Valued Leaders Talk Sportsmanship
April 12, 2013
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
Anyone who has attended an MHSAA sporting event has undoubtedly heard the public address announcements touting sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship is one of many lessons taught through school sports. But are today’s student-athletes the willing pupils in the subject? Or are too many kids opting for elective courses in showmanship offered via YouTube and cable networks?
While many involved in high school athletics have noticed a decline in sportsmanship, it’s not too late to inject this valuable ingredient back into our games. But efforts need to begin at the local level, and the scholastic environment needs to supplant community venues where poor sportsmanship often flourishes.
Seventeen coaches from all over the state chipped in to a benchmarks town hall discussion on sportsmanship.
East Kentwood’s Dave Emeott: “I think it is easy to see that sportsmanship is at least diminished. I think sportsmanship starts in the home, but we cannot always depend on the household to teach these lessons. As we sit in the stands, we realize that if this is where they learn it, then we need to get to work. I think we need to teach parents what a good sport looks like, as well as students. It is apparent that students will be the kind of sports they are permitted to be. Most coaches want good sportsmanship, but struggle with the balance of teaching character and winning or losing.”
Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg’s Tamara Benjamin: “Sportsmanship could be endangered. If a parent is allowed to sit in the stands and berate coaches, officials, and other athletes, it’s difficult for our students to see that this behavior is wrong because it is being tolerated. My expectations for our girls’ behavior are made clear the first day of practice. I hold them accountable for themselves, and we go forward each day.”
Holland’s Don Kimble: “I believe that it starts at home; always looking for a reason for failure opens the door to unsportsmanlike behavior. On our team, sportsmanship is stressed within the team first; if you cannot be a sportsman to your teammates, then you cannot be to others.”
Grand Haven’s Kimberly Vincent: “We’re all about sportsmanship and work with students and parents to set expectations. There are too many people pointing fingers at other people about this subject, and I think coaches have to set the example.”
Battle Creek Pennfield’s Mike Roach: “Youth sports programs need to concentrate on sportsmanship and the fact that there are winners and losers in sports. By not keeping score, the kids do not learn how to win, nor do they learn how to handle losing. Keep score. Teach kids that it is not the end of the world to lose, but be gracious in winning and losing.”
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It could be true that much of the focus on poor sportsmanship is a result of just that: the spotlight on poor sportsmanship, rather than the good.
Thornapple-Kellogg’s Abby Kanitz: “I think that too much focus is put on the unsportsmanlike situations. There is much more good out there than bad; it just doesn't make for great stories. It does not take much more than one bad situation to ruin a game, competition or meet. I think sportsmanship comes from the coach. If your athletes know you have high expectations in this area, then their parents will know, too.”
Allegan’s Gary Ellis: “Sportsmanship is alive and well, though it is under attack. Students are exposed to so many examples of poor to horrendous sportsmanship on TV, that it seems to be the norm.”
Bloomfield Hills Andover’s David Zulkiewski: “I see positive sportsmanship every day with my athletes, and that’s because we focus on it and make it part of our daily practice and competition. Our team is much more than swimming or diving; it’s about excelling at life. So many of our kids will not compete in athletics after high school, so we try to give them skills they can use in the real world. Being a good sport is one of those skills.”
Grand Haven’s James Richardson: “Kids want and need structure, and will uphold the guidelines as long as they are clearly defined and enforced consistently. As coaches we need to build relationships with the kids and teach them proper behavior, and serve as models for them.”
Holt’s Mike Van Antwerp: “Sportsmanship is still around. If kids respect their opponents as individuals, they are good sports. Most of them would get along well if they were on the same team, so it’s important they realize that. The kids they play against are no different from them. If they respect the game, respecting their opponent follows.”
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To be sure, no coach worth his or her clipboard sets out to allow poor sportsmanship. But emphasizing proper conduct early and often should be as essential as conducting tryouts.
Munising’s Cathy Mutter: “Sportsmanship is an important part of high school sports and life in general. I always tell my athletes, ‘You do not deserve; you earn. You have to work hard, be positive and be fair.’ I teach them to strive to be the best they can be on the team, in the classroom, at the jobs they have, and at home in their family life. Many programs struggle due to the fact they do not work together as a unit. You are only as strong as your weakest link.”
