Battle of the Fans III: Vote Now
February 18, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We visited, we watched, we enjoyed and now we've returned from our five trips to this season's MHSAA Battle of the Fans III finalists.
And now it's your turn to vote for your favorite in this season's search for Michigan's top high school cheering section.
Vote today through Thursday on your favorite of these five (enrollments in parentheses) – Beaverton (427), Bridgman (320), Buchanan (465), Frankfort (152) and Traverse City West (1,653) – by liking, sharing and re-tweeting on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sites.
But before you do, take a few minutes to watch all five videos and read all five stories behind the section by clicking the links below.
The contest is sponsored by the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, which will have the final vote on the champion. SAC members will use all resources available to make their decision(s) – including giving significant weight to the public social media vote. Votes will be valued proportionate to the size of the school receiving them (for example, one vote for Class D Frankfort will mean more than one vote for much larger Class A Traverse City West).
The champion will be announced Friday on Second Half. Video of all five finalists will be compiled and shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center. The winner will be invited to Breslin for the Class C Boys Basketball Semifinals and presented a championship banner at center court.
And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Beaverton
Read all about it: "Beaverton 'Creatures' Dominate Bleachers"
Bridgman
Read all about it: "Bridgman's 'Orange Crush' Rules the Hive"
Buchanan
Read all about it: "Herd Dat? Buchanan Back for BOTF III"
Frankfort
Read all about it: "Change Does Frankfort's 'Cage' Good"
Traverse City West
Read all about it: "TC West 'Creatures' Of Cheer Habit"
Battle of the Fans III is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
Summits Offer Chances to Learn, Share
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 2, 2019
“Be the Example” is a driving philosophy during the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s annual Sportsmanship Summits, and this fall’s series – provided at four sites during the first two full weeks of November – will offer more opportunities for students to present their ideas to each other as a way of sharing best practices for sportsmanship on and off the field of play.
The MHSAA has conducted Sportsmanship Summits across Michigan for more than 20 years, and this year’s series kicks off Nov. 4 in Marquette and finishes Nov. 14 in Kalamazoo.
MHSAA staff, with assistance from school administrators and the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, conduct Sportsmanship Summits. More than 1,000 students from more than 100 schools are expected to take part in the four workshops, where they will discuss the line that separates good from bad sportsmanship, both as athletes during competition and when it comes to cheering at athletic events. Instruction will be based in part on insights gained during the Student Advisory Council’s Battle of the Fans competitions, which annually began recognizing the best student cheering section in Michigan during the 2011-12 winter season. Details for BOTF IX will be introduced during all four Summit stops.
This fall’s Summits again will feature hands-on breakout sessions and opportunities for students to meet with and discuss sportsmanship with local game officials, who will explain sportsmanship from their points of view and how they may differ from what students experience as competitors or fans. Members of the Student Advisory Council have developed and will instruct during another breakout session and also play a role in the opening all-Summit presentation. To conclude the Summits, the delegation from each participating school will meet to develop a sportsmanship campaign to implement upon returning to school.
Sessions will take place at the following:
• Marquette – Nov. 4 – NMU University Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Warren – Nov. 6 – DeCarlo’s Banquet Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Lansing – Nov. 11 – Crowne Plaza Lansing West – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Kalamazoo – Nov. 14 – Downtown Radisson – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Registration at each site is limited to the first 250 students and administrators. Schools are welcome to bring as many as 10 total representatives, including two administrators. For additional registration information, contact Andy Frushour at the MHSAA office – [email protected] or (517) 332-5046. Registration information also is available on the MHSAA Website.