Reminder: Prepare to Beat the Heat
July 28, 2016
Second Half editor
The heat wave that’s traveled across Michigan during these last few weeks of July is another reminder of the importance of preparing for activity in hot weather in advance of Michigan High School Athletic Association fall practices kicking off the new school year early next month.
Each year, the MHSAA provides information to its member schools to help them prepare for hot weather practice and game conditions during the late summer and early fall. Football practice can begin at MHSAA schools August 8, followed by first practices for all other fall sports August 10.
The topic of heat-related injuries receives a lot of attention at this time of year, especially when deaths at the professional, collegiate and interscholastic levels of sport occur, and especially since they are preventable in most cases with the proper precautions.
“Like many things that remain constant from year to year in educational athletics, preparation for hot weather activity is something we must continue to emphasize for our returning athletes and also a new class taking the field for the first time,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “If we take the precautions we should and plan as we should, we will avoid more of these tragedies in school sports.”
A number of member schools continue to follow the MHSAA’s Model Policy for Managing Heat & Humidity, which while not mandated for member schools was adopted as a rule for MHSAA postseason competition in 2013. The plan directs schools to begin monitoring the heat index at the activity site once the air temperature reaches 80 degrees and provides recommendations when the heat index reaches certain points, including ceasing activities when it rises above 104 degrees.
To also assist in acclimatization, football practice rule changes adopted in 2014 allow for only helmets to be worn during the first two days, only shoulder pads to be added on the third and fourth days, and full pads to not be worn until the fifth day of team practice. The policy in detail can be found on the Football page of the MHSAA Website.
Heat, hydration and acclimatization also are again focuses of the MHSAA’s required preseason rules meetings for coaches and officials. The online presentation discusses the need for good hydration in sports, regardless of the activity or time of year. The MHSAA requires all head varsity, varsity assistant and subvarsity coaches at the high school level to complete a rules and risk minimization meeting requirement.
The model heat & humidity policy is outlined in a number of places, including the publication Heat Ways, which is available for download from the MHSAA Website. Roberts reminded that the first days of formal practices in hot weather should be more for heat acclimatization than the conditioning of athletes, and that practices in such conditions need planning to become longer and more strenuous over a gradual progression of time. He noted that schools also must consider moving practices to different locations or different times of day, or change practice plans to include different activities depending on the conditions.
The Health & Safety Resources page of the MHSAA Website has a number of links to various publications and information and a free online presentation on preventing heat illness from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Also accessible through the MHSAA Health & Safety page are resources from Sparrow Health System, a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, which lends expertise on-site at various MHSAA tournament events and provides an online “Ask the Experts” feature to connect MHSAA.com users with Sparrow sports medicine caregivers.
“It is important for participants and their parents as well as coaches and administrators to become informed on how best to prepare for activity in hot weather,” Roberts added. “All involved need to be knowledgeable about proper hydration and the dangers of practicing and competing when the heat and humidity are too high.”
2014-15 Classifications Announced
March 24, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and postseason tournaments in traditionally classified sports (A, B, C, D) for the 2014-15 school year have been announced, with enrollment breaks for postseason tournaments set up by divisions posted on the MHSAA Website.
Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was Feb. 12. The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to September 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district.
After all the counts are submitted, tournament-qualified member schools are ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2014-15, there are 749 tournament-qualified member schools with 187 schools in Class A, B and C and 188 schools in Class D.
Effective with the 2014-15 school year, schools with 882 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA postseason tournament competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 424-881; Class C is 215-423; and schools with enrollments of 214 and fewer are Class D. The break between Classes A and B decreased 11 students from 2013-14, the break between Classes B and C decreased five students, and the break between Classes C and D is nine students fewer than the current school year.
The new classification breaks will see 21 schools move up in class for 2014-15, while 26 schools will move down.
Schools were recently notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said schools may not subsequently lower their enrollment figure. However, if revised enrollment figures should be higher and indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up.
Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports and October 15 for spring sports.
MHSAA tournament sports that will be conducted in traditional classifications for 2014-15 are Basketball and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points.
Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Lower Peninsula Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Lower Peninsula Soccer, Skiing, Softball, Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving, Lower Peninsula Tennis, Lower Peninsula Track and Field and Wrestling.
Visit the respective sport pages on the MHSAA Website to review the divisional alignments.
The divisions and qualifiers for the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014.
A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2014-15 school year can be found on the Enrollment & Classification page of the MHSAA Website.
Here is a complete list of schools changing classification for 2014-15. (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Website under Enrollment and Classification):
Moving Up From Class B to Class A
Fruitport
Hazel Park
Romulus
Stevensville Lakeshore
Moving Down From Class A to Class B
Detroit Denby Tech & Prep
Detroit Osborn
Haslett
South Lyon East
Warren Regina
Moving Up From Class C to Class B
Detroit Benjamin Carson HS for Science & Medicine
Detroit Consortium College Prep
Detroit Henry Ford Academy School for Creative Studies
Hamtramck Frontier International Academy
Harper Woods
Hemlock
Kalkaska
Lakeview
Southfield Bradford
Wyoming Lee
Moving Down From Class B to Class C
Capac
Detroit Plymouth Educational Center
Ferndale University
Grand Rapids Wellspring Prep
Jackson Lumen Christi
Mason County Central
Millington
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central
Napoleon
Roscommon
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep
Moving Up From Class D to Class C
Detroit University YES Academy
Eau Claire
Lutheran Westland
Marcellus
Rogers City
Taylor Preparatory
Traverse City Grand Traverse Academy
Moving Down From Class C to Class D
Detroit Universal Academy
Detroit Winans Academy of Performing Arts
Flint International Academy
Kimball Landmark Academy
Mendon
Mio-Au Sable
Newberry
Pittsford
St. Ignace LaSalle
Three Oaks River Valley
New Postseason Eligible Tournament Schools in 2014-15
Inkster Peterson Warren Academy
Lapeer
*Detroit Public Safety Academy will become tournament eligible in 2015-16.
Enrollment Breaks by Classes – 2014-15
(Number of schools in parentheses)
Class A: 882 and above (187 schools)
Class B: 424 – 881 (187)
Class C: 215 – 423 (187)
Class D: 214 and below (188)