Retired MHSAA Executive Director Roberts Selected for NFHS Hall of Fame
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 8, 2022
During an award introduction two years ago, MHSAA associate director Tom Rashid described his longtime close friend Jack Roberts as the leader who “took our darkest hours and problems and turned them into positives.”
The MHSAA has faced its share of challenging times, and those may have been among Roberts’ finest hours over 32 years as MHSAA executive director – and admittedly the times when his adrenaline flowed most. But there were many more good times and memorable advances for Michigan school sports under his leadership, and he will be recognized again this summer both for those and a lifetime of service to school sports in this state and across the nation.
John E. “Jack” Roberts was one of 12 honorees announced Tuesday as this year’s inductees into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). He will be inducted as one of three former state association administrators selected for the 39th Hall of Fame class at a ceremony during the NFHS summer meeting July 1 in San Antonio, Texas.
He began his tenure as MHSAA executive director in 1986, and at the time of his retirement he was the nation’s longest-serving executive director of a state high school athletic association. He was the fourth person to serve the MHSAA in that leadership role full time, following Charles E. Forsythe (1931-42, 1945-68), Allen W. Bush (1968-78) and Vern L. Norris (1978-86).
Roberts will become the Hall of Fame’s ninth inductee from Michigan, joining Forsythe (inducted 1983), River Rouge boys basketball coach Lofton Greene (1986), Warren Regina athletic director, softball and basketball coach Diane Laffey (2000), Fennville basketball and baseball standout Richie Jordan (2001), Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett boys and girls tennis coach Bob Wood (2005), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook hockey standout Jim Johnson (2007), Owosso football, basketball and baseball all-stater Brad Van Pelt (2011); and Vermontville Maple Valley baseball national record holder Ken Beardslee (2016).
Roberts also follows in the footsteps of his late father, John Roberts, who served as executive director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association from 1957-85 and was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 2000. They will be the first father-son team in the Hall of Fame.
Jack Roberts began his career serving as an assistant director for the National Federation from 1973-80. He was involved with the implementation of Title IX at the local and state levels and made immense contributions as the NFHS representative to the landmark Amateur Sports Act of 1978, and also played a significant role in the NFHS rules-writing process as the organization started writing and publishing rules for a number of new sports during the 1970s.
The MHSAA enjoyed continued growth under Roberts’ guidance, particularly in the number of Michigan students participating in athletics and in the number of MHSAA-sponsored tournament sports available to them. Several key rules changes came under Roberts’ watch and direction, and he made the MHSAA a national leader in health and safety efforts particularly in the areas of head injury care, heart safety initiatives and heat management strategies.
“I had a head start in this work. Growing up in the home of the executive director of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and then spending most of my 20s working for the National Federation office, and much of it with (longtime NFHS executive director) Cliff Fagan, was a jumpstart on this career,” Roberts said. “But I’m also satisfied at this point that, to paraphrase Hamilton in the musical ‘Hamilton,’ I didn’t give up on my shot. I was given a shot, I took it and I didn’t waste the chance.
“The job fit me, and I think I maxed the opportunity I had to serve educational athletics in this job, and that’s satisfying to think about at this time.”
Under Roberts’ leadership, overall participation in high school athletics in Michigan increased 10 percent, and the MHSAA added more than 200 schools in increasing its membership by more than 15 percent at the high school and junior high/middle school levels combined. His tenure saw the addition of girls competitive cheer (1994), girls & boys bowling (2004) and girls & boys lacrosse (2005) to the MHSAA Tournament sport lineup, the creation of a separate wrestling tournament to determine champions by team format (1988), and 8-player football (2010, first playoffs 2011) as many small schools across the state began having trouble fielding 11-player teams because of enrollment and population decreases. Meanwhile, also under his leadership, the 11-player Football Playoffs expanded, doubling to 256 teams in 1999.
Among rules changes put in place during Roberts’ tenure was the addition of opportunities for multiple schools to create cooperative teams in sports where participation is lagging. He also helped Michigan become a national leader in improving sportsmanship; a comprehensive package enacted in 1996 set a statewide tone for appropriate behavior and perspective that continues to make an impact today.
