BULLETIN - Michigan High School Athletic Association · BASKETBALL TICKET ORDER FORMS ONLINE The MHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball Finals Ticket Order Formsfor member schools and approved

BULLETINNovember 2007Volume LXXXIV

Number 3 © 2007 Michigan High School Athletic Association

®

In This Issue:• Executive Committee Meetings

• Upper Peninsula Athletic CommitteeMeeting

• Athletic Equity Committee Meeting

• Basketball Finals Tickets for Schoolsand Officials Moving Online

• Girls Volleyball Site SelectionCommittee Minutes

• Boys Basketball Site SelectionCommittee Minutes

• Officials Review Committee Minutes

• 2007-08 Committee Members

November 2007 174

TABLE OF CONTENTSPage

ON THE COVER

Two of the upcoming MHSAA Finals set to take place are the GirlsVolleyball Finals inBattle Creek from Nov. 15-17, and the Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & DivingFinals at Ypsilanti, Rochester and Holland on Nov. 16-17.

Photos by Visual Image Photography

October Executive Committee Meeting..............................................................................176Official Report of the Second Meeting of Board of Canvassers ........................................184Official Report of the Third Meeting of Board of Canvassers ...........................................184Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee Meeting ...................................................................185From the Executive Director: Grand Slam Leadership (The Importance of Purpose) .......187Register All Nonfaculty Coaches Before They Assume Responsibility ............................188Health & Safety: Sprains, Strains and Contusions..............................................................189Travel Form for Out-of-State Practice................................................................................190Scholar-Athlete Award Deadline Approaching ..................................................................190Student Focus: Student-Advisory Council Gathers ............................................................191Student Advisory Council Belief Statement .......................................................................191Student Focus: MAB and MHSAA Team Up for Broadcasting Award Program..............192MHSAA Committee Members Listing 2007-08.................................................................193Officials Review Committee Meeting ................................................................................197Athletic Equity Committee Meeting...................................................................................199Gymnastics Committee Meeting.........................................................................................201

The OOnly OOfficial IInterpretations Are TThose RReceived IIn WWriting

MEMBER SCHOOL AND APPROVED OFFICIAL BASKETBALL TICKET ORDER FORMS ONLINE

The MHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball Finals Ticket Order Forms formember schools and approved officials previously found in the Bulletins will nowbe available online only at mhsaa.com.

The forms will appear on the Boys and Girls Basketball home pages Dec. 1.Users will be able to fill out the forms online, print the document and send to theMHSAA with check or money order.

Mark your calendars to attend both events as the girls move to their newFinals home at Eastern Michigan University on March 6-8, while the boys returnto Michigan State University a week later, March 13-15.

175 November 2007

Randy Allen, Assistant DirectorTony Bihn, Director of Information Systems Jordan Cobb, Assistant Director of Information SystemsAndy Frushour, Marketing and Special Programs Coord.Nate Hampton, Assistant DirectorJohn R. Johnson, Communications DirectorRob Kaminski, Publications and Web Site CoordinatorCamala Kinder, Administrative AssistantGina Mazzolini, Assistant DirectorThomas L. Minter, Assistant to Executive DirectorPeggy Montpas, Bookkeeper

Andrea Osters, Program & Development Assistant Thomas M. Rashid, Associate DirectorJohn E. Roberts, Executive DirectorLaura Roberts, ReceptionistSharla Stokes, Administrative AssistantMark Uyl, Assistant DirectorJamie VanDerMoere, Administrative AssistantFaye Verellen, Administrative AssistantDebbie Waddell, Executive AssistantKathy Vruggink Westdorp, Assistant DirectorKaren Yonkers, Executive Assistant

MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION1661 Ramblewood, East Lansing, 48823-7392 • Telephone 517-332-5046

FAX 517-332-4071mhsaa.com

Members of Representative Council

Any individual who is a representative of a member school (faculty member or Board of Educationmember) may become a candidate for the MHSAA Representative Council. Please contact the MHSAAExecutive Director for an outline of procedures.

MHSAA Staff

Renee Bird**Board of EducationTawas Area SchoolsAppointee

James Derocher*SuperintendentNegaunee Public SchoolsClass C-D — Upper Peninsula

Ken Dietz**Athletic DirectorWatervliet High SchoolClass C-D — Southwestern Michigan

Keith Eldred*, Vice PresidentDean of StudentsWilliamston Middle SchoolJunior High/Middle Schools

Paul L. Ellinger**, PresidentSuperintendentCheboygan Area Schools Junior High/Middle Schools

Lafayette Evans**Director of AthleticsDetroit Public SchoolsCity of Detroit

Eric Federico*SuperintendentGibraltar SchoolsClass A-B — Southeastern Michigan

Dan Flynn**Faculty Member/CoachEscanaba High SchoolClass A-B — Upper Peninsula

Scott Grimes*PrincipalGrand Haven High SchoolStatewide At-Large

Leroy Hackley**Athletic DirectorJenison High SchoolAppointee

Karen Leinaar**Athletic DirectorBenzie Central High SchoolStatewide At-Large

Vic Michaels*Director of Physical Education & AthleticsArchdiocese of DetroitPrivate and Parochial Schools

Linda Myers*SuperintendentMorley-Stanwood Community SchoolsAppointee

William D. Newkirk*, Secretary-TreasurerSuperintendentSanford-Meridian Public SchoolsClass C-D — Northern Lower Peninsula

Peter C. Ryan*Athletic DirectorSaginaw Township Community SchoolsClass A-B — Northern Lower Peninsula

Randy Salisbury**PrincipalBritton-Macon High SchoolClass C-D — Southeastern Michigan

Wendy Shepard*PrincipalRochester High SchoolAppointee

Fred Smith*Athletic DirectorBuchanan High SchoolClass A-B — Southwestern Michigan

Roberta Stanley (ex-officio)Office of Administrative Law and Federal Relations,Michigan Dept. of EducationLansingDesignee

*Term Expires December 2008**Term Expires December 2007

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGTraverse City, October 1, 2007

Members Present: Staff Members Present:Paul Ellinger, Cheboygan Tom RashidKeith Eldred, Williamston Jack Roberts (Recorder)William Newkirk, MeridianDan Flynn, EscanabaKaren Leinaar, Benzonia

Executive Committee Authority andResponsibility - The Executive Committeereviewed its authority under Article VII ofthe MHSAA Constitution and specifically itsresponsibility to consider each application forwaiver of an eligibility requirement on itsindividual merits, determining if the regula-tion serves the purpose for which it wasintended in each case or if the regulationworks an undue hardship on any student whois the subject of a request for waiver. (Theseunderlying criteria may not be restated forevery subject of these minutes.)

The Executive Committee was remindedthat it was the responsibility of each memberschool involved to provide sufficient factualinformation about the specific request for theExecutive Committee to reach a decisionwithout further investigation. If informationis incomplete, contradictory or otherwiseunclear or has been received too late to bestudied completely, the Executive Committeemay deny the request for waiver or delayaction. Such requests may be resubmitted tothe Executive Committee with additionalinformation at a subsequent meeting orappealed to the full Representative Council.

It is possible that some of the informationpresented as facts to the ExecutiveCommittee by school personnel and othersmay be inaccurate. However, to avoid con-stant repetition in this report of phrases suchas "it was alleged" or "it was reported," noattempt is made in the introduction of eachwaiver request to distinguish between truth,allegation, hearsay, opinion, summary orconclusion. If any information provided tothe Executive Committee is inaccurate, anydecision of the Executive Committee to grant

waiver of a regulation shall be null and void.The Executive Committee is not autho-

rized to approve waiver based on alleged oractual differences between schools based on"environment," demographics, curriculum orextracurricular offerings. A determination ofundue hardship is a matter addressed to thediscretion of the Executive Committee withinthe educational philosophy and secondaryrole of voluntary extracurricular competitiveathletics in the academic environment. TheExecutive Committee will avoid makingexceptions that would create precedent thateffectively changes a rule withoutRepresentative Council action or local boardof education adoption, which would exceedExecutive Committee authority. The contractthe MHSAA has with member schools obli-gates the MHSAA to not change rules duringthe school year.

Students for whom waiver of a particularregulation is approved must be eligible in allother respects under all sections and interpre-tations of the regulations prior to participation.

Adoption of these regulations, as well aspolicies, procedures and schedules ofMHSAA tournaments, is a choice schoolsmake locally when they consider their optionof MHSAA membership. Consistent withrulings of the Attorney General and MichiganSupreme Court, schools are not bound by thedecisions of the Executive Committee, butthe association may limit participation in thepostseason tournaments it sponsors to thoseschools which choose to apply rules andpenalties as promulgated by the MHSAA andadopted by each member school's board ofeducation. The MHSAA exercises no inde-pendent authority over schools or students.

Not all the facts presented to the Executive Committee and Representative Council as part ofrequests to waive eligibility regulations are included in the reports of those meetings, eitherbecause of the volume of material reviewed or the confidentiality requested by schools fortheir students, parents or faculty.

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177 November 2007

Canton-Salem, Canton and Canton-Plymouth High Schools (Regulation I,Section 1[F]) - The Executive Committeeapproved for not more than this and the nexttwo school years a cooperative program ingirls lacrosse between these three highschools of the same district whose combinedenrollment is 5,829 students, which willplace the team in Division 1 of the MHSAAtournament. Salem will be the primaryschool. This is the first time girls lacrossewill be sponsored on an interscholastic basis.The sport is not sponsored by the schools'league, and support from future opponentshas been received. After the 2009-10 schoolyear, the program must comply with the3,500-student enrollment limit for coopera-tive programs.

Painesdale-Jeffers, Chassell, Calumetand Hancock High Schools (Regulation I,Section 1[E]) - The Executive Committeetabled until Nov. 7, 2007, the application fora cooperative program in boys and girlsswimming & diving between these schools.The combined enrollment would be 879 stu-dents. Jeffers would be the primary school,and had been the primary school in a cooper-ative program with Chassell and Ironwood-L.L. Wright High Schools that dissolved inorder to form the new program. There is noleague affiliation, and support from futureopponents has not been received.

