Battle of the Fans V: Vote Now

February 16, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’ve seen two Great Lakes, crisscrossed the Lower Peninsula and crossed Mackinac Bridge twice in search of Michigan’s top high school student cheering section – and returned to tell (and show video) of the tales.

Now it's your turn to vote for your favorite of this season's Battle of the Fans V finalists. 

Vote today through 4 p.m. Thursday on your favorite of these five (enrollments in parentheses) – Charlotte (833), Munising (194), Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (294), Traverse City West (1,623) and Yale (722) – by liking, sharing and re-tweeting on the MHSAA’s FacebookTwitter and Instagram sites

But before you do, take a few minutes to watch all five videos and read the stories behind the sections 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 – 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 Munising 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 shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center. All five finalists will be invited to Breslin on March 25 for the Class B Boys Basketball Semifinals, and the winner will be presented with a championship banner at center court.  

And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:



Charlotte

Read all about it: Charlotte 'Flight Club' Shows It Can Soar


Munising

Read all about it: 'Stang Nation' Continues Tradition Of Support


Muskegon Western Michigan Christian

Read all about it: 'Green Machine' Gears Up For BOTF V


Traverse City West

Read all about it: 'Creatures' Remain Way Of Life At TC West


Yale

Read all about it: 'Reloaded' Yale Section Brings Noise Again

MHSAA Sportsmanship Summits to be Presented for First Time Since 2019 

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 28, 2022

The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s annual Sportsmanship Summit series will return this fall to be conducted for the first time since 2019, again focusing on sportsmanship both 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. 7 in Marquette and finishes Nov. 16 in Ypsilanti.

MHSAA staff, with assistance from school administrators and the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, conduct Sportsmanship Summits. More than 800 students 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.

Workshop sessions will feature hands-on activities including one session developed and instructed by members of the Student Advisory Council. At the end of the day the delegation from each participating school will meet to develop a school sportsmanship campaign. Breakouts at each Summit also provide a great opportunity for student sections to learn about appropriate student section behavior. There will be information for the veteran student sections, as well as guides for schools that want to start their own organized student sections for the first time.

“Winning is great, but good sportsmanship helps develop habits that can be used well beyond the playing field,” said MHSAA assistant director Andy Frushour, the lead Sportsmanship Summits presenter. “A lively student section can create a fun and exciting atmosphere at games, but we want to make sure students don’t take this a step too far. The Summits are a great way to learn from other schools around the state.”

Sessions will take place at the following:

• Marquette – Nov. 7 – NMU Northern Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Saginaw – Nov. 9 – SVSU Conference Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Grand Rapids – Nov. 14 – Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Ypsilanti – Nov. 16 – Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Registration at each site is limited to the first 225 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.