Rockford’s Ed Van Portfliet: “The O-K Conference and the member schools have done a great job of promoting sportsmanship, and I think it’s alive and well in our area. We teach our players it’s important to play hard, but they also have to respect their opponent and the game. We don’t tolerate actions or play from our players that would be considered disrespectful or detrimental to the game.”
Warren Regina’s Diane Laffey: “We always talk sportsmanship at our team meetings, our parent meetings and our coaches meetings. I guess it is an endangered species in some areas – but I do not feel it has gotten anywhere near that point at our school. I make every effort to make sure that our athletes, teams, coaches and parents keep sportsmanship at the top of our list.”
Allegan’s Ellis: “Leagues have a responsibility to educate their students about proper behavior at high school athletic events and how to treat their opponents. Schools need to develop leaders – on teams and in the stands – who set the tone at contests. The biggest trophy given out at our year-end awards night is the sportsmanship trophy.”
Marshall’s Sue Hutchings: “Sportsmanship starts with the coaching staff respecting the players and hammering the philosophy home. If one of our players exhibits bad sportsmanship, they are taken out of the competition and made to apologize. And trust me, it has happened. Our conference coaches are all pretty tight and have worked together for a number of years. We all share the same philosophy and have very, very little trouble with bad sportsmanship.”
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Sometimes, proper sportsmanship is simply woven into the fabric of a given sport.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Forest Hills Eastern’s Brian Telzerow: “Sportsmanship in golf is the leader in integrity. There is no other sport that is as self-policing as is golf. The young men and women must play with honor and integrity, calling penalties on themselves with no referees present. There is no entitlement here. After we play, players shake hands with all other competitors in their groups. We also make it a practice to say thanks to the host team and to the host course personnel. This is intentional to instill gratitude for the privilege of playing this sport.”
Portland’s Jim Niebling: “Sportsmanship may very well be endangered, but not in high school tennis and certainly not on our teams in Portland. Just this season my No. 1 singles player was playing his arch rival in the league championship match. They had gone back and forth for years and both knew the implication of winning the match for the upcoming Regional and Final tournaments where they were surely going to have to play again. The loser would be seeded lower and would have decidedly more difficult draws. But when the other player, up a set, began to cramp in the second set, looking like he may not be able to finish the match, my player walked to his cooler, pulled out a Gatorade and handed it to his opponent.
“My player ended up losing that match, and he knew that was a possibility when he handed his opponent that Gatorade. If that’s not sportsmanship, I don’t know what is.”
Grand Haven’s Richardson: “Sportsmanship is promoted on our team because in wrestling we are only in charge of ourselves and our actions. It’s a sport that holds individuals accountable. It is difficult in our sport to place blame on others.”
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills/Grandville’s Brenda McDonald: “I always have my girls practice good sportsmanship. They always thank the home team or say, ‘Good job,’ to the opposing team. Many of the girls know the girls on other teams from previous gymnastics classes, so they enjoy seeing them again.”
High School Coaches Survey Identifies Parental Concerns
More than 3,000 high school coaches and athletic directors responded to a nationwide survey conducted by Growing Great Relationships (GGR) in cooperation with the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA). The purpose of the survey was to understand what coaches and athletic directors see as their greatest needs concerning coach-parent and coach-athlete communication and relationships. GGR and NHSCA will use the results to design training and programs that address the identified needs.
The first section of the survey addressed issues surrounding parents of athletes. The first question asked coaches about their greatest concerns dealing with parents. More than 50 percent indicated over-involved parents as their No. 1 concern.
The second question asked coaches what they think parents are most concerned about. Overwhelmingly, nearly 80 percent reported the child’s amount of playing time as their perception of a parent’s biggest issue.
The next question asked coaches who are the most difficult parents. Athlete “wanna bes” were identified by 55 percent of the respondents.
Coaches then were asked what parents should do to support them. More than 70 percent indicated keeping them informed of personal difficulties their child was having at home. This was followed by 63 percent asking parents not to use social media regarding the team, or to gossip about the team or the coach’s expertise. Athletic directors’ responses were similar but with different percentages. Nearly 73 percent ranked not using social media or gossip about the team as the most important.
