Rep Council Wrap-Up: Spring 2018

MHSAA News

May 14, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The adoption of major changes to the Michigan High School Athletic Association transfer regulation was among notable actions taken by the Representative Council during its annual Spring Meeting, May 6-7, in Gaylord, in addition to the selection of the Association’s next executive director announced in a previous release May 8.

The Spring Meeting of the 19-member legislative body of the Association’s more than 1,400 member schools is generally the busiest of its three sessions each year. The Council considered 29 committee proposals and dealt with a variety of eligibility rule, postseason tournament and operational issues.

The revised transfer regulation will go into effect for the 2019-20 school year, based on a student-athlete’s sports participation during 2018-19. The new transfer rule will make transferring student-athletes ineligible for one year in any sport played during the previous year at the previous school – unless that student-athlete’s situation fits one of the current 15 exceptions that allow for immediate eligibility. However, the revised transfer regulation also allows that transferring student-athlete immediate eligibility in any other MHSAA-sponsored sport not participated in during that previous year at the previous school.

The additions to the transfer rule received vast support from member schools in surveys leading up to the Council’s vote.

“We are hopeful this ‘sport-specific’ transfer rule will be easier to understand, and therefore, more consistently enforced,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “This rule better addresses the changing landscape of transfers, hopefully dissuading those considering moving for athletic reasons while still allowing a full range of sports for those who do switch. It may seem like a punishment to some, but the new rule is actually more permissive for many transfer students, and we saw growing support for these changes from our schools since we began discussing this proposal a year ago.”

A number of significant actions at the Spring Meeting will affect the junior high/middle school levels, as the Council continued growing its impact among those who represent the future of educational athletics.

The Council approved Junior High/Middle School Committee recommendations to increase the number of contests and days of competition in three sports, beginning in 2018-19. Softball teams will have 12 days of competition over 13 weeks, with doubleheaders counting as one of those 12 days. Basketball teams may play 12 games over 13 weeks with one game a day allowed, except that two games may be played on a day not followed by a school day up to four times a season; each of those doubleheader days will count as one of the 12 games. Soccer teams may play 12 games over 13 weeks with one game a day allowed, except that two games may be played on a day not followed by a school day up to two times a season; each of those doubleheader days also will count as one of the 12 games.

Another committee recommendation approved by the Council will allow a middle school student-athlete to compete in two non-school events during the school season in team sports except football – making the rule for team sports at the junior high/middle school level the same as the individual sport model currently enforced.

The Council also approved of continuing to develop and expand opportunities for the MHSAA to act as a “presenting sponsor” of already-existing junior high/middle school meets, invitationals and tournaments conducted by leagues, conferences and schools around Michigan. Staff was authorized to approach MHSAA sport committees and sport coaches association to explore possible junior high/middle school area or sectional competitions in cross country, track & field, wrestling, swimming & diving and potentially other sports.

“The Representative Council continued to consider ways to better serve the youngest student-athletes in our membership – the junior high/middle school participants who are the future of high school sports,” Roberts said. “While these actions may not gain as much attention as changes at the high school level, they are just as important if not more critical to the status of educational athletics moving forward. Nurturing this youngest level must continue to be a focus in the years to come as we work to strengthen and provide more opportunities at all levels.”

The Council approved a number of recommendations by respective sport committees that will alter the tournament setup beginning this fall. In ice hockey, the Pre-Regional system of tournament assignments has been eliminated; all teams will instead be organized into traditional Regionals, 24 total with no more than eight teams assigned to each. In boys lacrosse, a game will end when an 18-goal margin is reached any time after the completion of the third quarter; the 12-goal differential that starts a running clock during the second half will continue. In soccer, beginning with the 2019 season, the first round of District games will be required to be played the week before the current District week on that Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. District Semifinals and Finals will be scheduled for the following week – but Saturday games can be used only as a weather backup during the District round.

To better assist with scheduling and provide transportation relief, the Council approved a number of adjustments to the non-traditional draw policies for District and Regional tournaments; non-traditional draws do not require all contests be played as a designated host site, assisting primarily teams that might be located far from their tournament host but closer to their opponent(s). For the 2018-19 MHSAA Basketball and Volleyball Tournaments, non-traditional draws will be mandated for Districts made up of (a) all Upper Peninsula teams, (b) a combination of Upper and Lower Peninsula teams, or (c) seven or eight-team District grouping in any location of the state. In Districts with circumstances (a) and (b), a traditional draw may be conducted if all participating teams agree to that format. At the Regional level, any that include more than one District located in the Upper Peninsula will require geographic neutral sites be used. The Council also authorized a work group to review all aspects of non-traditional draws and all affected sports and report at the Council’s Fall meeting this Nov. 30.

