Thank You for Standing Up for 'Oxford Strong'
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 21, 2022
The MHSAA recently received the following letter from Oxford athletic director Tony DeMare, thanking the tens of thousands across Michigan who contributed to the nearly $310,000 recently presented to Oxford student-athletes as part of this winter's "Oxford Strong" efforts.
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Teamwork and camaraderie are words that are often associated with Athletics. Seeing those words personified is sometimes a rarity. However, we all witnessed firsthand those words coming to fruition right before our eyes.
On February 4th, you were competitors, neighbors, friends, teammates and, uniquely, you were all “Oxford Wildcats.” Together, we stood, cheered, sang and played. And because we were on the same team, we did those things in unison.
It was not magic; nor was it a collection of Superheroes. It was simply our student-athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, faculty, staff and greater communities putting their hearts on full display.
Please know that those of us in Oxford saw you and heard you all very clearly. For that, we are beyond humbled. It is important for you to know that your efforts went directly to the victims of the unspeakable tragedy.
Every effort and gesture that has been extended to the Oxford community has helped us. This was the ultimate expression of the phrase, “We have your back!”
The unparalleled power of School Sports should never be underestimated. It is impactful and even life-altering. School Sports is organically educational, and it molds each of us in ways we could never imagine.
In Oxford, we have come to know that love and support transcend hate and fear. This has allowed our student-athletes and coaches to overcome when they thought it might not be possible. They are now learning, training, preparing and competing again, and you have helped make that happen.
Thank you for being “All In” and thank you for “Standing Up For Oxford!”
Sincerely,
Tony DeMare
***
The “Oxford Strong” effort to support Oxford Community Schools this winter showed that the Michigan’s athletic community is much more tightly-knit than might be expected from a state with 750 MHSAA-member high schools.
Schools all over Michigan rallied to raise nearly $310,000 for the district and its student-athletes as they continue to mourn the deaths of four classmates during a shooting at the high school Nov. 30.
E.A. Graphics, based in Sterling Heights, printed and provided T-shirts and sweatshirts for sale in communities and then donated the price of the apparel, after costs, directly to Oxford High School student-athletes and their community. Many of these were purchased in advance of “Oxford Strong” games Feb. 4 or later that month. A check was presented to Oxford for $302,000 at last month’s Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association annual conference, with additional donations then augmenting the total.
“Unbelievable, the whole thing, and how well received it was, and everything that transpired over January and February – to me, it was really the power of sport. In times of crisis, our athletic community rallied together to support one of our member schools,” said Royal Oak athletic director Brian Gordon, who with the Oakland Activities Association (of which Oxford is a member) was among primary organizers of the event along with the Kensington Lakes Activities Association and Detroit Catholic High School League.
“The support of the MHSAA and Mark Uyl’s staff getting behind our effort, supporting us and getting the word out, as well as the MIAAA with Karen Leinaar jumping on board. And most of all Bob Artymovich and E.A. Graphics; without his support and generosity, this whole initiative does not exist.”
PHOTO From left: MIAAA president Nikki Norris, Royal Oak athletic director Brian Gordon, E.A. Graphics president Bob Artymovich, E.A. Graphics vice president of sales and marketing Rich Artymovich, Oxford athletic director Tony DeMare and MIAAA past president Jeff Kline hold up the check presented to "Oxford Strong" during last month's MIAAA annual conference. (File photo.)
Century of School Sports: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 21, 2025
This week, the MHSAA and Farm Bureau Insurance are announcing the finalists for their 36th Scholar-Athlete Awards. From more than 1,500 candidates, 32 will be selected over the next few weeks to receive this prestigious award.
When the most recent class of winners is announced over three weeks next month, they’ll push the total to 992 who have been honored since the program began during the 1989-90 school year.
That fall, Vestaburg senior Jennifer Bissell and Unionville-Sebewaing senior Scott Kieser were presented with the first of these Farm Bureau-sponsored awards during the MHSAA Football Finals on Nov. 25, 1989, at the Pontiac Silverdome. Although several of the award program’s criteria have changed over the years, the mission has remained consistent: Highlight the value extracurricular activities – including athletics – play in the total education of a high school student, while recognizing that all-around achievement.
Applicants must be graduating seniors during the current school year, carry an unrounded 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have won a varsity letter in one of the 28 sports for which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Candidates are judged on their academic, athletic and other extracurricular accomplishments, plus community involvement and a short essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
Farm Bureau has partnered on the Scholar-Athlete Awards from the start, awarding $1,088,000 over the first 35 years of recognition. Awards have risen in value from $500 to $1,000 to now $2,000, and 383 schools – more than half of the MHSAA membership – have produced at least one scholarship winner.
Those are just a few of the staggering numbers that have grown with the program over the years.
The first two years saw two award winners each season. In 1991-92, a change was made to award one winner per MHSAA-sponsored sport. In 2005-06, the program was expanded to its current 32 winners based primarily on school enrollment – six boys and six girls from Class A schools, four boys and four girls from Class B, three boys and three girls from Class C, and two girls and two boys from Class D schools, plus two honorees awarded at-large to minority recipients regardless of school size.
There have been 3,817 finalists, not including this year’s class. As noted above, 383 schools have produced a winner, but 624 had produced a finalist through 2023-24 – and although schools have closed or consolidated over the years, that still means that roughly 80 percent of MHSAA member schools over the last four decades have produced at least had at least one candidate advance to the final round.
Midland Dow has the most Finalists (38), while 113 schools have had at least 10. Birmingham Seaholm has set a single-year record this year with six finalists; five schools previously shared the record of five finalists for a single award season.
Eight schools have had 10 or more winners over the first 35 years. Okemos leads that parade with 13, followed by Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Hillsdale Academy with 12 apiece. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and Midland Dow both have celebrated 11 winners, and Grosse Pointe South, St. Johns and Traverse City Central have produced 10 award winners.
Again, it cannot be overlooked the significance of Farm Bureau’s sponsorship and enthusiasm for this program – the 1.1 million dollars in scholarships speaks for itself, but also that a representative from Farm Bureau annually joins the MHSAA executive director in awarding those scholarships during a ceremony at Breslin Center on MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals weekend.
Also deserving of significant recognition are the judges who make this program a go every year. This year’s 1,513 applications were judged by a 65-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
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
Oct. 1: 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