Jackson-Northwest High School(Regulation I, Sections 1 & 4) - A request towaive the enrollment regulation was made onbehalf of a student who is repeating the 8thgrade at Kidder Middle School but whoplayed in two 9th-grade football games tobegin the 2007-08 school year withNorthwest High School before school began.The school has forfeited the two 9th-gradegames and then withheld the student fromcompetition at either level. The schoolrequested that the student be allowed to finishthe middle school football season this yearand enroll as a first-time 9th-grader in 2008-09 with eight semesters of enrollment intact,after withholding the student from the firsttwo games of the 2008 football season.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver under the conditions beingimposed by the schools involved.

Grass Lake High School (Regulation I,Sections 4 & 5) - A request to waive themaximum semesters portions of the eligibili-

ty regulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student in his fifth semester who start-ed the 9th grade at West Bloomfield HighSchool in the 2005-06 school year when hismother abandoned him. The student received1.5 credits for the first two semesters of highschool. The father and student moved toGrass Lake and the student repeated the 9thgrade at Grass Lake High School in the 2006-07 school year. The student will graduate inJune 2010.

The Executive Committee did not approvethe request for waiver.

Royal Oak High School (Regulation I,Sections 7) - A request to waive the previoussemester record regulation was made onbehalf of a 12th-grade student who was thevictim of an assault and home invasion whichcaused the student to discontinue attendanceat Farmington-Central Alternative Schooland the family to leave their home inSouthfield.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver provided the studentpassed at least 20 credit hours of course workduring the first semester of the 2006-07school year.

Warren Mott High School (Regulation I,Section 8) - A request to interpret and con-sider waiver of the current semester recordregulation and specifically Interpretation 47(non-traditional program having an inter-scholastic athletic program) was made onbehalf of a 12th-grade student who attendsCommunity High School, which is the non-traditional program of the WarrenConsolidated Schools and which is listed onthe 2007-08 Warren Mott EnrollmentDeclaration Form. The student is a residentof the Mott attendance area and would like toparticipate on the varsity soccer team.Community High School participates inAlnet, which is a series of athletic and aca-demic events utilized to encourage academicachievement and reward students for goodattendance. The program serves studentsfrom several alternative programs in the areaand involves participation against studentsfrom other alternative programs who belongto Alnet. The program does not involve try-outs, coaches, officials, the keeping of offi-cial stats or standings or publicity. Eachevent is generally offered once annually andlikened to an invitational or play-day pro-gram.

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The Executive Committee determined thatthe student is eligible by interpretation, notwaiver, noting that the program as it isdescribed is not considered an interscholasticathletic program at this time.

Bloomfield Hills-Academy of the SacredHeart (Regulation I, Section 9) - A requestto waive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of a 9th-grade student who participat-ed with an all-girls school in a scrimmageand tournament this fall and attended schoolfor four days there to begin the 2007-08school year. The student had attendedAcademy of the Sacred Heart sinceKindergarten and did not fit into the otherschool academically or socially.


Crystal Falls-Forest Park High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of an 11th-grade student who previ-ously attended Forest Park High School forgrades 9 and 10 and Felch-North DickinsonHigh School for two days (Sept. 4 and 5,2007) to begin the 2007-08 school year. Thestudent reenrolled at Forest Park on Sept. 6,2007 and did not participate in an athleticscrimmage or contest at North Dickinson.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver.

Detroit-Loyola High School (RegulationI, Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student who lived with his mother andattended Oak Park High School. The studenthas moved to the residence of his father, andLoyola High School is the closest nonpublicschool to the father's residence. The parentsnever married. An Educational TransferForm was submitted, along with an order towithhold income for child support indicatingboth the father and the student.


Dundee High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who previously attendedTrenton High School and participated in ath-letics while residing with her stepfather and asister who enrolled in Dundee as a 9th-grad-er. The mother left the student and her sisteryears ago and the stepfather did not want tocare for the two sisters any longer. Two sets

of relatives took the students in and each sis-ter lives with a different relative in theDundee School District.


Durand High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 12th-grade student who previously attendedDurand Schools from 2000 until 2005-06when the student moved to California toreside with his mother's boyfriend. The stu-dent has returned to live with his mother whoresides in Durand, and enrolled there to beginthe 2007-08 school year. The student's par-ents never married and the student's father islisted on the birth certificate but is unknownto the student. While the student has returnedto live with his mother in Durand (exception2), the parents are not divorced and the moth-er is not the only parent, as is stated underexception 2.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver, the one time only that itwill be approved for changes of residencebetween the parents while the student isenrolled in grades 9 through 12.

Eastpointe-East Detroit High School(Regulation I, Section 9[B]) - A request wasmade on behalf of a 10th-grade student towaive the transfer regulation to permit eligi-bility at the subvarsity level only for the firstsemester of the 2007-08 school year. Thestudent previously attended East Detroit HighSchool for the 9th grade and enrolled for twodays at Clinton Township-Chippewa ValleyHigh School to begin the 2007-08 schoolyear. The student has not participated in ath-letics previously at either school.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver at the subvarsity level onlyuntil the first day that classes are actuallyconducted in the second semester of the2007-08 school year at East Detroit HighSchool.

Eau Claire High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student whose mother is deceased andwhose father's whereabouts are unknown.The student attended school in Indiana for the2006-07 school year and was abandoned inhis most recent household in Indiana. Thestudent's only other relatives, beyond elderlygrandparents in Tennessee, are an aunt and

179 November 2007

uncle who reside in Eau Claire. The IndianaDepartment of Child Services has grantedtemporary custody to them and has writtenthat the student was neglected and aban-doned with no other person to care for him.


Elk Rapids High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 12th-grade student who lived with an aunt anduncle in Florida for five months during the2006-07 school year until they moved to ElkRapids because the uncle lost his job inFlorida. The student then moved in with hismother for two months and finished theschool year in Florida. The student hasreturned to live with the aunt and uncle inElk Rapids, the people he lived with for mostof the previous semester.


Farmington High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who previously attendedFarmington Hills-Mercy High School, partic-ipated in athletics there and then enrolled atFarmington High School to begin the 2007-08 school year due to financial difficulties.Due to the change of seasons, the student ismissing the entire volleyball season. If fulleligibility would not be approved, the schoolrequested subvarsity eligibility.


Farmington High School (Regulation I,Section 9[B]) - A request was made onbehalf of a 10th-grade student to waive thetransfer regulation to permit eligibility at thesubvarsity level only for the first semester ofthe 2007-08 school year. The student livedwith his mother and previously attendedDetroit-Pershing High School. The studenthas enrolled at Farmington High School andnow resides with an aunt.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver at the subvarsity levelonly until the first day that classes are actual-ly conducted in the second semester of the2007-08 school year at Farmington HighSchool.

Farmington Hills-Mercy High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation and specificallyInterpretation 60 (closest nonpublic school)was made on behalf of an 11th-grade studentwho attended a therapeutic all-girls boardingschool in Ohio during the second semester ofthe 2006-07 school year. In December 2006,the student was removed from her previousschool and local community after it was dis-covered that she was the victim of a crime.The student enrolled at Mercy High Schoolrather than a closer nonpublic school becausethe student would continue to be at risk asthe perpetrators continued to attend the previ-ous school and other local schools and residein the area.


Hale High School (Regulation I, Section9) - On Sept. 6, 2007, the ExecutiveCommittee did not approve a request towaive the transfer regulation on behalf of a12th-grade student who attended Lupton-Bible Baptist Church School for the 11thgrade while residing with his mother andstepfather and attended school in Missourifor the 9th and 10th grades. The student hadmoved to Hale to the residence of his brotherbecause of a conflict with his stepfather.Hale High School submitted additional infor-mation. The school had no knowledge of thehardships until after the original request wasnot approved.


Hudsonville High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student whose mother left the studentand whose father is unable to care for him.The student previously attended LakeOdessa-Lakewood High School and partici-pated in athletics. The student is residingwith an older brother who has children in theHudsonville Schools.


Imlay City High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student who previously attendedDetroit-Communication Media Arts High

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School while living with his mother and step-father who are undergoing a divorce. Thestudent was harassed by students and non-students in his old neighborhood and school.At the request of his mother, the student hasrelocated to Imlay City to live with his grand-father.


Ishpeming High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 12th-grade student who previously attendedIshpeming High School for the 9th and 10thgrades and Westwood High School for 11thgrade. A request for waiver of the transferregulation was approved by the ExecutiveCommittee on Nov. 30, 2006, to grant eligi-bility for most of the student's 11th grade atWestwood High School because the studentwas involved in a fatal auto accident.Circumstances related to the family of thoseinvolved in the fatal accident have changed,and the student has reenrolled at IshpemingHigh School to begin the 2007-08 schoolyear.


Jackson-Northwest High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of a 10th-grade student who previous-ly attended Saginaw-Swan Valley HighSchool while living with his mother andfather, who are unmarried, and two elemen-tary age siblings. The mother is in theNational Guard who has recently been sta-tioned in Jackson with anticipated deploy-ment to Iraq. The father stayed in Saginaw tomaintain his job. The student did not partici-pate in athletics previously and wishes toplay tennis for Northwest High School,which only sponsors a varsity team.


Lansing Christian High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - On Sept. 7, 2007,the Executive Committee did not approve arequest to waive the transfer regulation onbehalf of an 18 year old 9th-grade studentwho practiced and participated in competitionfrom Aug. 13-25, 2007 with the WilliamstonHigh School varsity boys soccer team beforeenrolling at Lansing Christian High School.

Both schools submitted additional informa-tion. The student was recently adopted fromGuatemala and arrived in Michigan on May10, 2007, and began attending WilliamstonHigh School on a non-credit basis to becomeacclimated to high school. The student hasonly one year of eligibility remaining as hewill turn 19 years old on June 18, 2008. Thefamily resides in the Williamston SchoolDistrict. Lansing Christian is the closest non-public school to their residence.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver for this, his one and onlyyear of high school athletic eligibility.

