A-PLUS Idea: Portland Spring Carnival
April 25, 2012
A major challenge not just at the high school level, but in athletics as a whole, is the increasing number of competitors for people's time and money.
At Portland High School, local fans get a chance to check out nearly all the Raiders have to offer during a season that rarely draws football or basketball-sized crowds.
A decade ago, athletic director Kevin Veale looked at the unwieldly matrix of dates, times and sports fighting for spectators in his community, and decided to try something. This April 14, Portland hosted its 10th “Spring Sports Carnival."
“Every spring, we have a date when all of our spring sports host home events; except golf, because of its off-campus nature,” Veale said. “It’s a unique event, and from the top of the football press box it’s a pretty awesome scene to view baseball, softball, tennis, soccer and track events taking place at one time.
“Our crowds depend on the weather, of course. But the community has grown well aware of the event, and our local businesses and boosters get behind it,” he added. “We do special concessions, too. One year we barbecued half chickens, and this year it was cheeseburgers, with a lot of the food and supplies donated.”
PHOTO: From the football stadium press box, one simultaneously could watch track, soccer and softball competitions at Portland's Spring Sports Carnival, despite an overcast sky when this photo was taken. (Photo courtesy of Portland High School).
Title IX at 50: Council Term Ends, But Leinaar Leaves Lasting Impact
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 7, 2021
Karen Leinaar won’t be retiring from Michigan’s school sports community any time soon – and that’s good news for the hundreds of thousands of athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and more who have benefitted from her work for nearly 40 years.
But Leinaar’s role is changing somewhat, as Friday she completed her final term on the MHSAA’s Representative Council, ending a tenure that began during the 2000-01 school year.
Leinaar has served as one of the two statewide at-large representatives on the Council. She did retire earlier this year as athletic director at Bear Lake schools, the last stop of an athletic administration career that began in 1982 at her alma mater Delton Kellogg and included tenures at Gaylord and Benzie Central.
Leinaar’s variety of experiences and connections all over the state have sourced her “global” viewpoint when working to make the best decisions for MHSAA member schools. And she has been a continuous source of support and Council representation at a multitude of MHSAA championship events, whether taking a role in helping put them on or awarding medals and trophies to champions hailing from all over the state.
Thankfully, her impact will remain significant – Leinaar now serves as executive director of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the professional organization for school sports administrators in our state.
Leinaar received the MHSAA’s Women In Sports Leadership Award in 1998, a Citation from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 2000, and she was named MIAAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2001. From 2009-13, she also served on the NFHS Board of Directors.
Second Half's weekly Title IX Celebration posts are sponsored by Michigan Army National Guard.
Previous Title IX at 50 Spotlights
Nov. 30: Basketball Season Ready to Add to Rich Tradition - Read
Nov. 23: Marysville Builds Winning Streak Yet to be Challenged - Read
Nov. 16: Wroubel Has Championed Girls School Sports from Their Start - Read
Nov. 9: Pioneer's Joyce Legendary in Michigan, National Swim History - Read
Nov. 2: Royal Oak's Finch Leading Way on Football Field - Read
Oct. 26: Coach Clegg Sets Championship Standard at Grand Blanc - Read
Oct. 19: Rockford Girls Set Pace, Hundreds After Have Continued to Chase - Read
Oct. 12: Bedford Volleyball Pioneer Continues Blazing Record-Setting Trail - Read
Oct. 5: Warner Paved Way to Legend Status with Record Rounds - Read
Sept. 28: Taylor Kennedy Gymnasts Earn Fame as 1st Champions - Read
Sept. 21: Portage Northern Star Byington Becomes Play-by-Play Pioneer - Read
Sept. 14: Guerra/Groat Legacy Continues to Serve St. Philip Well - Read
Sept. 7: Best-Ever Conversation Must Include Leland's Glass - Read
Aug. 31: We Will Celebrate Many Who Paved the Way - Read
(MHSAA file photos.)