The second section of the survey asked coaches about their greatest concerns regarding relationships with their athletes. The first question asked coaches about the challenges they face communicating with student-athletes. Nearly 58 percent indicated an athlete receiving contradictory advice from parents and other coaches/advisers. This was followed closely with 55 percent stating an athlete’s inflated belief about his or her ability. Athletic director responses were similar but with somewhat different percentages. The greatest response, 70 percent, was the athlete receiving contradictory advice.
The second question asked the coaches for other factors interfering with their relationships with their student-athletes. The factor indicated by 58 percent of coaches was an athlete over-burdened with competing school demands (clubs, academics). For this particular question, the response from the athletic directors closely matched the coaches.
Athletic directors were asked that in their role what are their greatest concerns dealing with parents and athletes. The most frequent answer by 76 percent of athletic directors was parents bypassing coaches to complain directly to them.
In addition, nearly 500 coaches and athletic directors wrote in additional concerns that they have in their ability to communicate and work with athletes and their parents.
– Richard & Jane: Relationship Coaching
Scholars & Athletes 2017: Class C, D
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 6, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 10 student-athletes from Class C and D member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 28th year of sponsoring the award, will give $1,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees which can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
Each of the scholarship recipients will be honored at halftime ceremonies of the Class C Boys Basketball Final game March 25 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing. Commemorative medallions will be given to the finalists in recognition of their accomplishments.
The Class C Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are: Hope Baldwin, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep; Clark Brady, Bad Axe; Tyler Brant, Watervliet; Jacob Shoop, Scottville Mason County Central; Khora Swanson, Ishpeming; and Madeline Wu, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett.
The Class D Scholar-Athlete Award recipients are: Grace Alvesteffer, Pentwater; Mary Leighton, Mendon; Elijah Newton, Central Lake; and Seth Polfus, Powers North Central.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class C Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Hope Baldwin, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep
Played two years of varsity volleyball, three of basketball and will play her fourth of soccer this spring. Served as captain of her varsity volleyball and basketball teams and has earned some level of all-conference recognition in all three sports. Served as president of her junior class and is serving as vice president of the student body this school year; also serving as vice president of her National Honor Society chapter. Earned outstanding achievement awards in science, literature, math and Spanish at her school and National Spanish Exam honorifica three years. Also participated in Student Athletic Advisory Board three years and Student Leadership team the last two, as part of her school’s Respect Life Club and migrant ministry both for four years, and has logged more than 220 volunteer hours assisting a number of causes and projects. Will attend either University of Notre Dame or University of Michigan and study neuroscience or biology.
Essay Quote: “Of course everyone wishes to beat their rivals, but this desire to win should not negatively impact someone’s behavior – because athletics aim to build character, not to diminish it. … When athletes are able to put the importance of winning in perspective, it makes it clear how much more valuable the actual experience of competing is than the outcome.”
Khora Swanson, Ishpeming
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will run her fourth this spring of track & field; also played three seasons of varsity basketball. Became the first girl at her school to win an individual MHSAA Finals championship in cross country, taking first in Upper Peninsula Division 2 in 2015, and helped the Hematites to three team titles. Also has won six individual MHSAA Finals track championships and helped her team to two titles in that sport, and earned all-league and all-Upper Peninsula recognition in basketball. Served as captain of all three teams at least two seasons. Carries a 4.0 grade-point average and also participates in her school’s select chorus. Is serving her second year as student body vice president, youth advisory council president and key club secretary, and has volunteered both as a peer-to-peer and Special Olympics mentor. Will attend either Northern Michigan University or St. Norbert College (Wis.) and study education.
Essay Quote: “Choosing to exemplify outstanding sportsmanship will transfer to daily life as well as future life, when playing sports may not be routine anymore. … Learning the importance of a great attitude at a young age just may be the key to keeping competition healthy at all ages.”
Madeline Wu, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will play her fourth season this spring of varsity soccer. Served as cross country captain in the fall and will serve as soccer captain this spring. Helped both teams to league and Regional titles and last year’s soccer team to the MHSAA Division 4 Final championship. Earned all-state recognition in soccer twice and made the MHSAA Finals in cross country all four seasons. Carries a 4.1 grade-point average and was a National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist as a junior. Has participated in theater and acapella group all four years of high school and received numerous awards and ratings for piano; served as student music director for her theater troupe and acapella group leader the last two years. Also has served four years as a student commissioner and set a school record fundraising for the American Cancer Society’s Relay of Life. Will attend Princeton University and study educational policy.