Lawrence High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 9th-gradestudent who lived with his parents in Uticaand attended school there for nine daysbefore moving to Lawrence to live with anaunt and uncle. The student did not partici-pate in any scrimmages, contests or practices.The student's father is incarcerated. The stu-dent has a younger sibling diagnosed withcancer.


Leslie High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 12th-grade foreign exchange student from aCSIET-listed program (Youth forUnderstanding) who was placed with a hostfamily that does not reside in the LeslieSchool District. The parents have a 2nd-grade student in the Leslie Schools and olderchildren who graduated from Leslie HighSchool.


Mt. Morris-E. A. Johnson High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation and specificallyInterpretation 72 (9th-grader practicing withanother school) was made on behalf of a 9th-grade student who attended Mt. Morris JuniorHigh School in 2006-07. The student prac-ticed football with Flint-Powers CatholicHigh School for two weeks in August andparticipated in a scrimmage before enrollingat E. A. Johnson to begin the 2007-08 schoolyear.


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Novi-Detroit Catholic Central HighSchool (Regulation I, Section 9) - A requestto waive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of a 10th-grade student who previous-ly attended Troy-Athens High School. Thestudent's father was an assistant wrestlingcoach who reported drug use by other stu-dents, resulting in harassment and vandalism.


Onaway High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 12th-grade student who previously attendedOnaway High School through the 10th gradebefore moving to Gaylord with his biologicalmother for the 11th grade in the 2006-07school year. The student has returned toOnaway to live with his father. The student'sparents never married, but an otherwise com-pleted Educational Transfer Form was sub-mitted along with a birth certificate indicat-ing both parents.


Pentwater High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student who has been a resident of theschool district for 18 years and previouslyattended Hart Public Schools from grades 7-10. An older sibling has attended Pentwatersince 2005. Enrolling the student inPentwater reduced the family's attendance totwo different schools, rather than three,which caused transportation issues.


Rochester-Adams High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of an 11th-grade student who attendedRochester Schools from grades 5-9 beforemoving to Germany due to his father'semployment, expecting to return to Michiganfor the 2008-09 school year. Because thefather's company was sold and the studentcould not receive enough credit to graduatewith his class in 2009, the student and hismother have returned to the same residencein Rochester and reenrolled at Adams HighSchool to begin the 2007-08 school year.The father is responsible for relocating thecompany headquarters to another Europeancity and will return to Rochester in the spring

of 2008 after his overseas employmentresponsibilities are completed.


Sparta High School (Regulation I,Section 9[B]) - A request was made onbehalf of a 10th-grade student to waive thetransfer regulation to permit eligibility at thesubvarsity level only for the first semester ofthe 2007-08 school year. The student attend-ed Sparta High School to begin the 9th gradein 2006-07 and played in two 9th-grade foot-ball games. The student enrolled at KentCity High School for the second semester anddid not participate in athletics at Kent City.

Pursuant to the conditions of this Section(no previous participation), the ExecutiveCommittee did not approve the request forwaiver.

Sterling Heights-Parkway ChristianHigh School (Regulation I, Section 9) - Arequest to waive the transfer regulation wasmade on behalf of an 11th-grade student whopreviously attended Parkway ChristianSchool since Kindergarten except for one andone-half days in September 2007 when thestudent attended Sterling Heights HighSchool. The student reenrolled at ParkwayChristian on Sept. 7, 2007, and has not par-ticipated in athletics at either school thisschool year.


Troy High School (Regulation I, Section9[B]) - A request was made on behalf of a9th-grade student to waive the transfer regu-lation to permit eligibility at the subvarsitylevel only for the first semester of the 2007-08 school year. The student previouslyattended Troy Schools through the 8th gradeand enrolled at Beverley Hills-DetroitCountry Day High School to begin the 2007-08 school year. The student enrolled at TroyHigh School the fourth week of September.The student did not practice, scrimmage orplay in a contest for either school.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver at the subvarsity level onlyuntil the first day that classes are actuallyconducted in the second semester of the2007-08 school year at Troy High School.

Ubly High School (Regulation I, Section9) - On Sept. 6, 2007, the ExecutiveCommittee did not approve a request towaive the transfer regulation on behalf of a

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12th-grade student. The student previouslyattended Bay City-Central High School, willturn 18 in late October 2007, and submittedan Educational Transfer Form under the 18-year-old exception, requesting eligibility ear-lier than his 18th birthday. The school resub-mitted the matter with additional informa-tion, namely, that the student was the victimof an assault in October 2006.

The Executive Committee did not approvethe request for waiver. The student gains eli-gibility on his 18th birthday.

Vassar High School (Regulation I,Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of an 11th-grade student who has lived with his parentsin Vassar his entire life. The student attend-ed Mayville Public Schools since junior highschool along with an older brother. The costof gasoline and the inconvenience of trans-porting the student to Mayville caused thestudent to change schools and enroll atVassar High School to begin the 2007-08school year.


Vestaburg High School (Regulation I,Section 9[B]) - A request was made onbehalf of a 10th-grade student to waive thetransfer regulation to permit eligibility at thesubvarsity level only for the first semester ofthe 2007-08 school year. The student attend-ed school in Ohio for the 9th grade whileresiding with his mother and has moved inwith another family in the Vestaburg SchoolDistrict, enrolling to begin the 2007-08school year. The student has not participatedpreviously in high school sports.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver at the subvarsity level onlyuntil the first day that classes are actuallyconducted in the second semester of the2007-08 school year at Vestaburg HighSchool.

Wayne Memorial High School(Regulation I, Section 9) - A request towaive the transfer regulation was made onbehalf of an 11th-grade student who livedwith his mother and attended Belleville HighSchool. The student has moved to the resi-dence of his father in the Wayne Memorialattendance area. The parents never married,but an otherwise completed EducationalTransfer Form was submitted along with anorder to withhold income for child support

indicating the father and the student. The Executive Committee approved the

request for waiver.Ypsilanti High School (Regulation I,

Section 9) - A request to waive the transferregulation was made on behalf of a 10th-grade student who previously attendedBelleville High School while living with hisfather. The student has moved in with hismother in the Ypsilanti School District andenrolled at Ypsilanti High School to beginthe 2007-08 school year. The parents nevermarried. An Educational Transfer Form isin process. A birth certificate indicating bothparents was submitted.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver pending receipt of a com-pleted Educational Transfer Form in theMHSAA offices.

Grand Rapids-Forest Hills NorthernHigh School (Regulation II, Section 11) -Pursuant to Interpretation 219, a request wasmade to waive the three-player rule on behalfof an assistant high school boys and girls ten-nis coach who was recently hired to work atthe MVP Sportsplex to teach tennis lessonsto a variety of age groups from the greaterGrand Rapids area from all surroundingschool districts.

The Executive Committee did not approvethe request for waiver, noting there are manyoptions for the coach to perform teachingfunctions at the tennis center without violat-ing the three-player rule.

Northville High School (Regulation II,Section 11) - Pursuant to Interpretation 219,a request was made to waive the three-playerrule on behalf of the high school boys swim-ming & diving coach who works full time atthe Sting Rays Aquatic Club, which is runout of the YMCA in Farmington for studentsage 5-18. The program is not affiliated withthe Northville Schools and involves 150 stu-dents in grades 7-12 from 11 different schooldistricts. There are seven participants thisyear from the Northville Schools.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver for the boys swimming &diving coach for the 2007-08 school year.

Tecumseh High School (Regulation II,Section 11) - Pursuant to Interpretation 219,a request was made to waive the three-playerrule on behalf of the high school girls swim-ming & diving coach who works full time asdirector of the Tecumseh Community Pool

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and directs a community swim program for45 students age 5-18 from September throughMarch. Students from five school districtsparticipate. There are three boys and ten girlsfrom the Tecumseh Schools in grades 7-12involved in the program.

The Executive Committee approved therequest for waiver for the girls swimming &diving coach for the 2007-08 school year.

Regulation III, Section 1(C) - Pursuant toInterpretation 244, The Executive Committeeapproved waiver of the enrollment regulationfor the following junior high/middle schoolsto permit 6th-grade students to participatewith and against 7th and 8th-graders for thesports listed in the 2007-08 school year only:

Republic-Michigamme (girls basketball& track)Watervliet-Grace Christian (girls &boys basketball, boys soccer, girls volley-ball)After further discussion concerning enroll-

ments, the following junior high/middleschools were approved for waiver of theenrollment regulation under Interpretation244 to permit 6th-grade students to partici-pate with and against 7th and 8th-graders forthe sports listed during the 2007-08 schoolyear only:

Covert (All sports except football, ice hock-ey & wrestling) Hillman (boys basketball)The Executive Committee requested that

the application of Interpretation 244 bereviewed by both the Junior High/MiddleSchool Committee and the MHSAARepresentative Council.

Ann Arbor-Pioneer High School(Regulation V, Section 4) - A request wasmade to waive the requirement of forfeiturefor use of an ineligible player in two footballgames on Aug. 24 and 30, 2007. The schoolused an ineligible transfer student in thesetwo games and reported this to the MHSAAby fax on Sept. 5, 2007. The school appealedbecause the outcome of the forfeits, causedby adult action, harmed the students whowere not involved in the oversight made byschool administration regarding eligibility.

The Executive Committee did not approvethe request to waive the forfeiture require-ment for participation by an ineligible stu-dent.

Epidemic Emergency Plan - TheExecutive Committee approved a final draftof the contingency plan for interscholasticathletics for immediate use if health emer-gencies require, and then for the approval ofthe Representative Council for use after Nov.30, 2007.

National Federation - The ExecutiveCommittee reviewed discussions from theNational Federation Section 4 meetings.

Representative Council - The ExecutiveCommittee reviewed a draft of the Nov. 30,2007 meeting agenda. The committee autho-rized a special election for the NorthernSection Lower Peninsula Class C and D rep-resentative on the Council.