Perhaps the most significant influences by Roberts came on the topics of health and safety. The MHSAA has led nationally in concussion care with its first programming in 2000 and return-to-play protocols enacted in 2010, and with mandated concussion reporting and insurance for those who suffer head injuries rolled out in 2015. A heat management policy and CPR requirements for coaches were introduced in 2013.
Also under this leadership, the first program for coaches education was launched in 1987 and evolved into the Coaches Advancement Program, with nearly 34,000 courses administered as part of CAP since 2004-05. The Women in Sports Leadership Conference was created in 1989 and remains the first, largest and longest-running program of its type in the country, regularly drawing upwards of 500 participants. The first of now-annual statewide Athletic Director In-Service Programs was conducted in 1992, and Michigan also remains a national leader in student services thanks to a variety of programs that were introduced under Roberts’ leadership.
Internally, he put the MHSAA on the leading edge nationally when it came to use the technology, especially in the realm of communications, where he put special emphasis on telling the story of school sports. “I think I was considered a conservative as to rules for eligibility and competition, and a progressive in how we delivered services to schools and school sports,” Roberts said.
In addition to his work specifically in Michigan, Roberts carried significant influence at the national level. He served as part of the NFHS Board of Directors and led the creation of the NFHS Network for video productions in 2012, serving as that board’s chairperson. He also has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO).
“For 32 years, Jack Roberts was the epitome of what leadership looks like. He was the strongest advocate for high school sports that anyone could ever hope for,” said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl, who succeeded Roberts in 2018. “He is without question one of the preeminent pioneers and difference-makers in the world of high school sports over the past 100 years.
“And other than my father, there has not been a man who has had a bigger impact and positive influence on my life personally than Jack Roberts.”
The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS, and the rest of this year’s class is made up of athletes, coaches, administrators and an official. The 12 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and educational leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations. Also chosen for this class were athletes Notah Begay (New Mexico), Walter Payton (Mississippi), Sanya Richards-Ross (Florida) and Thurman Thomas (Texas); sport coaches Ray Crowe (Indiana), Ron Kordes (Kentucky) and Lamar Rogers (Tennessee); administrators E. Wayne Cooley (Iowa) and Becky Oakes (Missouri), official Jeff Risk (North Dakota) and speech/debate coach Susan McLain (Oregon). (Click for more.)
Roberts came to the MHSAA in 1986 from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which he served as executive vice president. He is a 1970 graduate of Dartmouth College and taught English and coached football at high schools in Milwaukee and Denver before joining the NFHS staff.
He and his wife Peggy reside in East Lansing, and in retirement they together have increased their contributions to environmental matters and international refugee issues while both serving in leadership roles. Jack Roberts has served as board president for the Refugee Development Center in Lansing for 13 years, and Peggy Roberts served six years as chairperson of the board for Lansing’s Fenner Nature Center. As part of their environmental work, the Roberts are working within a small group of organizations to help them acquire and preserve land.
2023 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class B
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 14, 2023
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 34th 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 25 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class B Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Jordan Richie, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Carney Salo, Escanaba; Anna Smith, Clawson; Allison Tate, Whitehall; Jacob Fenbert, Dundee; Camden Johnecheck, Williamston; Isaiah Pelc, Portland; and Sreejay Ramakrishnan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class B Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
(NOTE: If an athlete intended to play and was part of a spring sports team in 2020, that sport is counted among the athlete’s total although the season was canceled due to COVID-19.)
Jordan Richie, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
Played four seasons of varsity volleyball, playing third of varsity basketball and will compete in fourth of track & field this spring. Served as captain of all three teams and earned all-county and all-region recognition in track while running on multiple school record-setting relays. Participating in fourth year in Cranbrook Business Club, including as president for second year, and co-founded and serves as president of school’s DECA chapter – and earned all-state recognition in the latter. Carrying 4.2 GPA and achieved highest possible score on three Advanced Placement tests. Will attend University of Texas and study chemical engineering.
Essay Quote: “We have all lost. Every athlete has experienced the frustration of a devastating loss, the pain of seeing a medal in another’s hands and not one’s own. I have never played a perfect game or run a perfect race. I have watched helplessly as a volleyball flew off my hand and into the net on a game point. I have stood idle as a player blew by me to score a buzzer-beater. But, when the final score favors my competitor, I know that taking accountability for my mistakes and appreciating the heart and hustle of the winner will teach me greater lessons than a simple scoreboard.”