Essay Quote: “My coaches have acted as role models for me, and I am now a role model for my fellow student athletes. Through practicing good sportsmanship, my team and I have become ambassadors that represent my school and the sport of cross country.”
Clark Brady, Bad Axe
Played three seasons of varsity football and basketball and will play his third of baseball this spring; also ran track as a freshman. Earned all-conference recognition in baseball and academic all-state also in that sport, and academic all-conference in basketball. Helped basketball team to league and District championships and baseball to a District title as well. During four years in student government has served as class president three years, fundraising president two years and student council president two years, and also serves as National Honor Society chapter secretary. Has received multiple academic awards, including the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists Award of Excellence. Served two years on Huron County Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council. Volunteered as tutor/mentor and church acolyte, and has served as a referee and umpire during all four years of high school. Will attend Oakland University and study pre-medicine.
Essay Quote: “I believe it is the job of us, the athletes, to be the example for future athletes by showing good sportsmanship so they too understand that by doing so they are building themselves to have good character. … If this lesson can be taught, athletes will look at sportsmanship as more of a great quality rather than being ‘overrated.’”
Tyler Brant, Watervliet
Played two seasons of varsity football and basketball and will play his third season of varsity baseball this spring. Set multiple school receiving records in earning all-state recognition in football and also has earned all-conference and academic all-state in baseball. Served as captain of all three teams. Is serving his second term as class co-president and also has served as class vice president. Participated on Watervliet’s leadership council for three years and is in his third of National Honor Society. Also is participating in his second year in the Whirlpool Engineering Apprenticeship Program and has led various group projects as part of that effort; earned a third place at the Michigan Industrial and Technology Education Society state competition in 2015. Will attend Trine University and study business administration.
Essay Quote: “The value I place on sportsmanship cannot be pinpointed to one specific person or game, but rather to a culmination of every practice and game experience throughout my life. I have been fortunate to have had numerous coaches who have always placed the qualities of sportsmanship – fairness, hard work and handing every situation with dignity – above winning or losing.”
Jacob Shoop, Scottville Mason County Central
Ran four seasons of varsity cross country and will participate in fourth of track & field, and also competed in four seasons of varsity wrestling. Qualified for MHSAA Finals in cross country and wrestling four times and won a Division 3 individual wrestling title as a senior; also had earned all-conference honors seven times over his three sports entering this winter and academic all-conference seven times as well. Served as captain of both the cross country and wrestling teams. Serves as an officer in the FreeSoil Friendly Farmers 4-H Club and also participates in National Honor Society. Has earned multiple academic awards and also multiple awards for showing animals; has taught area youth how to show animals as part of 4-H and students how to wrestle and referee the sport as a team leader for Mason County Central recreation wrestling. Will attend Grand View University (Iowa) and study either nursing or pre-chiropractic.
Essay Quote: “Scholar-athletes take the higher ground in all cases, whether academic or athletic, always looking for the best possible scenario for all involved. Sometimes it takes a lot of guidance before you reach the higher ground. … Everyone around me has been teaching me good sportsmanship since the day I started athletics.”
Other Class C girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Kelsey Wyman, Blissfield; Quinn Epkey, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep; Keilene Renae Elmer, Lincoln Alcona; Bailey Downs, Munising; Maysa Sitar, Newberry; Mary Hoopes, North Muskegon; Brenna Wirth, Pewamo-Westphalia; Sidney Linck, Ravenna; and Madison Bryce, St. Charles.