Scholar-Athlete Committee Nominees -Due to early mailing notices, the ExecutiveCommittee was asked to finalize the list ofindividuals who will be requested to serve onthe Scholar-Athlete Committee in advance ofthe November Executive CommitteeMeeting. Only 36 members actually attendthe meeting in the MHSAA offices; otherscreening and review work of applications isdone in the winter by many members bymailing of applications.

Volleyball District Tournaments - TheExecutive Committee reviewed the currentpolicies for Volleyball District Tournamentscheduling and recent requests from tourna-ment managers and officials assignors forimmediate modifications.

To better accommodate a limited numberof qualified officials and because gym spaceis less crowded in the fall than during thewinter season, the Executive Committeedetermined that Volleyball DistrictTournament scheduling policies shall bemodified as follows for the 2007 tournament:

"If schools assigned to a District are inagreement, District Tournament managershave the flexibility to schedule any numberof matches on any day, Tuesday throughSaturday of District Tournament week."

The Volleyball Committee is requested toreview this and other District Tournamentscheduling policies and prepare a recommen-dation for the Representative Council's con-sideration by May 2008.

Next Meetings - The next meetings of theExecutive Committee are Wednesday, Nov.7, 2007, at 8:30 a.m.; and Thursday, Nov. 29,2007, at 1 p.m. (Representative Councilmeets Friday, Nov. 30). ■

November 2007 184

OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE SECOND MEETING OFBOARD OF CANVASSERS

East Lansing, October 8, 2007

I, whose signature appears below, declare the following to be nominees for, or memberselect of, the Representative Council or the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee of theMichigan High School Athletic Association, Inc., as a result of ballots received in accordancewith the provisions of Article IV, Section 6, of the Constitution, or as authorized by the UpperPeninsula Athletic Committee at its meeting on October 3, 1941.

SOUTHWESTERN SECTION - CLASS C AND D SCHOOLS (#3)

Total number of legal ballots received 34 Ken Deitz, Watervliet 17Chris Miller, Gobles 17

Illegal or incomplete ballots received 3

No Majority - Names of Ken Deitz and Chris Miller Submitted to Schools

Board of Canvassers (Signed)Mike Vondette, Principal, Hemlock High School

OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE THIRD MEETING OFBOARD OF CANVASSERS

Romulus, October 22, 2007

I, whose signature appears below, declare the following to be nominees for, or memberselect of, the Representative Council or the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee of theMichigan High School Athletic Association, Inc., as a result of ballots received in accordancewith the provisions of Article IV, Section 6, of the Constitution, or as authorized by the UpperPeninsula Athletic Committee at its meeting on October 3, 1941.

SOUTHWESTERN SECTION - CLASS C AND D SCHOOLS (#3)

Total number of legal ballots received 31 Ken Deitz, Watervliet 18Chris Miller, Gobles 13

Illegal or incomplete ballots received 1

Elected by Majority of Votes - Ken Deitz

Board of Canvassers (Signed)Mark Woodson, Athletic Director, Romulus High School

185 November 2007

UPPER PENINSULA ATHLETIC COMMITTEE MEETINGEscanaba, Sept. 12, 2007

Committee Members Present:Jim Derocher, NegauneeDan Flynn, EscanabaDon Gustafson, St. IgnacePaul Polfus, CarneyJoe Reddinger, Felch

Catherine Shamion, EwenTom Smith, Escanaba

Staff Member Present:Nate Hampton (Recorder)

The meeting started promptly at 8:30a.m. with Mr. Dan Flynn as chairperson. Thecommittee acknowledged the work of com-mittee member Paul Polfus and his participa-tion in the basketball rules meeting videobeing presented at all MHSAA rules meet-ings. This video, having been produced bythe MHSAA and the Basketball CoachesAssociation of Michigan (BCAM), is pre-sented to basketball coaches and officialswith suggestions for better communicationand bench decorum.

2007-08 BASKETBALLBasketball topics included:

1. Format for Class A District 12; havingonly one Upper Peninsula school,Marquette; and four Northern LowerPeninsula schools: Alpena, Gaylord,Traverse City East and Traverse CityWest. The committee discussed at lengththe possible merits of the previously dis-cussed proposal for a District draw thatwould allow for multiple sites to removesome of the lengthy travel. Membersalso discussed the possibility of applyingthis same draw procedure to Classes Band C in some specific circumstances.

The committee recommends formal dis-cussion with Upper Peninsula schoolsand Lower Peninsula schools that mayrevamp the traditional one site hostDistrict format that all are familiar with.Committee member Dan Flynn, withNate Hampton, will re-write and dis-tribute materials for continued discus-sion.

2. Corrections were noted and made to pub-lished Class D Regional assignments.

3. Discussion was held on Quarterfinal sitesfor Classes C and D: Gaylord and SaultSte. Marie. Contact will be made withboth hosts to clarify their intent to hostboth genders.

2007-08 VOLLEYBALLGeneral information, tournament dates

and Regionals through Finals UpperPeninsula officials' selection were discussed.District managers will select District offi-cials.Quarterfinal 12 C - Michael Lyons, Daggett

Quarterfinal 16D - Vincent Gross, Sault Ste.Marie

Semifinal - Michael Lyons

FOOTBALL OFFICIALS SELECTIONTen of the available 11 crews were

selected for the first round of the 2007 foot-ball tournament. Five crews were selected forDistrict assignments and three crews wereselected for Regional assignments.

One crew, plus three positions; HeadLinesman, Line Judge and Back Judge willalso advance to the Finals competition atFord Field in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 23 orSaturday, Nov. 24, 2007. Finals officials areDonald Lofholm (Head Linesman), Norway;Leonard Angeli (Line Judge), Marquette andBarry James (Back Judge), Marquette.

COMPETITIVE CHEERRegionals are March 1, 2008; Finals are

March 7-8, 2008 at the DeltaPlex in GrandRapids.

Rules meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 24,2007, 7 p.m., Escanaba High School.

November 2007 186

CROSS COUNTRYThe Upper Peninsula Finals will be host-

ed by Sault Ste. Marie High School onSaturday, Oct. 20, 2007.

Competition Order:Girls Division 3Boys Division 3Girls Division 2Boys Division 2Girls Division 1 Boys Division 1

BOYS AND GIRLS GOLFBoys and Girls Finals will be held

Friday, May 30, 2008. Sites to be determinedat the January meeting.

GYMNASTICSRegionals are March 1, 2008; Finals are

March 7-8, 2008 at Troy Athens HighSchool.

Rules meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 24,2007, 5:30 p.m., Escanaba High School.

ICE HOCKEYRegionals: Feb. 25 - March 1, 2008 -

EscanabaQuarterfinals: March 4-5, 2008 - TBASemifinals - March 6-7, 2008 -

Compuware Arena, CantonFinals: Divisions 1, 2 and 3, March 8,

2008 at Compuware Arena, Canton.

SKIINGRegionals: Feb. 14 or 15, 2008. Sites to

be selected by Ski Committee.Finals sites: Feb. 25, 2008. Division 1 -

Nub's Nob; Division 2 - Boyne Mountain

SOCCERBrief discussion relating to Upper

Peninsula soccer school concerns.

BOYS AND GIRLS SWIMMINGFinals: Feb. 16, 2008 - Marquette High

School

TENNISFinals: Girls: Oct. 4, 2007Division 1 - MarquetteDivision 2 - Iron Mountain

Boys: May 29, 2008 Division 1 - MarquetteDivision 2 - Ishpeming or Iron Mountain

TRACK AND FIELDRegionals: May 16-17, 2008Finals: May 31, 2008 at Kingsford High

SchoolThe committee discussed the opportunity

the MHSAA is taking with advancing Trackand Field Rules Meetings via the internet.While there have traditionally been fourRules Meetings across the Upper Peninsula inMarquette, Ontonagon, Escanaba andCedarville, the committee enthusiasticallywelcomes this opportunity, but requests atleast one in-person meeting to be held inMarquette.

WRESTLINGIndividual Wrestling - Palace of Auburn Hills

District: Feb. 16, 2008Regional: Feb. 23, 2008Finals: March 6-8, 2008

Team Wrestling - Kellogg Arena, BattleCreek

District: Div. 2 & 4 - Feb. 13, 2008Div. 1 & 3 - Feb. 14, 2008Regionals: Feb. 20, 2008Finals: Feb. 29 - March 1, 2008

The committee had an opportunity toreview a sample of school assignments forthe inclusion of Upper Peninsula wrestlingschools in the team tournament. The reviewwas made without comment or recommenda-tion for change.

FUTURE MEETINGThe next meeting of the Upper Peninsula

Athletic Committee will be held Sundayevening, Jan. 6 and Monday, Jan. 7 at theEscanaba Best Western. This two sessionmeeting will attempt to accommodate theusual business of the committee and to assignbasketball officials for both the girls and boystournaments. ■

187 November 2007

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

GRAND SLAM LEADERSHIP(The Importance of Purpose)

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, theCleveland Orchestra prepared for a concerton Thursday, rehearsing Mahler's FifthSymphony. However, as the magnitude ofthe terrorist attacks became clear, orchestramembers began to put away their instrumentsfor the day.

The orchestra director and the conductormet the next day to determine what to doabout Thursday's concert. Thinking theycould cancel, as most other public events thatweek; or thinking they could go ahead with aconcert, but play patriotic music.

The orchestra director and conductorfinally concluded that, perhaps more than atany other time in history, the people ofCleveland needed the orchestra to do the onething it does supremely well, which is to playthe most powerful orchestral music ever cre-ated by the human race. And they decided togo ahead with Mahler's Fifth - a pieceinspired by the extreme emotions of death,love and life. Mahler's Fifth begins with asomber funeral march announced by a solotrumpet, then joined by cataclysmiconslaughts from the full orchestra, ending anhour later with a cathartic celebration of birthand renewal. It's almost as if Mahler hadwritten the piece after 9/11, not a hundredyears earlier, to console our nation.

