SAC Sound-off: Why do we lead?

March 14, 2012

We asked the members of the Student Advisory Council why they lead, and what college or pro athletes are strong leaders in their eyes. Here are their answers:

Tyler Wilson, Rudyard senior
I lead because I feel like I can get my teammates going. I think by having a positive, motivational presence on and off the field/court I give my team the best chance to win. I also like being looked up to by my teammates.

From the NBA

Maria Buczkowski, Detroit Country Day senior
Shane Battier.  I lead because i really care about what others have to say, and i want to properly voice their opinions as well as mine.

Lena Madison, New Buffalo senior
I lead because it comes natural to me. If I see a problem or a situation, I understand how to combat the issue and get others involved in the problem-solving along the way. Luol Dang of the Chicago Bulls is a strong leader to me. He leads by example and doesn't let others in his head by always staying focused and playing hard. 

Olympic medalists

Carly Joseph, Pontiac Notre Dame junior
I lead because I want to make a positive impact on my teams so that we can work together and reach our highest potential.  A pro athlete who is a strong leader in my opinion is snowboarder Torah Bright.  She is always smiling and keeps a positive attitude, cares about progressing the sport, and is an inspiration to younger snowboarders everywhere.

Alissa Jones, Muskegon Catholic Central senior
I am a leader because I want to keep my team positive and confident during the sport and not bring others down. In my eyes the Olympic swimmer Dara Torres is a strong leader because even though she is the oldest Olympic swimmer, she has shown the world to always be positive and to never give up on your dreams.

NFL past and future

Elle Lehman, Portland St. Patrick senior
I lead because I like to help other succeed as well as myself. I like having a goal and being focused on it until it is achieved. A strong leader in my eyes would be Kirk Cousins because he focuses on his game, while helping others better their play as well. He has strong faith in God, and he seems very humble for achieving as much as he has.

Matt Freeman, Owosso junior
Barry Sanders. I lead because I have a passion, and I express that passion within my leadership. 

The Colorado Cannon

Bailey Truesdell, Grand Blanc senior
I lead to help bring the best out of people and let them reach their full potential. An athlete who is a strong leader that I look up to is Tim Tebow, especially when he was at the University of Florida.

Kevin Beazley, Detroit Catholic Central senior
I lead because it is embedded in my character. I lead because I personally do not want anyone to outwork me in anything I do, and others like to follow my example. Tim Tebow is the best leader in my eyes. The college game he wore John 3:16 on his eye black over 100,000 people looked up that verse that night. Best leader I know today.

Evan Lamb, Rogers City junior
I lead because I feel that it's something I need to do, and I don't like being a follower. A strong leader in my eyes is Tim Tebow in his days at Florida.

Applications Available for 2022-23 Scholar-Athlete Awards

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 26, 2022

One of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s most popular programs, the Scholar-Athlete Award, will again with Farm Bureau Insurance present 32 $2,000 scholarships to top student-athletes at member high schools during the 2022-23 school year.

The MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award highlights the value extracurricular activities play in the total education of high school students, often improving their academic achievements in the process. The Scholar-Athlete Award is in its 34th year. Since the award’s inception in 1988-89, Farm Bureau Insurance has presented $960,000 in scholarships through this program.

The first 30 scholarships will be presented on a graduated basis across the MHSAA’s traditional class structure. From Class A schools, six boys and six girls will receive scholarships; from Class B schools, four boys and four girls; from Class C schools, three boys and three girls; and from Class D schools, two boys and two girls will be honored. The final two scholarships will be awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size. The scholarships may be used at the institution of higher learning the recipients attend during the first year at those colleges.

Applications from individual schools will be limited to the number of available scholarships in their enrollment class. Class A schools may submit the names of six boys and six girls, Class B schools may submit four boys and four girls, Class C may submit three boys and three girls and Class D may submit two boys and two girls.

Students applying for Scholar-Athlete Awards must be graduating during the 2022-23 school year, be carrying an unrounded 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have won a varsity letter in a sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament: baseball, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys bowling, girls competitive cheer, girls and boys cross country, football, girls and boys golf, girls gymnastics, ice hockey, girls and boys lacrosse, girls and boys skiing, girls and boys soccer, softball, girls and boys swimming & diving, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys track & field, girls volleyball and wrestling.

Applicants will be required to show involvement in other school and community activities and submit an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics. 

Information – including answers to a number of frequently asked questions – and links to the application are available online on the Scholar-Athlete Award page. Applications are available in digital format only and must be submitted online by 4 p.m. Dec. 2.

A committee composed of school administrators from across the state will select finalists and winners in late January, with the winners to be announced throughout February. All applicants, finalists and scholarship recipients will be announced on the MHSAA Website. The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized during the 2023 MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more— protecting more than 660,000 Michigan residents.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 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 1.3 million spectators each year.