Century of School Sports: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 29, 2024

Next week, MHSAA staff and members of its Student Advisory Council will begin a 10-day trek with stops in Marquette, Saginaw, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids to talk sportsmanship with 750 students and administrators as part of its biennial Sportsmanship Summit tour.

Sportsmanship always is a significant topic in athletics, and providing training on proper behavior for athletes and fans is especially important at the high school level where entire schools turn over every four years.

The MHSAA became a national leader in promoting sportsmanship during the 1990s, and we’ll discuss more of those initiatives later in our “Century of School Sports” series. The Sportsmanship Summit was born from much of that early work.

The first was conducted Sept. 24, 1997, in Lansing, and several of the topics discussed during those first sessions remain relevant today – most notably fan behavior, training of team captains and the roles of game officials.

That first Summit was open to the public and designed primarily for administrators, coaches, athletes and other community leaders. Speakers at the event included Robert Kanady, the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and Iowa High School Athletic Association executive director Bernie Saggau. The Lansing State Journal reported in December of that year that schools individually and as leagues were adopting codes of conduct for spectators, based on ideas shared at that first Summit gathering.

And that was only the start. The first Summit was capped at 800 attendees; the second drew 1,200 and included among speakers retired Nebraska national-champion football coach Tom Osborne. After a year off, the Sportsmanship Summit returned in 2000 with more than 1,300 attendees. That started the schedule of conducting Summits every other year; the 2002 Summit was for adults only and focused on character building, and in 2004 Summits were held at four sites across the state.

That model remains in use today, but with a boost from the 16-member Student Advisory Council, which includes eight juniors and eight seniors from across the state who have led sessions over the last many years. Most of the Summits during the last decade focused on fan behavior and the “Battle of the Fans” contest that awarded the state’s top student cheering section from 2012-22. Student delegations spend the final part of Summits creating a sportsmanship campaign to take back to their schools.

Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights

Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15:
State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8:
Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Sept. 25: 
Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: 
MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18:
Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: 
Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4:
Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28:
Let the Celebration Begin - Read

(Photos above are from various Sportsmanship Summits through the years, including the first in 1997 [top left and bottom right].)

And the 2022 BOTF Winner is ...

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 17, 2022

Few have studied up for the MHSAA’s Battle of the Fans as much as Traverse City West senior Patrick Guiney did before the start of this year’s BOTF X competition.

He watched all of the finalists’ videos from the first nine years, and many of the semifinalists’ as well, diving in to uncover the best strategies to help he and his classmates deliver the Bleacher Creatures their second BOTF championship.

Of course, he watched all of Traverse City West’s past videos too, trying to see if those past sections had done something well that the current Creatures should incorporate this year, and to figure out where those past sections may have fallen short.

But watching all of those schools, his and others, also left a pretty significant impression about what BOTF, and more generally student sections, should be about.

“I think it’s really about bringing people together, leaving whatever is going on just letting go of it for a while and enjoying a big game with your friends,” Guiney said. “Maybe meeting some new people, and knowing that no matter what you’ll be welcomed with open arms. It’s just a really positive environment that I feel everybody should be part of because (student sections) are just so much fun.”

The Bleacher Creatures have had a ton of fun this school year. And they’ve earned statewide fame to add to their memories of the experience.

Traverse City West will accept its Battle of the Fans X championship banner during halftime of the first Division 2 Boys Basketball Semifinal on March 25 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. Finalists Buchanan and Midland Dow also have been invited to Breslin to be honored for this season’s achievement.

UDIMTraverse City West was chosen based on a vote by the MHSAA’s 16-member Student Advisory Council influenced by public vote on the MHSAA’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok sites. A total of 8,964 social media votes was received. The addition of TikTok this year added to the engagement substantially, as TikToks using the hashtag #MHSAABOTF2022 were viewed more than 700,000 times.

The Student Advisory Council based its vote on the following criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, section leadership and overall fun. Nine semifinalists were selected from the original application group before Buchanan, Midland Dow and Traverse City West were chosen for MHSAA visits. Howell, Imlay City, North Muskegon, Petersburg Summerfield, Spring Lake and Yale also were semifinalists.

In addition to their other championship year, the Bleacher Creatures also were finalists in 2014 and 2017. Buchanan was a finalist for the seventh time this winter and has won championships in 2013, 2018 and 2020. Midland Dow entered the competition this year for the first time.

