Selections Named for Advisory Council
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 2, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Eight student-athletes who will be juniors at their schools during the 2013-14 academic year have been selected to serve a two-year term on the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Student Advisory Council.
The Student Advisory Council is a 16-member group which provides feedback on issues impacting educational athletics from a student’s perspective, and also is involved in the operation of Association championship events and other programming. Members of the Student Advisory Council serve for two years, beginning as juniors. Eight new members are selected annually to serve on the SAC, with nominations made by MHSAA member schools. The incoming juniors will join the group of eight seniors-to-be appointed a year ago.
Selected to begin serving on the Student Advisory Council in 2013-14 are: Eliza Beird, Holland Black River; Grant Osborne, White Lake Lakeland; Amanda Paull, Cheboygan; Jonathan Perry, McBain Northern Michigan Christian; Emily Starck, Remus Chippewa Hills; Connor Thomas, Marlette; Caycee Turczyn, Lapeer West; and Aaron Van Horn, Kingston.
The new additions to the SAC will join the Class of 2014 members who were selected a year ago: Ryan Fischer, Grandville; Emileigh Ferguson, Bear Lake; Kristen Law, Bloomfield Hills Andover; Madeleine Martindale, Lake Orion; Kiersten Mead, Saginaw Swan Valley; Zachary Nine, Pinconning; Coby Ryan, Manistique; and Hayden Smith, Hamilton.
The first Student Advisory Council was formed for the 2006-07 school year. With the addition of this class beginning this summer, members will have represented 55 schools from 34 leagues plus independent schools that do not play in a league. Combined, the new appointees have participated in 12 MHSAA sports, and seven of the eight will be the first SAC members from their respective schools.
The Student Advisory Council meets six times each school year, and once more for a 24-hour leadership camp. In addition to assisting in the promotion of the educational value of interscholastic athletics, the council discusses issues dealing with the 4 S’s of educational athletics: scholarship, sportsmanship, safety (including health and nutrition) and the sensible scope of athletic programs. There also is a fifth S discussed by the group – student leadership.
This school year, the Council judged the second “Battle of the Fans” after creating the contest during 2011-12 as a way to promote positive sportsmanship. The Council also began updating the “Captains 101” leadership guide that was published in 2009 and has been distributed throughout Michigan and also, by request, to other states and internationally. The Council aims to finish the update by the end of spring 2014.
PHOTO: The 2012-13 Student Advisory Council is in its final month before welcoming a new class this summer.
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.