Additionally, the Council approved a Classification Committee recommendation to move the “opt-up” deadline for fall sports from April 15 to May 1, while keeping the dates for winter (Aug. 15) and spring sports (Oct. 15) the same.

Here is a summary of other actions taken by the Representative Council at the Spring Meeting, which will take effect during the 2018-19 school year unless noted:

Sport Matters

• In baseball, the Council approved a committee recommendation altering tournament trophies to match the tournament format previously approved to begin with the 2019 season. Starting that spring, baseball teams will play what previously were Quarterfinals as the final game of a “Super Regional” tournament, and trophies awarded to those 16 winners will read “Super Regional Champion.” Trophies awarded to losing teams in that round will read “Regional Champion” as they still will have won the Regional level of the tournament.

• In basketball, the Council approved a committee recommendation to adopt the 28-foot coaching box for competition allowed under National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules. Previously, the MHSAA allowed for a 14-foot coaches box in front of the team’s bench.

• In competitive cheer, the Council approved four committee recommendations. The first allows junior high/middle school athletes to perform an inverted exit-cradle to back walkover out only. At the high school level, any catch that originates from shoulder level or below and transitions from a vertical body position to a horizontal body position now will require only three catchers, while four catchers are still required for any catch that exceeds shoulder level. The two other recommendations affect scoring: the first will allow at the high school level a mountain climber to an unbraced OLE to receive the OLE choreography bonus, while the second will allow for all levels (grades 7-12) four difficulty points to be awarded for a ground-up to an elevator.

• In cross country and track & field, the Council approved a Committee recommendation to adopt a recommendation from the state coaches and officials associations to use a one-turn stagger for the 3,200-meter relay and open 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs. This stagger will begin to be used in 2020. The Council also approved a Committee recommendation to alter the junior high/middle school meet order to closely align with the high school order; eight events will switch so that relays and similar sprints and distance runs are ordered in the same way.

• In football, the Council approved a Football Committee recommendation that the MHSAA continue for the third year to experiment with a 40-second clock for use between plays. Teams taking part in the experiment will have 40 seconds from the end of the previous play to snap the ball to begin the next, unless there is an administrative stoppage (for penalty, measurement, etc.). MHSAA schools began experimenting with the 40-second clock during the 2016 season.

• In boys lacrosse, the Council approved a Committee recommendation to allow contests with out-of-state schools from states that do not sponsor a statewide boys lacrosse tournament only as long as those opponents follow comparable regulations of other spring sport teams in that state – including practice and contest limits, use of NFHS playing rules and prohibitions on undue influence and recruiting. Member schools must receive pre-approval from the MHSAA to play these opponents.

• In skiing, the Council approved a Committee recommendation to increase the maximum number of contests from 15 to 17 while reducing the number of scrimmages allowed from four to two.

• In soccer, the Council approved a Committee recommendation to allow at the high school level, as a part of the multi-team tournament rule, teams to play two full games on a non-school day and have those two count as one of the 18 regular-season contests. Teams still have the option to play 180 minutes under the current multi-team tournament rule. The only overtime allowed would be a shootout if part of a bracket tournament.

The Council also discussed a number of topics that will require action as quickly as its Nov. 30 meeting. The Council considered options for the Girls and Boys Basketball Tournaments for the 2019-20 season; one option follows the current format of playing tournaments with a one week offset and Finals at separate sites, and a second option would have the tournaments conducted simultaneously over three weeks with Semifinals at sites around the state and all eight championship games (four for girls, four for boys) at the same arena during the same weekend.

The possible scheduling by the MHSAA of regular-season games for 8-player football teams also was discussed and may be voted upon Nov. 30.

Make-up of the MHSAA’s sport committees is an emerging topic, and the Council considered suggestions for making them more effective. The committee appointment procedure originally was adopted by the Council in 1987 and modified in 2007.

The Council also reviewed reports on membership, with 751 senior high schools and 752 junior high/middle schools in 2017-18 plus 42 elementary schools with 6^th-grader participation; eligibility advancement applications, which totaled six for this school year; the use of Educational Transfer Forms, which fell eight percent this year; out-of-state practice requests, school violations, attendance at athletic director in-service workshops and Coaches Advancement Program sessions, officials’ registrations, rules meetings attendance and officials reports submitted for the past three sports seasons. The Association’s $11.6 million budget for the 2018-19 school year also was approved.

The Representative Council is the 19-member legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five 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.

Scholars & Athletes 2019: Class B

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 11, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected eight 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 30^th year of sponsoring the award, will give $1,000 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.

Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at a halftime ceremony during the Class C Boys Basketball Final, March 16, at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.