On the evening of Sept. 13, the concerthall filled to capacity. As people arrived,they received a slip of paper with this mes-sage: "Tonight's concert will begin with amoment of silence."

At the appointed time, the conductorstrode onto the stage in his tux and tails,turned to the audience and began the momentof silence. However, it wasn't just a moment.The silence was carried long past a minute,almost to two minutes, right to the pointwhere five seconds more would have beenfive seconds too long. Then the conductorlooked up, he turned around to the orchestraas the audience was seated, raised his baton;and then with the flick of a wrist, shatteredthe silence with the opening trumpet salvo ofMahler's Fifth.

After the stunning, captivating perfor-mance, the orchestra director said this:"There is absolutely nothing we could havedone to be of better service at that momentthan to stick with what we do best, standingfirm behind our core values of great musicdelivered with uncompromising artisticexcellence."

Writes Jim Collins in Good to Great andthe Social Sectors, "It didn't matter that somepatrons might want a rousing sing-along, orthat others felt the orchestra should not playat all. It didn't matter that some mightchoose not to donate in the coming year, orthat the media might criticize. What mat-tered is that the orchestra remained true to itscore values, . . . doing for the people ofCleveland only what it could do better thanany other organization in the world."

Likewise, when facing difficulties inschool sports, we must look into the soul ofschool sports, and then draw upon and lift upits core values.

In every challenge we face, we lift upcore values; we depend on them and defendthem.

• Every time we're in litigation over a rule,it's not really the rule that's at issue butthe core value of having schools makeand enforce the rules of educational ath-letics.

This is the second in a series of Bulletin articles examining ideas for successful leadership.

“Nothing contributes so much totranquilize the mind as a steadypurpose.”

— Mary Wollstonecraft ShellyEnglish Novelist

November 2007 188

The MHSAA Handbook requires that any coach who is not an administrator or a member ofthe regular teaching staff of the school district must be registered by the school with theMHSAA. The requirement pertains to all nonfaculty coaches, full-time or part-time, paid orvolunteer.

The regulation states, "The person responsible for the immediate training or coaching of asecondary athletic team SHOULD be a member of the regular teaching staff of the school. If anonfaculty member is used, that person must be registered by the school with the MHSAA ona form provided for that purpose BEFORE assuming any coaching duties. A nonfaculty mem-ber coach must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and not a current high school student.

"Note: The Representative Council urges that all schools strive for the standard that onlyqualified faculty members are used as head coaches of interscholastic athletic teams, and allnonfaculty coaches complete the MHSAA's Program for Athletic Coaches' Education (PACE)or equivalent program."

There are two ways to fulfill the registration requirement:1. The easiest way to register nonfaculty varsity head coaches is online at mhsaa.com, as you

provide School Directory information.2. Forms for registering other nonfaculty coaches may be requested from the MHSAA or may

be found online at mhsaa.com. Forms may be submitted throughout the school year asnonfaculty coaches are assigned. Many schools submit forms just prior to each season: fall,winter and spring. ■

REGISTER ALL NONFACULTY COACHESBEFORE THEY ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES

• When years ago a governor tried to forcenon-enrolled students to be eligible inschool sports, our defense was a corevalue, the enrollment rule. Rule No. 1 inthe Handbook: being a student in theschool you represent in sports is a corevalue of school sports.

• And the seasons litigation? The seasonsdecisions of schools were based on a corevalue, to maximize participation. Ourdefense of those decisions was based on acore value, to maximize participation.And our implementation of the court-ordered change will pursue a core value,to maximize participation, regardless ofthe difficulties ahead.

Is it a difficult time? Then look to thecore value for the defense of what we'redoing and the inspiration to keep doing it.

A steady purpose is a good comfort intough times and a good compass in all times. ■

“It can truly be said that nothinghappens until there is vision. But itis equally true that a vision with nounderlying sense of purpose, nocalling, is just a good idea.”

— Peter Senge, AuthorThe Fifth Discipline

And We Quote —“Versatility. I don’t like a guard or a center or a one-sport guy. Most bas-

ketball coaches love one sport guys. I hate one-sport guys. I like multidimen-sional people because I think they have multidimensional skills.”

– Tom IzzoMichigan State University Men’s Basketball Coach

on what he looks for in prospective players

189 November 2007

HEALTH & SAFETY

SPRAINS, STRAINS & CONTUSIONSThe most common sports related injuries

include sprains, strains and contusions.Contusions are injuries to bones or soft

tissue that result from direct impact to theinjured site whether it be contact from anopponent, the playing surface or sportingequipment such as a stick or ball. The impactresults in a painful bruise or hemorrhage(bleeding). The bleeding will often accumu-late into a blood tumor which presents as ahard lump at the site of impact.

Healing time increases with a greater areaof impact and/or higher force. Time to returnto play is affected by the location and amountof loss of function associated with the injury.A general rule of thumb is that an athleteshould have full joint range of motion and fullstrength of the surrounding musculaturebefore re-entering a practice or game. Anycontusions involving tingling or numbnessshould be closely monitored and medicalevaluation is recommended.

Contusions to the back or abdomenshould be carefully evaluated by a qualifiedmedical professional to ensure that an injuryto underlying organs has not occurred as thiscan result in internal bleeding, a medicalemergency requiring immediate attention.Contusions typically take 1-2 weeks to heal,however the lump often associated with theinjury may take a prolonged period of time toresolve. Re-injury to the same site increaseshealing time and can lead to complications.

Sprains are injuries to joint connectivetissue (ligaments) that result from overstretchor tearing of these stabilizing structures. Thistype of injury occurs when a joint is forcedbeyond its normal range of motion causingligaments, capsule and/or joint membranes totear to varying degrees. The extent of injury isgraded on a 1-3 scale.

Grade 1 injuries are the mildest of sprainsand are characterized by overstretching ofconnective tissue with the possibility ofmicroscopic tearing of tissue. These injuriesare associated with minor pain, minimal ten-derness to touch, minimal loss of joint func-tion, and little to no swelling. These injuries

usually heal quickly but may require supportfrom either taping or bracing for a few days toa few weeks. Typically healing time for aGrade 1 sprain is 2-10 days.

Grade 2 sprains involve some partial tear-ing of the ligaments and are accompanied bymoderate levels of pain, slight to moderateloss of range of motion, function, and stabili-ty, a moderate amount of swelling. Theseinjuries can take 10 days to six weeks to heal.

Grade 3 sprains are severe and can resultin complete rupture of ligaments involved.These sprains cause extreme pain, loss offunction and instability. These injuries willswell significantly and should be x-rayed torule out bone injury. With or without fracture,Grade 3 sprains may require temporary cast-ing or splinting. Athletes will often be non-weight-bearing for one to several weeks andrequire extensive healing time before returnto sports. Formal rehabilitation during therecovery period with a Certified AthleticTrainer or Physical Therapist is recommend-ed with this degree of injury to ensure safereturn to sport. Athletes may need to refrainfrom athletic participation for 6-10 weekswhen a Grade 3 sprain has been sustained.

Strains are injuries to muscle or tendontissue. Strains can be caused by overstretch ortear of muscle tissue. These tiny tears accu-mulate over time and eventually result in astrain or pain. A ballistic over-stretch of amuscle during a sprint or powerful kick canalso lead to muscle strains. Strains can also becaused by an abnormal muscle contractionthat can occur as a result of dehydration, poormuscle flexibility and/or muscle weakness.Strains are graded on a scale similar to thesprain grading scale.

Grade 1 strains involve a minute tearingof muscle fibers. Minor strains are mildlypainful to the touch and when stretched andare associated with minimal loss of strength.Mild swelling and bruising may be present.Protective wrapping may be indicated withreturn to athletics possible in 2-6 weeks.

Grade 2 strains are a partial tear of themuscle and show greater functional limita-

November 2007 190

tions than Grade 1 strains. Healing time istypically longer and may range from 6-12weeks.

Grade 3 strains are most significant withsevere pain, loss of function and loss ofstrength. The greater extent of muscle tearingthat occurs with Grade 3 strains can often bedetected as a divot or gap in the muscle fiberswhen touched. This degree of strain is verypainful to the touch and often accompaniedby extensive swelling and bruising. Healingtime adequate for return to athletic participa-tion can take as long as 12-16 weeks.

Consult your physician if you have sig-nificant loss of function, if your symptomsare not resolving quickly or if you have anyconcerns or questions about the symptomsyou are experiencing

For further information on this article orfor priority appointments for sports injuriesplease contact Henry Ford Center for AthleticMedicine at 313-972-4216.

Henry Ford Health System’s Center forAthletic Medicine offers a comprehensiveapproach to sports medicine, including surgi-cal and non-surgical care, sports rehabilita-tion, injury prevention, and performanceenhancement programs. The HFHS treatmentteam includes sports medicine fellowshiptrained orthopedic surgeons, sports medicinefellowship trained primary care physicians, aswell as certified athletic trainers and physicaltherapists. These health care professionals aresupported by the HFHS nationally recognizedbone and joint research facility, including theprestigious Herrick Davis Motion AnalysisLab. HFHS is proud to be health careproviders to the Detroit area’s premier sportsprograms including professional, collegiate,and high school athletes. ■

TRAVEL FORM FOR OUT-OF-STATE PRACTICEThe following schools have submitted the travel form for out of state practice which is

required by the MHSAA Handbook, Regulation II, Section 6(B). The regulation states that:Schools which desire to conduct practice out of state at a site more than 600 highway milesround-trip from their location must complete and submit to the MHSAA office the "TravelForm for Out-Of-State Practice" at least 30 days in advance of departure.

FALL:No forms submitted

WINTER:Boys Swimming:Brighton

Alpine Ski:Detroit Country DayGreenvillePontiac Notre Dame Prep

SPRING:Baseball:East KentwoodEssexville Garber

Softball:AlmaCaledoniaHolt

Scholar-Athlete Award Deadline Approaching!