Carney Salo, Escanaba
Played three seasons of varsity volleyball, is playing her third of varsity basketball and will play her third of varsity softball this spring. Helped softball and basketball teams to Regional championships and softball team reach Division 2 Semifinals in 2022; also helped volleyball team to multiple District titles. Earned all-state honorable mention and academic all-state in softball and all-league honors in volleyball and basketball, and served as team captain in all three sports. Serving second year on MHSAA Student Advisory Council and participating in second year of National Honor Society. Serving first year on student council, as class vice president. Participating in fourth year of Business Professionals of America and has qualified for state competition, and served as social media liaison for BPA chapter. Is undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study business administration.
Essay Quote: “Players are yelling at coaches, parents are heckling refs, and student sections are getting personal. I believe sportsmanship goes hand and hand with respect. You should treat others the way you want to be treated. Following this simple concept will ensure core values like caring, responsibility, and most importantly respect are being displayed.”
Anna Smith, Clawson
Played four seasons of varsity volleyball, playing third of varsity basketball and will play fourth of varsity soccer this spring. Earned all-league and all-District honors in soccer and all-league in volleyball, and earned all-state academic recognition and made league’s all-academic team. Helped all three varsity teams to league titles. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and third on student government, this year as secretary. Also serving fourth year on student senate and Trojans Leadership Council. Playing fourth year in school orchestra and attended Eastern Michigan University Honors Orchestra. Earned Clawson Youth Assistance Recognition Award. Will attend University of Michigan and study kinesiology.
Essay Quote: “The essence of an impressive sportsman stems back to one concept: the willingness to assist teammates. In order for a team to run cohesively, every player must sacrifice themselves for the good of the whole. This notion became extremely apparent following the diagnosis of my season-ending (knee) injury. Not only did I endlessly provide my own support throughout the next sports seasons, I felt that same emotion reciprocated. While I made an effort to attend all practices and games, ensuring my presence was not only seen, but felt, my teammates were displaying the same respect and encouragement towards myself.”
Allison Tate, Whitehall
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and competed in two seasons of track & field. Also played junior varsity tennis. Earned all-conference in cross country and all-conference academic honors in cross country and track. Served as captain of both teams. Also has figured skated competitively throughout high school. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, and for legacy project restarted school’s youth cross country camp. Carrying 4.2 GPA and on track to graduate as class valedictorian. Earned AP Scholar with Honor and National Merit Rural/Small Town Recognition. Serving fourth year as class president and also as student council president as a senior. Competed in three years on school’s National History Day and debate teams. Named National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar. Served as senior class representative of White Lake Interact Club, co-president of school’s environmental club, co-captain of quiz bowl team and school representative on Muskegon Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Undecided where she will attend college, but intends to study international relations.
Essay Quote: “And that is the very definition of sportsmanship ... the ability to compete as the best version of oneself, despite everything else. So, I suppose that, for me, sportsmanship is — in all of its forms — maintaining the tenacity, drive, determination, and self-awareness to ride out the cutting edges in the face of any and all adversity.”
Jacob Fenbert, Dundee
Played two seasons of varsity football, is wrestling his fourth season on varsity and will compete in his third season of track & field this spring. Earned all-state in wrestling, helping that team to three straight Division 3 championships and reaching Individual Finals twice. Earned all-league in football and helped team to playoffs, and qualified for 2022 MHSAA Track & Field Finals in pole vault. Served as wrestling team captain. Earned National Merit Rural/Small Town Recognition and is on track to graduate as class valedictorian. Participating in second year of National Honor Society. Participated in Boy Scouts throughout high school, and was selected to Order of the Arrow Honor Society and National Eagle Scout Association. Earned State of Michigan Conservation Award. Will attend Michigan Technological University and study mechanical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is not just shaking someone’s hand after a game or playing with courtesy and positive intentions toward others. Sportsmanship involves giving back to those within the athletic community so that they too can enjoy sports as much as I have. … I have only one (wrestling) season left and have come to appreciate all the wonderful memories the sport has given me. It is important to ensure my younger teammates get all they can out of the sport …”
Camden Johnecheck, Williamston
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country, wrestling his fourth season and will compete in fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-state and academic all-state in both cross country and wrestling and reached MHSAA Cross Country Finals three times. Served or will serve at least two seasons as captain of all three varsity teams. Attended American Legion Auxiliary Boys State and was elected Speaker of the House. Participating in second year of Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society and as chapter vice president, and participating in fourth year of school’s math and science academy and had research project selected for publication in science journal. Is unsure where he will attend college, but intends to study civil engineering.