Below are our final takeaways from this year’s finalist visits:

Community Doesn’t Graduate: Buchanan

What we saw: At a game otherwise moderately attended by adults and opposing students, The Herd was out in force – as usual. After 10 years of Battle of the Fans, Buchanan students have reached a point in history where cheering on their teams and showing tons of spirit is all they’ve known – and especially as high school leaders have traveled to the middle and elementary schools every year to cultivate that culture. Herd leaders make games into gatherings, and this was just another during a year full of them as COVID-19 has eased. We watched this year’s Herd cheer the boys basketball team to a big win, but also sing and dance and just enjoy being back with each other in the stands, with plenty of representation from throughout the school as nearly half the student body showed.

Why we’re fans: A question we discuss after every BOTF visit is if we would’ve wanted to be part of the cheering section we just watched – and we’ve always left Buchanan with a resounding “Yes.” We’ve said this before, but every school would be served to replicate or at least borrow some of what Buchanan has created over the last decade. The relationships between high school leaders and the younger students who are following them, the ties between the athletes and their classmates cheering for them, and the connections between current Herd members and the people who came before them defines community.

Accept the Challenge Award: Midland Dow

What we saw: First-time BOTF applicant Dow will always have our respect for becoming the first to invite the MHSAA to an away game. The schedule caused them to bring us instead to Midland High, but the Chargers really impressed us with their organization, positivity and engagement throughout the game despite the rival Chemics’ win on the court. We dug the Doctors & Nurses theme and especially the fundraiser (again, at a road game) to buy snacks for local emergency room workers. Also notable – Dow has state-ranked girls basketball and hockey teams this winter, and the Chargers’ leadership includes members of both who put in additional time to make this section spark on top of commitments to those title-chasing sports teams.

Why we’re fans: The road game wasn’t the only challenge Dow accepted this school year. Of course, all of our finalists were left to restart their sections after COVID-19 spectator limits over the last 18 months, and Dow did so in a way others should copy – notably, stepping up their social media game and becoming a force not just at football and basketball but volleyball, soccer and hockey as well. Dow has had a section in years past but raised its game this fall and winter. We’re looking forward to seeing more – and next time at “Herb’s House” for a Dow home game.

Battle of the Fans champion: Traverse City West

What we saw: First off, possibly more fans than we’ve seen before, and stacked from the first row to the top of the high-rising bleachers. After past visits with the Bleacher Creatures, we were plenty familiar with the section’s organizational structure and leadership by its student senate, but we really admire how this year’s senators have embraced a fresh look to attract students from all grades and all activities to be part of the fun. Frankly, the Men’s Dance Team performance at halftime was pretty impressive – especially the aerials – and we can’t say enough about how much the drumline brings to the overall atmosphere of the game, especially working with the student section to rally the home team. Guiney regularly conducts interviews with fans in the stands and athletes from the various teams (and previously actors from the theater cast too) that are some parts serious but most parts silly, and getting all of those voices involved adds to the feeling of togetherness.

Why we’re fans: We’ve seen big crowds before. We’ve seen fans get crazy and sing and dance. We’ve seen fun halftime shows and entertaining quarter-break antics. All make student sections awesome.

Traverse City West student section

But what really stuck out about this year’s Bleacher Creatures is the lengths they undertake to make a 1,600-student school feel much smaller. Leaders told us stories about how in past years, the school’s senate and by extension the Bleacher Creatures were thought to be just for the “cool kids” or certain social groups, and busting that reputation was a goal as the section reunited in the fall.

What they’ve achieved that way is a much more meaningful legacy that will be passed on by this year’s seniors, along with a revived championship student section.

Guiney and his classmates may be living it right now, but the significance isn't lost on them. 

"I remember talking with some of my close friends who also (are involved) with the student section, during the early stages of this," he recalled. "(Saying) if we can win this and make our impact, that will last for a long time, and that will definitely fuel students of the future.

"I know that inspiring those kids and showing them how awesome a student section can be will definitely have a positive impact on the future of TC West and ensure that kids will be able to go to student sections with the same energy and have the same amount of fun. Because everybody deserves to have that experience." 

The Battle of the Fans is sponsored in part by thUnited Dairy Industry of Michigan.  

Check out below our stories and videos behind the finalists. (Photos by Alan Newton/Newton Photography; click for more from this BOTF visit.)


Buchanan

Read all about it: Buchanan's 'Herd' Begins New Era with Same Bucks Energy


Midland Dow

Read all about it: Dow Aims to Give Teams Advantage with Charger Spirit


Traverse City West

Read all about it: West's Creatures Filling Bleachers with Support for Titans Teams