Applications for the MHSAA-Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete Award are due in theMHSAA office by 4 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2007. Students may download an applicationdirectly from the Scholar-Athlete page on the MHSAA Web site, and school administra-tors must complete a School Applicant List by logging in to the password-protectedSchool Services area of MHSAA.com.

If you have questions about any part of the Scholar-Athlete Award process, pleasecall Andy Frushour in the MHSAA office – 517-332-5046.

The MHSAA Student Advisory Council,sponsored by AT&T, recently convened inEast Lansing to author a belief statement as itsguiding principle, among other agenda topics.The statement appears in the box below.

The SAC is a 16-member group whichprovides feedback on issues impacting educa-tional athletics from a student’s perspective.

Members of the Student Advisory Councilserve for two years, beginning as juniors.Eight new members will be selected annuallyto the SAC, with nominations made byMHSAA member schools. The Council meetsfive times each school year to discuss the edu-cational value of interscholastic athletics,emphasizing scholarship, sportsmanship, safe-ty, scope and student leadership of school.

As members of the Student AdvisoryCouncil, these students will act as a voice ofMichigan’s student-athletes; serving as a stu-dent sounding board for the MHSAA’sRepresentative Council; assist in planningSportsmanship Summits, Captain’s Clinicsand other student leadership events; participatein a yearly focus group about the state of highschools sports for Michigan State University’sInstitute for the Study of Youth Sports; andassist with medal ceremonies at MHSAAchampionship events.

AT&T covers all of the expenses of theSAC, including the travel costs of memberstudent-athletes to meetings and MHSAA

tournaments. In addition, AT&T makes a$1,000 donation to the athletic department ofeach school which is represented on theStudent Advisory Council, which may bespent as each department sees fit.

191 November 2007

STUDENT FOCUS

STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL AIMSTO KEEP SPORTS IN PERSPECTIVE

2007-08 Student Advisory Council members arefront (L to R): Rachel Gebauer, Alpena; BrittanyBullock, Lansing Catholic; Molly Waterhouse,Vicksburg; Andria Baker, Constantine; DustinBaker, St. Louis; Bryce Bilinski, SouthgateAnderson; Blake Laethem, Caro; Eric Howard,Hudsonville Freedom Baptist. Second Row: JeffreyPetsch, Montague; Adam Dingman, Cedarville;Matthew Herman, East Kentwood; C.C. Weber,Goodrich; Abby Cohen, Bloomfield HillsCranbrook-Kingswood; Molly Lockwood, Fife LakeForest Area; Michelle DeMuro, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer. Not Pictured: Willie Cruz, HarrisonTownship L’Anse Creuse.

Student Advisory Council Belief StatementAs the voice of Michigan's student-athletes, the Student Advisory Council's role is to con-

vey the message of how high school sports are supposed to be played. We are responsible forhelping the MHSAA maintain a positive and healthy atmosphere in which interscholastic ath-letes can thrive.

We believe athletes should be competitive, sportsmanlike and excel academically. Webelieve students in the stands should have fun, but not take the focus away from the game. Webelieve coaches should act as teachers, helping student-athletes develop while still keepinghigh school sports in perspective. We believe that parents should always be positive role mod-els and be supportive of their child's decisions. We believe officials commit their own time tohigh school sports and respect should always be shown and given to them.

The most important goal for student-athletes is to enjoy high school sports while keeping ahigh level of respect between all those involved in the games.

November 2007 192

The lifelong lessons taught by highschool extra-curricular activities aren’t exclu-sive to athletics -- students participating in allforms of such programs reap their benefits.

To help add value to the after schoolexperience – athletic and non-athletic – theMichigan High School Athletic Associationis partnering for the fourth straight year withthe Michigan Association of BroadcastersFoundation, to present the Sports PublicService Announcement category of theMABF’s annual Student BroadcastingAwards.

The Student Broadcasting Awards areopen to high school and college studentsacross the state. There are numerous cate-gories at the high school and college levels inboth radio and television. The entry deadlineis December 14. Complete entry informationcan be found on the MAB’s Web site –michmab.com – and clicking on MABFoundation.

In the Sports Public ServiceAnnouncement category, students are askedto submit a message of either 30 or 60 sec-onds in length on a subject which helps tellthe story of educational athletics. Possibletopics include: the value of participation,sportsmanship, sports perspective issues, theprivilege of participation, game officialrecruitment, and encouraging people to sup-port their local school athletic program.

The MHSAA recognizes the top entrieseach year by having the PSA’s shown onvideo message boards at selected champi-onship events, airing the messages on the

MHSAA-MAB Foundation ChampionshipRadio Network and FSN Detroit, and dis-tributing the messages to radio, televisionand cable outlets across the state. Last year’swinning entries, “Teamwork” – produced byDavison High School; and “Sports Are APrivilege” – produced by Haslett HighSchool – can be viewed atMHSAANetwork.com under the HighlightedBroadcasts section.

The MHSAA also recognizes the tophigh school student broadcasters in the sportsplay-by-play category of the competition bythem providing opportunities to announcechampionship events on the MHSAAInternet Broadcast Network.

The MAB Foundation is not-for-profitorganized dedicated to promote, support andenhance the broadcast industry for the goodof all Michigan citizens, through education,research, public service, historical preserva-tion, information dissemination and a com-mitment to diversity in all aspects of thebroadcast industry. A major part of the foun-dation is to promote excellence through adiverse broadcasting work force by offeringscholarships, internships and continuing edu-cation opportunities. ■

STUDENT FOCUS

MHSAA/MAB TEAM UP FOR STUDENTBROADCASTING AWARDS PROGRAM

193 November 2007

MHSAA COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR 2007-08As Appointed by the Representative Council or Executive Committee

Listed below are the coaches, ADs, principals, superintendents, other faculty members andboard of education members of MHSAA member schools who have been selected by theMHSAA Executive Committee to serve on the 2007-08 sport committees, and committees ofspecial interest that are meeting prior to Dec. 31, 2007. All committee members who will beasked to serve on a committee that will meet after Dec. 31, 2007 will be sent invitations the sec-ond week of November 2007. NOTE: This list includes names of some individuals who havebeen invited but have not confirmed as of Oct. 9, 2007.

Committee appointments are made on an annual basis after receiving nominations of schoolsand recommendations of MHSAA Representative Council members. Potential committee mem-bers are notified of their appointments early in September as the school year begins. At thattime, committee members receive a description of committee responsibilities and the dates andtimes of the meetings. The MHSAA requests that schools do not send substitutes.

Each year school representatives who serve as committee members meet in the MHSAAbuilding to provide staff members with an array of opinions and information. Sport committeesmeet to select tournament sites, specify tournament procedures, and set time schedules. Sportcommittees may also recommend changes to the Representative Council regarding regular-sea-son play and tournament qualification procedures.

Each committee is comprised of representatives from Class A, B, C, and D schools if possi-ble, and the members are from several geographic areas of the state. A committee may be com-prised mainly of coaches or administrators, depending on the responsibilities of each particularcommittee. Several of the sport committees will include a representative, if not the president, ofthe coaches association of that sport. Beginning with 1990-91, MIAAA and/or MASSP represen-tatives have been appointed to committees for most sports, and officials where appropriate.

(5) Athletic EquityThursday, Oct. 4, 2007 9:30 a.m.Makia Alexander, Official, Redford Jarrod Beebe, Athletic Director, JW Sexton HS, Lansing (A)Rick Dorn, Athletic Director, Waterford Mott HS, Waterford (A)Sonya Dudley, Athletic Director, Arthur Hill HS, Saginaw (A)Carman Kennedy, Athletic Director, Grosse Pointe North HS, Grosse Pointe (A)Maureen Klocke, Athletic Director, Yale HS, Yale (B)Mark Shooshanian, Athletic Director, Fordson HS, Dearborn (A)Patti Tibaldi, Athletic Director, Traverse City West HS, Traverse City (A)Tammy Wilson, Athletic Director, Lawton HS, Lawton (C)

(10) Awards CommitteeMonday, Oct. 8, 2007 9:30 a.m.Keith Eldred, Dean of Students, Williamston Middle School, Williamston Jim Glazier, Principal, Caledonia HS, Caledonia (A)Sal Malek, Athletic Director, Ladywood HS, Livonia (B)Sean McNatt, Principal, Bronson HS, Bronson (C)Jim Sanford, Athletic Director, Lakeshore HS, Stevensville (B)Jason Smith, Athletic Director, Saranac HS, Saranac (C)Mike Vondette, Principal, Hemlock HS, Hemlock (B)

(25) Baseball/Softball Site SelectionMonday, Nov. 26, 2007 9:30 a.m.Jack Anderson, Softball Coach, Portland HS, Portland (B)Steve Baker, Athletic Director, Gaylord HS, Gaylord (A)Sue Barthold, President-MHSSCA, Kentwood Jeremy Beal, Athletic Director, Hudson Area HS, Hudson (C)Wes Cummings, Athletic Director, Belding Area HS, Belding (B)

November 2007 194

William Goldsmith, Athletic Director, Western International HS, Detroit (A)Bob Guse, Athletic Director, Ross Beatty HS, Cassopolis (C)Kevin Herendeen, Principal, East Jackson HS, Jackson (C)Brian Kelly, Athletic Director, De La Salle Collegiate HS, Warren (A)Kyle Kiser, Principal, Reese HS, Reese (C)Karen Leinaar, Athletic Director, Benzie Central HS, Benzonia (B)Al Martus, Athletic Director, Goodrich HS, Goodrich (B)Brian Myers, Athletic Director, Bangor HS, Bangor (C)Terry Newton, Athletic Director, St Philip Catholic Central HS, Battle Creek (D)Jeff Phillips, Athletic Director, Owosso HS, Owosso (A)Aaron Setlack, Athletic Director, Cousino HS, Warren (A)Carol Sheldon, Softball Coach, Hazel Park HS, Hazel Park (A)Wayne Turmell, President-MHSBCA, Bad Axe HS, Bad Axe (C)Dick VanderKamp, Administrator, Christian HS, Grand Rapids (A)Bob Veitch, Baseball Coach, Lakewood HS, Lake Odessa (B)

