noted in the June 2 update. Schools in Regions 6 and 8 also may increase their participation in outdoor activities from 100 to a maximum of 250 people. Again, social distancing and proper cleaning must be followed.
• Competition is not yet allowed because participants must continue to follow social distancing.
• Although a group of 50 may meet indoors in Regions 6 and 8, the MHSAA recommends smaller groups of the same students continue to work out together. This will allow for a better response and easier tracing should a positive case of COVID-19 be discovered. Also, because most weight rooms cannot accommodate social distancing for groups of 50, the MHSAA recommends cycling in these smaller groups to weight rooms with proper cleaning of equipment between rotations.
• Schools in all other Regions – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 – should continue to adhere to guidelines put forth in the MHSAA’s June 2 update. However, administrators and coaches should begin preparing for the allowance of similar opportunities now open in Regions 6 and 8.