This Week in High School Sports: 3/25/16

March 25, 2016

This final edition of "This Week In High School Sports" for 2015-16 leads off with a feature on the Girls Basketball Finals, passes out two Game Balls and finishes with closing commentary. 

This Week In High School Sports will lead each show with feature stories from around the state from the MHSAA’s Second Half or from network affiliated stories and interviews. "Be The Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating, highlights the middle of the show and is followed by a closing "Perspective." 

Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here.

Past editions
March 18: Rockford/Sparta gymnastics, only Basketball Final decided on halfcourt shot - Listen
March 11: Hesperia multi-sport athlete Mark Workman, coaches who teach the right lessons at the key moments in high school sports - Listen
March 4: Newberry basketball standout Taylor Bryant, March Magic memories from 1956 and 1976 - Listen
Feb. 26: Grand Rapids South Christian girls basketball, kindness from a group of our officials - Listen
Feb. 19: East Lansing basketball standout Brandon Johns, a 60-year-old basketball tournament record - Listen
Feb. 12: Benton Harbor girls basketball standout Kysre Gondrezick, respecting the National Anthem - Listen
Feb 5: Lake Fenton wrestler Trent Hillger, good-bye to a legendary coach - Listen
Jan. 29: Sturgis bowling teams, poor sportsmanship in professional football - Listen
Jan. 22: Holland record-setter Demetrius Lake, Michigan's original pitching ace - Listen
Jan. 15: Battle of the Fans V, new concussion threat in school sports - Listen
Jan. 8: Women in Sports Leadership conference, getting and giving respect - Listen
Dec. 25: Battle of the Fans V, taking a we over me attitude into 2016  - Listen
Dec. 18: MHSAA concussion reporting findings, record book submissions - Listen
Dec. 11: Constantine boys basketball, School Broadcast Program at Ford Field - Listen
Dec. 4: Highlights of 41st MHSAA Football Finals, River Rouge football - Listen
Nov. 27: Bronson volleyball, why we give thanks - Listen
Nov. 20:  Canton/Saline Football Regional Final, old football records - Listen
Nov. 13: Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals, why Districts are called Districts - Listen
Nov. 6: Powers North Central football, random act of sportsmanship - 
Listen
Oct. 30: Benton Harbor's football turnaround, Football Playoff memories - Listen
Oct. 23: Selection Sunday Primer, live online playoff games on FoxSportsDetroit.com and MHSAA.TV - Listen
Oct. 16: Leland volleyball and boys soccer thrive, basketball coach-official communication - Listen
Oct. 9: Kensington Lakes Activities Association football, local impacts of the MHSAA Football Playoffs - Listen
Oct. 2: High school teams giving back, parents' expectations for childen to go pro - Listen
Sept. 25: Otsego’s girls cross country team, MHSAA School Broadcast Program - Listen
Sept. 18: Constantine quarterback Matt Hasbrouck, day-to-day life for referees - Listen
Sept. 11: Mount Morris volleyball's Tabit twins, the truth about specialization - Listen
Sept. 4: Engadine/Brimley football, Good-bye to "a few good coaches" - Listen
Aug. 28: Ithaca football, MHSAA Health & Safety initiatives - Listen

Century of School Sports: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 8, 2024

The display above greets visitors at the top of our staircase to the second floor at the MHSAA office in East Lansing – a group of guests that annually numbers well over a 1,000 administrators, student leaders, game officials and several others who are invested in school sports.

We hope these four core values – the MHSAA’s oft-referred to “four S’s” of educational athletics – also lead our guests’ interactions in school sports as they return home to their communities across the state.

They are as follows:

SAFETY

  • It's not enough to provide students the opportunity to participate. The health and welfare of participants must be placed above all other considerations. Parents can be confident that their children not only will be as safe as possible in school sports, but they will also develop habits that tend to encourage a lifetime of better health.

SCHOLARSHIP

  • School-based and rooted in education, school sports are a supportive part of the school's academic mission. Minimum academic standards are set as a requirement for athletic participation, thus making activities a privilege.

SPORTSMANSHIP

  • The environment at interscholastic events is shaped by the attitudes and actions of players, coaches and spectators. Lessons learned in gracefully dealing with adversity in athletics translate to the classroom, the home and the workplace. Good sportsmanship is a precursor to good citizenship.

SCOPE

  • School sports embrace local roots. School events attract administrators, teachers, students and parents in one venue and can be the backbone of the community. Adopting reasonable, rational limits for school sports assures a sane and sensible, student-centered educational experience.

These values were coined by John E. “Jack” Roberts, the fourth of now five full-time executive directors who have served the MHSAA during its 100-year history. He introduced them during his first days on the job in 1986 – and as he noted in an installment of his “From the Director” blog in 2015, they’ve stood the test of time.

They drove the Association’s work during his tenure, surely before it, and continue to do so today – and we will delve into all four as we continue our storytelling of a “Century of School Sports” during this 2024-25 school year.

Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights

Sept. 25: 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

PHOTO A display on the second floor of the MHSAA office outlines the four core values of educational athletics: safety, scholarship, sportsmanship and scope.