(30) BasketballThursday, Dec. 6, 2007 9:30 a.m.Tim Beebe, Basketball Coach, Haslett HS, Haslett (B)Mark Farrell, Basketball Coach, Lakewood HS, Lake Odessa (B)Frelen Gowen, Boys Basketball Coach, Three Rivers HS, Three Rivers (B)Tom Hursey, President-BCAM, 202 East Meadowbrook Drive, Midland Chris Miller, Athletic Director, Gobles HS, Gobles (C)Steve Newkirk, Principal, Clare Middle School, Clare (MASSP)Cheri Smith, Basketball Coach, Lenawee Christian HS, Adrian (D)Marshall Thomas, Athletic Director, Saginaw HS, Saginaw (A)Arnetta Thompson, Asst. Principal, Union HS, Grand Rapids (A)Marc Throop, Athletic Director, Gull Lake HS, Richland (MIAAA) (B)John Verdura, Assoc. Director, Archdiocese of Detroit, Detroit Reuben Washington, Asst. Principal, Denby Tech & Prep HS, Detroit (A)Robert Williams, Facility Manager, U Of D Jesuit HS, Detroit (A)

(35) Board Of CanvassersMonday, Sept. 17, 2007 9:30 a.m.Leon Olszamowski, President, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Pontiac (B)Jack Postma, Principal, Unity Christian HS, Hudsonville (B)Ronald Stoneman, Superintendent, Walkerville HS, Walkerville (D)Mike Vondette, Principal, Hemlock HS, Hemlock (B)Mark Woodson, Athletic Director, Romulus HS, Romulus (A)

(50) Boys Tennis SeedingMonday, Oct. 15, 2007 3p.m.Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007 8 a.m.Keith Bernacki, Tennis Coach, Seaholm HS, Birmingham (A)Glenn Corey, Tennis Coach, Dakota HS, Macomb (A)Gary Ellis, Athletic Director, Allegan HS, Allegan (B)Erin Fouty, Tennis Coach, NorthPointe Christian HS, Grand Rapids (C)Eric Gajar, Tennis Coach, Greenhills HS, Ann Arbor (C)Dee McCaffrey, Tennis Coach, Mason HS, Mason (A)Barb Myler, Tennis Coach, Shrine Catholic HS, Royal Oak (C)Jeff Newingham, Athletic Director, Garber HS, Essexville (B)Bryan Polston, Tennis Coach, Okemos HS, Okemos (A)John Shade, Tennis Coach, Grosse Ile HS, Grosse Ile (B)Dwayne (Tiger) Teusink, Advisory, 52 East 30th Street, Holland (Advisory)

195 November 2007

(95) GolfWednesday, Nov. 28, 2007 1 p.m.Mike Clark, Athletic Director, Holland HS, Holland (A)Terri Clock, Athletic Director, Bunker Middle School, Muskegon (MIAAA)Jack Foster, Golf Coach @ Cadillac HS, 1013 Warbler Lane, Cadillac Leroy Hackley, Athletic Director, Jenison HS, Jenison (A)Bill Hayes, Golf Coach, Detroit Catholic Central HS, Novi (A)Tom Hunt, Athletic Director, East Lansing HS, East Lansing (A)Todd Hursey, Golf Coach, Suttons Bay HS, Suttons Bay (C)Paul Martin, Golf Coach, Flushing HS, Flushing (A)Carol Melcher, Golf Coach, Saline HS, Saline (A)Mike Neuman, Athletic Director, Catholic Central HS, Grand Rapids (B)Steve Rodriguez, Golf Coach, Pioneer HS, Ann Arbor (A)Barry Shanley, Golf Coach, Lawton HS, Lawton (C)George Stockero, Principal, Chassell HS, Chassell (MASSP) (D)Mark Turnbull, Athletic Director, Onsted HS, Onsted (B)Ken Wright, Golf Coach, Wylie E Groves HS, Beverly Hills (A)

(100) GymnasticsWednesday, Oct. 10, 2007 9:30 a.m.John Cunningham, President-MHSGCJA, Plymouth Tim Erickson, Athletic Director, Rockford HS, Rockford (A)Deanna Fakhouri, Gymnastics Coach, Athens HS, Troy (A)Jamie Gent, Athletic Director, Haslett HS, Haslett (B)Joe Haines, Athletic Director, Kenowa Hills HS, Grand Rapids (A)Chris Riker, Athletic Director, Portage Northern HS, Portage (A)John Thompson, Athletic Director, Brighton HS, Brighton (MIAAA) (A)Susie Weldon, Gymnastics Coach, Freeland HS, Freeland (B)Tracy Will, Gymnastics Coach, Forest Hills Central HS, Grand Rapids (A)

(140) Officials ReviewMonday, Sept. 24, 2007 9:30 a.m.Dave Baldus, Mid-Michigan Off. Assn., Fremont Dave Bos, Ok Conference - Red Div., Hudsonville Jim Danhoff, Big 16/KVA, Richland Curt Ellis, Kensington Valley Conf., Novi HS, Novi (A)Kevin Green, Greater Thumb Conf., Pigeon Steve Grinczel, Greater Lansing Soccer Ref. Assn., Haslett Don Gustafson, Straits Area Conference, La Salle HS, St Ignace (C)Steve Hines, Lake Michigan Conf., East Jordan HS, East Jordan (C)Bruce Keeling, Jackson Officials Assn., Reading Mike McIntosh, Michigan Mega Conference, Ypsilanti HS, Ypsilanti (A)Steve Miller, Eastside Volleyball Off. Assn., Warren Betty Near, West Michigan Volleyball Off. Assn., Kentwood Robert Price, South Central Off. Assn., Battle Creek Rob Pumford, Mid-Thumb Wrestling Off. Assn., Owosso Teri Reyburn, Capital Area Activities Conf., DeWitt Frank Ruzicka, All American Off. Assn., Auburn Hills

(150) SkiTuesday, Nov. 6, 2007 9:30 a.m.Mike Barry, Ski Coach, Lahser HS, Bloomfield Hills (A)Kerry Boone, Ski Coach, Walled Lake Northern HS, Commerce (A)Ken Brackney, President-MHSSCA, Fenton HS, Fenton (A)Todd Bruggema, Principal, Cadillac HS, Cadillac (MASSP) (B)

November 2007 196

Mark Fisher, Ski Coach, Glen Lake HS, Maple City (C)Christy Salonen, Ski Coach, Marquette HS, Marquette (A)Megan Thayer, Assoc. Athletic Director, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Pontiac (B)Patti Tibaldi, Athletic Director, Traverse City West HS, Traverse City (MIAAA) (A)

(190) Track & Field StandardsWednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 9:30 a.m.Marcelle Caruthers, Girls Track Coach, Everett HS, Lansing (A)Rudy Godefroidt, Superintendent, Hemlock HS, Hemlock (B)Lorenda Jonas, Principal, Bath Middle School, Bath Brian Macomber, Official, Comstock Park Paul Nilsson, Track Coach, Williamston HS, Williamston (B)Pat Richardson, Athletic Director, Grass Lake HS, Grass Lake (C)Mike Roberts, Athletic Director, Hillsdale HS, Hillsdale (C)Mike Unger, Athletic Director, Lutheran HS Westland, Westland (D)

(200) VolleyballTuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 9:30 a.m.Tim Bearden, Principal, Grosse Pointe South HS, Grosse Pointe (A)Laura Cleveland, Volleyball Coach, Chelsea HS, Chelsea (B)Kayleen Cook, Volleyball Coach, DeWitt HS, DeWitt (B)Tim Croel, Athletic Director, Frankenmuth HS, Frankenmuth (B)Curt Ellis, Athletic Director, Novi HS, Novi (MIAAA) (A)Paul Hornak, Athletic Director, Ithaca HS, Ithaca (C)Robin Kozuch, Volleyball Coach, Morley Stanwood HS, Morley (C)Brian Sarvello, Principal, Ishpeming HS, Ishpeming (MASSP) (C)Kris Schrotenboer, Volleyball Coach, Northview HS, Grand Rapids (A)Cindy Short, Athletic Director, Everett HS, Lansing (A)Fred Smith, Athletic Director, Buchanan HS, Buchanan (B)Jennifer Thunberg, President-MIVCA, Central HS, Bay City (A)Patti Tibaldi, Athletic Director, Traverse City West HS, Traverse City (A)Sheri Warner, Volleyball Coach, New Lothrop HS, New Lothrop (D)Bill Wolfe, Volleyball Coach, Shrine Catholic HS, Royal Oak (C)

(210) Volleyball Site SelectionTuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 9:30 a.m.Tom Bouma, Athletic Director, Calvin Christian HS, Grandville (C)Mike Clark, Athletic Director, Holland HS, Holland (A)Dottie Davis, Athletic Director, Huron HS, Ann Arbor (A)Dan Delamarter, Athletic Director, Ubly HS, Ubly (C)Greg Hermson, Athletic Director, Lakeview HS, Battle Creek (A)Kathy Hutfilz, Athletic Director, St Louis HS, St Louis (C)Carolyn Krynak, Athletic Director, Royal Oak HS, Royal Oak (A)Jean LaClair, Athletic Director, Bronson HS, Bronson (C)Karen Leinaar, Athletic Director, Benzie Central HS, Benzonia (B)Steve Plunkitt, Athletic Director, Imlay City HS, Imlay City (B)Teri Reyburn, Athletic Director, DeWitt HS, DeWitt (B)Pat Richardson, Athletic Director, Grass Lake HS, Grass Lake (C)Peter Ryan, Athletic Director, Heritage HS, Saginaw (A)Chris Schneider, Athletic Director, East Detroit HS, Eastpointe (A)Fred Smith, Athletic Director, Buchanan HS, Buchanan (B)Terri Lee Smith, Athletic Director, Inland Lakes HS, Indian River (C)Betty Wroubel, Athletic Director, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Pontiac (B)

197 November 2007

OFFICIALS REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETINGEast Lansing, September 24, 2007

The 2007-2008 MHSAA OfficialsReview Committee met to review topicsinvolving high school officiating. After intro-ductions were completed, the committeereviewed the terms of appointment to theOfficials Review Committee, as well as thecharge and mission of the group relative tothe MHSAA decision making process.