The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Lauren Anderson, Charlotte; Chloe Bartz, Edwardsburg; Olivia Haring, Clare; Zoe Neirink, Frankenmuth; Noah Doederlein, Carleton Airport; Justin Luo, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Pierce Morrissey, Big Rapids; and Connor Swinehart, Newaygo.

Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:

Lauren Anderson, Charlotte
Played fourth season of varsity basketball, played four of varsity volleyball and will run her fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-league recognition in volleyball and academic all-league honors multiple seasons in all three sports plus academic all-state in basketball and volleyball. Served as captain of volleyball and basketball teams. Will graduate high school with 24 college credits and carries a 4.0 GPA. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and earned Distinguished Scholar Award from Oakland University. Participating in fourth years of marching band, symphony band and drumline and has served as the percussion section leader and lead snare in those respective groups. Volunteers in youth basketball and volleyball camps and serves as middle school track timer, and earned Junior Rotarian award. Will attend Oakland and study nursing.

Essay Quote: “High school athletics are a minefield. With the pressure of school and other commitments, we rarely have time to think outside ourselves, and that becomes a problem when one’s emotions are not taken into account. When people get stressed or anxious, we don’t perform to the best of our abilities; we lag in our skills. When we get to that point, we need someone to be there, to yank us back from that ledge, to remind us that we are not alone, to give us confidence in our ability to perform as an athlete.”

Chloe Bartz, Edwardsburg
Playing fourth season of varsity basketball, ran four of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring. Qualified for MHSAA Finals three times in track and holds school record as part of 3,200-meter relay. Helped basketball team to two league and two District titles and best finish in school history. Served as captain of all three teams and earned scholar athlete awards all four years. Serving fourth year on student council with two as vice president and participating in second year of National Honor Society with one as treasurer. Participating in third years on youth advisory council and yearbook staff – with two as editor – and fourth year as part of Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter with two as chairperson. Earned regional first place and qualified for state competition twice as part of Science Olympiad team. Will attend Loyola University Chicago and study biochemistry.

Essay Quote: “Sports are often said to reveal character, but I am of the opinion they build it. As student athletes we are reminded daily of the effort, time and passion needed to succeed on the sports field as well as in the classroom. It’s essential for sportsmanship to be practiced as much as a jump shot, for at the end of the game it won’t be a person’s last-second shot you remember in 20 years.”

Olivia Haring, Clare
Playing third season of varsity basketball, ran four of cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field this spring; also played junior varsity softball as a freshman. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in cross country all four seasons and track her first three and helped those teams to a combined seven league championships. Earned all-conference, all-region and academic all-conference and all-state honors in those two sports, and has served as captain of all three of her varsity teams. Serving fourth year on student council and as student body president, and fourth year as part of Business Professionals of America and as co-president. Qualified for state BPA competition. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and has served as treasurer. Earned Presidential Scholarship and named Junior Business Student of the Year both by Northwood and carries a 3.96 GPA while dually enrolled at Mid Michigan College. Led fundraiser that collected more than $1,000 for breast cancer awareness. Will attend Northwood University and study finance with the intention of earning a master’s in business administration.

Essay Quote: “The high stakes of competitive athletics demand excellent sportsmanship. Failure to meet such expectations can be detrimental to the athlete, team and community. Witnessing unsportsmanlike conduct prompted positive change in my hometown.”

Zoe Neirink, Frankenmuth
Ran four years of varsity cross country and will play her fourth of varsity soccer this spring. Served as captain of cross country team and qualified for MHSAA Finals in that sport all four seasons. Earned all-league recognition in both sports and all-state in soccer. Earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition and participates in National Honor Society. Competing in fourth years of quiz bowl and Science Olympiad; earned all-league honors and served as team captain for quiz bowl and medaled in regional competition and served as vice president for Science Olympiad. Playing fourth year in marching band and second as part of pit orchestra and served as marching band pit percussion section leader. Participating in volunteer and community service efforts and as part of 2019 Graduation Committee as selected by her teachers. Will attend Kenyon College in Ohio and study English, and intends to pursue a law degree.

Essay Quote: “The workload of being a student-athlete can be taxing, but things become easier when one stops regarding school and sports as two separate things. I see the same respect in my teammates cheering for all the runners in a cross country race as I do in a student helping another study for a hard test. The things that make us good students, good sports, and good people are all interwoven.”

Noah Doederlein, Carleton Airport
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will run his fourth of track & field; also played junior varsity basketball as a sophomore. Earned all-league and all-academic honors for cross country and helped track team to conference championship in 2018. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction. Served as a team captain of both varsity teams, taking part as well on school’s Captains Council. Serving as class president for third year and also president of National Honor Society chapter. Served on Monroe County Youth Leadership Board and Monroe County 4-H Council. Selected for the 4-H State Youth Leadership Council and 4-H Capitol Experience Steering Committee, and as part of Michigan delegation to multiple national events. Participating in fourth year of Interact club and third of Michigan Youth Leadership (MYLead), and earned multiple local awards for academics and community involvement and also a 2017 Michigan Key Club Award. Will attend Michigan State University and study political science.

