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Perspective: Stress & Fundamentals
February 4, 2015
In this week's edition of MHSAA Perspective, John Johnson talks about the stress that specialization places on a young athlete's body, and how ways to relieve that stress actually work in combination with learning the fundamentals of a sport.
Now in its 10th season, the radio commentary MHSAA Perspective – presented by the Michigan Army National Guard – airs on over 80 radio stations and audio outlets across the state, generally during the local broadcasts of high school games. The program runs for 30 weeks through the end of the winter sports season.
This week's Perspective: Stress & Fundamentals - Listen
Past editions
Jan. 26 - Fees Bench Players - Listen
Jan. 19 - What Would Ann Landers Say - Listen
Jan. 12 - Bowled Over - Listen
Jan. 5 - Three Jobs - Listen
Dec. 29 - What Matters Most - Listen
Dec. 22 - Wasn't That a Great Game? - Listen
Dec. 15 - What Did You Do About It - Listen
Dec. 8 - Fans At The Fore - Listen
Dec. 1 - Life is Bigger than Football - Listen
Nov. 24 - Kudos - Listen
Nov. 17 - Something to Play For - Listen
Nov. 10 - Paper Playoff - Listen
Nov. 3 - Dumb & Really Dumb - Listen
Oct. 27 - The Middle - Listen
Oct. 20 - Football Playoff Primer - Listen
Oct. 13 - Value ... and Values - Listen
Oct. 6 - It's a Game - Not a War - Listen
Sept. 29 - Record Holders - Listen
Sept. 15 - Remembering 9/14 - Listen
Sept. 8 - Exposing Specialization - Listen
Sept. 1 - Enhancing The Fan Experience - Listen
Aug. 25 - Safety Trumps Everything - Listen
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Adult Fans: HS Sports' Biggest Challenge
August 27, 2019
By Karissa Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director
and Mark Uyl, MHSAA Executive Director
Inappropriate adult behavior at high school athletic events in Michigan has reached epidemic proportion.
When more than 2,000 high school athletic directors were asked in a recent national survey what they like least about their job, 62.3 percent said it was “dealing with aggressive parents and adult fans.”
And the men and women who wear the black and white stripes agree. In fact, almost 80 percent of officials quit after the first two years on the job, and unruly parents are cited as the reason why. As a result, there is a growing shortage of high school officials here in Michigan, and in some sports like wrestling, swimming & diving and track & field, the shortage is severe. No officials means no more games.
If you are a parent attending a high school athletic event this fall, you can help by following these six guidelines:
1. Act Your Age. You are, after all, an adult. Act in a way that makes your family and school proud.
2. Don’t Live Your Life Vicariously Through Your Children. High school sports are for them, not you. Your family’s reputation is not determined by how well your children perform on the field of play.
3. Let Your Children Talk to the Coach Instead of You Doing It for Them. High school athletes learn how to become more confident, independent and capable — but only when their parents don’t jump in and solve their problems for them.
4. Stay in Your Lane. No coaching or officiating from the sidelines. Your role is to be a responsible, supportive parent — not a coach or official.
5. Remember, Participating in a High School Sport Is Not About Getting a College Scholarship. According to the NCAA, only about two percent of all high school athletes are awarded a sports scholarship, and the total value of the scholarship is only about $18,000.
6. Make Sure Your Children Know You Love Watching Them Play. Do not critique your child’s performance on the car ride home. Participating in high school sports is about character development, learning and having fun — not winning and losing.
Purchasing a ticket to a high school athletic event does not give you the right to be rude, disrespectful or verbally abusive. Cheer loud and be proud, but be responsible and respectful. The future of high school sports in Michigan is dependent on you.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is one of 51 members of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).