Let 'Battle of the Fans VI' Begin
December 14, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It's become a winter tradition; as the Michigan weather gets frosty, high school gyms all over our state heat up in anticipation of competition both on the floor and in the stands as well.
And so the scene is set for the "Battle of the Fans VI," the MHSAA Student Advisory Council's annual contest to award the top high school student cheering section in Michigan.
Traverse City West was named last year’s champion and presented with a banner during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. Sections from Charlotte, Munising, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian and Yale also were finalists and recognized during the Breslin ceremony.
Schools are invited to submit a short video, via YouTube, of their cheering sections in action. Video submissions should be between 90 seconds and three minutes long and explain how that section meets the following contest criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, student section leadership and fun.
The deadline for student-submitted video applications is noon Jan. 7. Five finalists including at least one Class C or D school then will be chosen and visited on a home game night by MHSAA staff and Advisory Council representatives. The MHSAA will produce a video of that finalist after each visit, with the champion being selected by the Student Advisory Council based in part on activity on the MHSAA’s social media sites.
This year’s winner will be announced Feb. 17 and recognized March 24 at the Breslin Center.
“Five years of Battle of the Fans have created standards and expectations not only for this contest, but for student section sportsmanship overall,” said Andy Frushour, MHSAA director of brand management and advisor to the Student Advisory Council. “We’ve written about the best and the lessons they’ve taught us. We’ve shown videos of their work to students all over the state. Battle of the Fans has proven that school student sections can create a positive atmosphere and still have fun. We see it over and over again, and this year gives us another chance to see more fun student sections in action.”
Rules, directions for submitting videos, plus links to coverage of finalists from the first five years of the contest can be found on the MHSAA Website. This year’s finalist videos, plus the announcement of the 2016-17 winner, will be published on the MHSAA Second Half.
The Student Advisory Council is made up of eight seniors and eight juniors, who each serve two-year terms. The Council acts as the voice of Michigan's student-athletes; it serves as a student sounding board for the MHSAA's Representative Council, assists in planning Sportsmanship Summits, Captains Clinics and other student leadership events; participates in a yearly focus group about the state of high school sports for Michigan State University's Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and assists with medal ceremonies at MHSAA championship events.
PHOTO: Representatives from Traverse City West's "Bleacher Creatures" accept the Battle of the Fans championship banner in March at the Breslin Center.
Century of School Sports: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 8, 2024
The display above greets visitors at the top of our staircase to the second floor at the MHSAA office in East Lansing – a group of guests that annually numbers well over a 1,000 administrators, student leaders, game officials and several others who are invested in school sports.
We hope these four core values – the MHSAA’s oft-referred to “four S’s” of educational athletics – also lead our guests’ interactions in school sports as they return home to their communities across the state.
They are as follows:
SAFETY
- It's not enough to provide students the opportunity to participate. The health and welfare of participants must be placed above all other considerations. Parents can be confident that their children not only will be as safe as possible in school sports, but they will also develop habits that tend to encourage a lifetime of better health.
SCHOLARSHIP
- School-based and rooted in education, school sports are a supportive part of the school's academic mission. Minimum academic standards are set as a requirement for athletic participation, thus making activities a privilege.
SPORTSMANSHIP
- The environment at interscholastic events is shaped by the attitudes and actions of players, coaches and spectators. Lessons learned in gracefully dealing with adversity in athletics translate to the classroom, the home and the workplace. Good sportsmanship is a precursor to good citizenship.
SCOPE
- School sports embrace local roots. School events attract administrators, teachers, students and parents in one venue and can be the backbone of the community. Adopting reasonable, rational limits for school sports assures a sane and sensible, student-centered educational experience.
These values were coined by John E. “Jack” Roberts, the fourth of now five full-time executive directors who have served the MHSAA during its 100-year history. He introduced them during his first days on the job in 1986 – and as he noted in an installment of his “From the Director” blog in 2015, they’ve stood the test of time.
They drove the Association’s work during his tenure, surely before it, and continue to do so today – and we will delve into all four as we continue our storytelling of a “Century of School Sports” during this 2024-25 school year.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
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
PHOTO A display on the second floor of the MHSAA office outlines the four core values of educational athletics: safety, scholarship, sportsmanship and scope.