Essay Quote: “As (wrestling) practices wore on, we continued to push each other. But my attitude had changed. Now I encouraged him and even thanked him for not holding back. I understood that we were just trying to make each other better. … Retrospectively, I understand how much I learned from this part of my life. In the beginning, I forced myself to return my partner’s kindness, even when I didn’t want to, which is the foundation sportsmanship. The more I did this the easier it became.”
Isaiah Pelc, Portland
Wrestling fourth season this winter, will play his second season of varsity baseball this spring and also played two seasons of subvarsity football. Earned all-state in wrestling and qualified for MHSAA Individual Finals his first three seasons. Earned National Wrestling Coaches Association/U.S. Marine Corps High School Scholar All-American honors three times, and academic all-state in baseball. Served as wrestling and baseball captain. Participating in fourth year of student government and has served as class president and student body president. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and Ionia County Youth Advisory Council, as NHS class trustee and co-chairperson of YAC. Has participated in Boy Scouts throughout high school, earning Eagle Scout rank and serving twice on Mackinac Island Governor’s Honor Guard. Participating in fourth year of BIONIC school suicide prevention and mental health group, serving as co-chairperson. Will attend University of Notre Dame and study business.
Essay Quote: “Throughout my high school career, I have witnessed and been a part of both outstanding sportsmanship and poor sportsmanship. I realized through many competitions that one cannot control their opponents, officials and the calls they make, the outcomes of the competition, and many other factors. But one thing I can control is my composure before, during, and after competition despite the uncontrollable factors that occur.”
Sreejay Ramakrishnan, Ada Forest Hills Eastern
Played four seasons of varsity tennis and will compete in his second of varsity track & field this spring. Also has played on school’s boys club volleyball team. Earned all-state honors in tennis three times and academic all-state all four seasons. Helped track & field team to Regional championship and 2022 Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals runner-up finish. Served as captain of tennis team and upperclassmen leader in track. Participating in second year of National Honor Society, serving as chapter president, and third on school’s Student Advisory Council. Participating in fourth year of student government, as co-president. Co-founded school’s Kids Food Basket club and youth action board. Playing fourth year in concert and symphony orchestra, as concert master and first chair violinist, and qualified for state competition in solo ensemble. Participating in third year of Model United Nations and serving as club treasurer. Won Grand Valley State University Teen Entrepreneurship Summer Academy pitch competition. Is unsure where he will attend college, but intends to study business, public policy and psychology.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is a pillar of integrity, virtue, ethics, and morale – though it is merely a choice. … It is commendable when an athlete shows composure and respect to their opponents. Learning from a loss and congratulating an opponent on a victory shows growth. Winning with humility and class is inspiring.”
Other Class B girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Elaina Bortolini, Kingsford; Claire Filpus, Houghton; Rylie Haist, Big Rapids; Lauren Harrold, Flint Powers Catholic; Devin Johnston, Almont; Tiffany Keller, Frankenmuth; Molly McNitt, Paw Paw; Matelyn Midkiff, Midland Bullock Creek; Rachel Niskanen, Negaunee; Ainsley VandenBrink, Holland Christian; Ella Wagner, Essexville Garber; and Chesney Wilke, Tecumseh.
Other Class B boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Michael App, Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Aldo Barba, Tecumseh; Matthew Bowman, Milan; Evan Jose Evans, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Grant H. Harkness, Newaygo; Nathan Hooker, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; John Kersh, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Nicholas Liparoto, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Philip Nelson, Negaunee; James Oosterhouse, Holland Christian; Jacob Pallo, Ada Forest Hills Eastern; Aiden Eric Smith, Adrian.
The Class C/D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 7, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 21.
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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 1.3 million spectators each year.