Essay Quote: “The communication, teamwork, and goal-setting skills that accompany educational athletics are inherent, while hard work and dedication teach students integrity. But, when poor sportsmanship infects athletics, the lessons being taught are misconstrued. When players, parents, and coaches begin to attack, taunt, or humiliate competitors, petty differences become more important than the skills players are attempting to learn.”

Justin Luo, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, helping team to three MHSAA Finals and Regional championships and earning an individual league title playing singles. Earned all-state and all-league honors and served as team captain. Participating in fourth year of debate and earned one gold and three silver bids to national Tournament of Champions. Qualified for National Catholic Forensics League Tournament and National Speech and Debate Association Tournament, and was named top speaker at 2017 debate state championship. Playing fourth year of clarinet for school’s band, orchestra and pit orchestra and has earned a number of solo/ensemble prizes and served as concertmaster. Participating in third year of American Youth Leadership Foundation and fourth tutoring as part of school’s Horizons Upward Bound program. Serves as president of Horizons and as Peer2Peer student leader. Will attend Princeton University and study operations research and financial engineering.

Essay Quote: “When sportsmanship is not upheld, people begin to solely focus on winning and forget why we play sports. Cheating offers an easy escape for players to avoid dealing with adversity and learning a valuable lesson. Rather than have fun and build friendships, people become angry and are hurt. I have felt the pain firsthand and would not want that for anyone else. Thus, we must preserve sportsmanship in order to maintain the educational value of athletics.”

Pierce Morrissey, Big Rapids
Will play fourth year of varsity golf this spring and has served as captain every season, and also played varsity basketball as a junior and varsity tennis as a freshman. Earned all-state golf honors his first three seasons and made all-state “Super Team” the last two as one of the top golfers regardless of division. Won Lower Peninsula Division 3 Final individual championship in 2018. Serving fourth year on student council and Mecosta County Youth Advisory Council and second on MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council. Also serving fourth year on school’s Athletic Leadership Council and Climate Crew. Participating in fourth year of Project Outreach and this year as president, and was class representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter as freshman and sophomore. Participates in a number of volunteer projects including as mentor for youth golf. Will attend Michigan State University and study business.

Essay Quote: “A fundamental standard of educational athletics, sportsmanship is a code to separate the good athletes from exceptional athletes. A true "sportsman" has no room in their heart for selfish ambition. Of course, this selflessness doesn't happen in the blink of an eye. Most student-athletes would admit that their younger version of themselves had an abundance of maturing to do to become who they are today as a senior athlete.”

Connor Swinehart, Newaygo
Playing third season of varsity basketball, played three of varsity football and will play third of varsity baseball this spring. Earned all-league honors a total of five times and all-state recognition in basketball, and all-state academic honors in baseball. Served as team captain multiple seasons for all three sports. Served three years as student council president and is participating in second year of National Honor Society. Has earned all As throughout high school. Participates is a variety of sports-related and community volunteer projects including as a peer math tutor. Will attend University of Michigan and study biomedical engineering.

Essay Quote: “I knew I could finish the game, but another victory meant more for me than the actual win. Sitting in the dugout was a teammate of mine who has stuck with baseball his whole life and loves the game with all of his heart. He is a special education student with disabilities, which limits him from consistent playing time, but that does not mean he cannot throw the ball. My teammate has one of the biggest arms on the team. … I tell (my coach) I want (my teammate) to finish the game. I want him to get the victory. He deserves the victory. … These are the moments where sportsmanship is important. Putting a teammate’s needs and desires before your own.”

Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Kamryn Cushway, Big Rapids; Salena Prakah-Asante, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Eleri Giem, Boyne City; Daisy Ansel, Comstock; Sarah Bidgood, Comstock Park; Bridget Kohane, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Dana Wila, Grand Rapids West Catholic; Lindsey Jurecki, Grosse Ile; Robin LeFevere, Imlay City; Sophie Moccio, Milan; Emily Unger, Montague; and Mallory Kean, Yale.

Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Sam Bussler, Battle Creek Harper Creek; Clark Doman, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Alex Netzley, Cadillac; Adam Bruce, Gladstone; Jack Perry, Michigan Center; Michael Gormley, North Branch; Isaac Waffle, Olivet; Tommee Smith, Sparta; Cooper Clark, Stevensville Lakeshore; Dillon Mochty, Tawas; Dylan Day, Tecumseh; and Ethan McKenzie, Whitehall.

The Class C and Class D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 5, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 19.

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.

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