Other Class C boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Spencer Fisher, Blissfield; Jonathan Lutchka, Grass Lake; Sam Bailey, Harbor Springs; Ashok Ravindran, Ishpeming; Joseph Rigling, Leroy Pine River; Alexander Dixon, Madison Heights Bishop Foley Catholic; Bryce J Thelen, Pewamo-Westphalia; Nicholas Hammond, Riverview Gabriel Richard; and Cameron Rendo, Watervliet.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class D Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Grace Alvesteffer, Pentwater
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball, three of varsity basketball and will participate in a third season of varsity track & field this spring; she’s also cheerleading this winter and intends to play softball in the spring. Advanced to MHSAA Finals two seasons for shot put and earned all-conference honors twice in that event and once in discus. Served as basketball team captain and is currently her school’s student council president. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and third with The Oceana Prevention Partnership for Change, and is co-founder and president of Oceana County’s 4-H Teen Leadership & Fun Finders Club. Earned 4-H and county medals for community service, civic involvement and teen leadership and also has participated in a variety of volunteer efforts. Will attend West Shore Community College and then Ferris State University to study pre-mortuary science.
Essay Quote: “My time on the bench gave me a new perspective, and I realized that true team spirit and sportsmanship are demonstrated by the athlete who never sees a minute of playing time yet is faithfully there to support her teammates in practice, games, class and wherever needed.”
Mary Leighton, Mendon
Ran four years of varsity cross country, will run her fourth of track & field this spring and also played two full seasons of varsity basketball after moving up as a sophomore. Won the 100-meter hurdles and set the meet record in that event at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals. Also earned all-state in the 300 hurdles and cross country and all-conference in all three sports. Served as team captain for varsity and junior varsity basketball teams. Serving as a class officer and member of student senate both for the fourth year and is participating in her second of National Honor Society, with leadership positions in both student government and NHS. Attended classes as a dual enrollee at Glen Oaks Community College for two years, making president’s honor roll both years; also has earned academic all-state in cross country and basketball. Will attend Indiana Institute of Technology and study either mechanical or chemical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship taught me that if I win, I should win humbly. And if I lose, I should do so gracefully. With this attitude, I can live life successfully and accept the results of life and move on to improve them.”
Elijah Newton, Central Lake
Played three seasons of varsity football and basketball and will play his fourth of varsity baseball, earning all-conference honors in football three seasons and basketball once. Served or will serve as team captain of all three teams as a junior and senior. Serving as student body and National Honor Society president as a senior and was class president as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Has participated for three years on quiz bowl and his school’s first robotics teams. Volunteered for four years for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Central Lake Pop Warner football and this year coordinated an American Red Cross blood drive. Earned Charlevoix-Emmet Drafting & Design Technology Award and Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award. Will attend Michigan Technological University and study mechanical engineering.
Essay Quote: “Good play, coupled with great sportsmanship, is the true definition of a winner. However, when it’s all over and the bleachers have cleared, the ability to deal with the most difficult losses in a classy manner is far more important than any championship trophy.”
Seth Polfus, Powers North Central
Ran four years of varsity cross country, will play his fourth of baseball and is in his second season on the boys basketball team; also played varsity golf and participated in track & field as a freshman. Has contributed to MHSAA Finals champions in cross country and basketball. Earned cross country all-state honors three seasons and was his league’s individual champion in the fall; earned academic all-state as a junior. Served as team captain for cross country all four years and two years for his junior varsity basketball team. Serving his fourth year as class president and second as president of his school’s National Honor Society chapter, and was an American Legion Boys State representative as a junior. Participated in key club, quiz bowl and yearbook all for four years. Earned SAT national achievement award. Organized local 5K run/walk to raise cancer awareness. Will attend University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and major in exercise science with a minor in photography.
Essay Quote: “When a team has sportsmanship, (athletes) are learning more than just the athletic value of sports. They are learning a lesson about life. They are learning that one should treat others how one would want to be treated.”
Other Class D girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Rachel Hiveley, Au Gres-Sims; Allyson Richards, Fruitport Calvary Christian; Alexa Destrampe, Lake Linden-Hubbell; Jade Sibley, Marcellus; Alexis McConnell, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart; and Rhiley Hubert, Rapid River.
Other Class D boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were: Jacob Single, Adrian Lenawee Christian; Jacob Martin, Athens; Richard Steffan, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian; Jace Feldpausch, Fowler; Brian A Price, Mio; and Nicholas Morgenstern, Muskegon Catholic Central.
The Class B scholarship award recipients will be announced Feb. 14, and the Class A honorees will be announced Feb. 21.
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The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.