DISCUSSION ITEMSReview of 2007 Representative

Council Actions – The committee receivedan update from the May meeting of theRepresentative Council. Approved itemsincluded: optional rules tests in severalsports; determining tournament assignmentsin each zone by the number of available offi-cials; approval of the school sportsmanshipfeedback program; elimination of the annualregistration patch (permanent patch in 08-09); allowances for Michigan officials to usemembership in out-of-state associations tomeet the Approved Association requirement;and allowing MHSAA registered officialswho live out of state to work entry level tour-naments as long as all other published crite-ria are met.

Officials Program Updates – MHSAAstaff reported that over 16,000 criminal histo-ry checks had been completed of all regis-tered officials. Every official will be subjectto subsequent, random checks every threeyears. It was also noted that online registra-tion numbers have increased in 2007-08,with over 71 percent of officials registeringonline this year which is up from 58 percentin 2006-07. A brief update was also given

regarding future online services, including:tournament assignment notification; onlinerules meetings; the officials technology sur-vey; and officials video training through theOfficials Education Consortium project. Asummary was also provided on the summerofficials meetings which took place inAugust at DeWitt High School.

Observation Program – MHSAA staffwill be working with local ApprovedAssociations in the identification ofobservers and association reimbursement forthe MHSAA observation program. The first"class" of observers will be trained at DeWittHigh School on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008.

School Sportsmanship Feedback – Anupdate was provided on a variety of sports-manship initiatives, including the viewing ofthe BCAM coach and official communica-tion video that is being shown at all basket-ball rules meetings and is being distributed toeach member school. The implementation ofan online school sportsmanship feedbackprogram by officials was also discussed.Officials would log into the MHSAA Website following a contest to submit feedback asto whether sportsmanship exceeded expecta-tions, met expectations or was below expec-tations in the following categories:1. Sportsmanship of Student-Athletes2. Sportsmanship of Coaching Staff3. Sportsmanship of Adult Spectators4. Sportsmanship of Student Spectators5. Game Management (Host school only)

This input from this committee will beused in finalizing the program and subse-quent demonstration to the Representative

Members Present:Dave Baldus, FremontBruce Keeling, ReadingDave Bos, HudsonvilleMike McIntosh, Ypsilanti Jim Danhoff, RichlandSteve Miller, WarrenCurt Ellis, NoviBetty Near, KentwoodKevin Green, PigeonRobert Price, Battle Creek

Steve Grinczel, HaslettRob Pumford, OwossoDon Gustafson, St. IgnaceTerri Reyburn, DeWittSteve Hines, East JordanFrank Ruzicka, Auburn Hills

Staff Members Present:Mark Uyl (Recorder)

November 2007 198

Council by MHSAA staff at the Nov. 30meeting.

RATINGS & TOURNAMENTSELECTION

The committee reviewed three pieces ofcorrespondence relative to ratings, and sug-gestions for improvement. While the ideassubmitted had some merit, the committeebelieved that recent changes to the rating pro-cess, including online submission by schoolsand online access to that data by officials,have dramatically improved how the numbersare being used for tournament selection. Themembership in-good-standing requirementwas also discussed, with ideas being formu-lated on how to expand this requirement toother sports.

2008 MHSAA Officials SummerMeetings: A brief discussion was had onfuture agenda items, formats and content ofthe upcoming officials meetings next sum-mer.

ITEMS FORWARDED TO OTHER MHSAA COMMITTEESThe committee members expressed con-

cern over the change in policy that nowallows schools to wait an unlimited amountof time when weather interrupts contests onnights not followed by a day of school. Thespecific concerns included:1. In some cases, contests are not starting

until after 9 p.m., which means somecontests are concluding at, near or aftermidnight.

2. With school beginning after Labor Day,many sub-varsity contests (football andsoccer) are now subject to this new poli-cy which many committee membersbelieved was intended to cover varsitycontests only. With these late starts onThursday night, for example, officials aregetting off the field very late with aworkday following the next morning.

The committee simply wanted this issuediscussed further by the Football committeeand other groups that this change in policyhas affected.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

1. Beginning in 2008, provide the ApprovedAssociation and Registered Assignorsummer meetings in an online format.The 2008 meeting will be an online meet-ing which includes the verification testwhile the face-to-face meetings will beheld again in 2009 (16-0).

2. Officials who are members in-good-standing of an Approved Associationwho meet all other tournament criteriawill be given priority consideration(assigned games first) in the sports ofbaseball and softball. As more ApprovedAssociations develop in lacrosse, com-petitive cheer, gymnastics and ice hock-ey, this same requirement will go intoeffect in those sports (14-0). ■

199 November 2007

ATHLETIC EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETINGEast Lansing, October 4, 2007

Members Present:Makia Alexander, Redford Jarrod Beebe, Lansing Rick Dorn, Waterford Sonya Dudley, Saginaw Leroy Hackley, JenisonCarman Kennedy, Grosse Pointe Maureen Klocke, Yale Mark Shooshanian, Dearborn

Patti Tibaldi, Traverse City Tammy Wilson, Lawton

Staff Members Present:Nate Hampton (Recorder)Gina Mazzolini (Presentation)John E. (Jack) Roberts (Presentation)Mark Uyl (Presentation)Kathy Vruggink Westdorp (Presentation)

Following the welcome, introduction ofcommittee members, and review of meetingfolder materials, the committee was remindedof its authority and responsibility, noting thatall recommendations will be directed to theRepresentative Council, or MHSAA staff, ora specific sport committee for action.

EQUITY COMMITTEE AUTHORITYAND RESPONSIBILITY

The Equity Committee, as with any otherMHSAA Standing Committee, has the dutyand responsibility to discuss matters of spe-cific interest relating to equity opportunitiesfor women and minority men and women andto then make recommendations of action tothe Representative Council that involve alllevels and positions within the governance ofthe MHSAA.

Goals are to include, but are not limitedto:1. Gather statewide data to define equity

problems, direct actions and to monitorprogress.

2. Promote through motivation, support andtraining competent coaches, officials,athletic directors, and governing boardmembers regardless of race, ethnicity, orsex.

3. Sensitize and encourage organizationsand employers to affirmatively seekwomen and minorities for athletic leader-ship training, placement, and promotion.

4. Promote the benefits of athletics and ath-letic leadership to students, educators,parents, and community.

5. Improve communication between theschool districts, the Michigan High

School Athletic Association, governingboards, professional associations, andhigher education regarding the need forbalanced staffing of athletic programs.

LITIGATION/SEASONS/CALENDARMHSAA Executive Director John E.

Roberts presented the following: • Continuing litigation brought by a

MHSAA member school relating todays/hours of the day MHSAA tourna-ments are conducted that may also holdreligious value for its students, faculty,and families. The MHSAA is waiting forthe judge to rule.

• Sports Season Litigation. The currentstatus of this lengthy litigation finds theMHSAA contesting a petition for feesand expenses for plaintiff attorneys inexcess of five plus million dollars.

• Mr. Roberts asked committee membersto respond to the following generalthemes which have been developed inresponse to questions that have beenposed in small group discussions withadministrators and coaches from largeand small, urban, suburban, and ruralmember schools:

1. Participation in high school volley-ball is down in some schools/same inothers. Participation in junior highschools appears to be down.However, committee membersreported junior high volleyball par-ticipation to be up where the seasonhas been started in the fall.

2. Attendance at high school volleyballis down for Saturday events, but upon weeknights.

November 2007 200

3. Experienced volleyball officials areespecially lacking for Saturdayevents.

4. Boys tennis participation appears tobe down. No new programs.

5. Girls golf participation appears to beup. Several new programs have beenadded.

6. Athletic directors may find a lesshectic fall season with fewer nights,but worry about the winter transitionwith both girls and boys basketball,especially:a. fan burnout;b. insufficient experienced officials,

andc. official burnout.Note: The Annual Sport ParticipationSurvey may be conducted in each ofthe three seasons rather than onceannually in order to obtain hard datato test the accuracy of their observa-tions.

• To counteract the kind of participationdeclines that have occurred in otherstates when sports seasons were changedagainst their will, the MHSAA is facili-tating a discussion of scheduling mecha-nisms that might increase the number ofopportunities for students, includingthese possibilities:

1. Summer seasons

2. Split seasons - fall or spring for golf, ten-nis, soccer, baseball, softball; winter orfall for competitive cheer, gymnastics,and swimming (schools may choose oneseason)

3. Alternative formats (students maychoose one season), coed team tennis infall or spring, or separate gender tennisin opposite seasons.

4. Create four seasons during the schoolyear.

Other options in discussion:1. Modified three season plans, traditional

seasons except…

a. Winter tournaments one week earlierb. All spring sports to start after most

spring breaks and end last weekendin June, (no school sports mid-Marchto mid-April).

2. Traditional seasons but, in addition to thefall and spring golf and coed tennis sea-

sons, golf and tennis also offered in alter-native formats during a short summerseason. This entire effort is to keep sportparticipation high and growing.

3. Modified four-season plan, starting inearly August, ending in late June, withbowling and skiing seasons overlappingtwo winter seasons.

Mr. Roberts also shared two consensusproposals to modify the athletic calendar, notrespective of the litigation result. This dis-cussion began before the result of the litiga-tion was known. The consensus focuses ontwo areas. (1) a minimum number of prac-tices for teams prior the first contest in allsports, and (2) ending winter tournamentsone week earlier, and there was also consen-sus that shortening of seasons had the nega-tive effect of opening the door to non-schoolinterests and that considering should be givento lengthening the period of positive influ-ence of school sports on high school age ath-letes.

WOMEN IN SPORTS LEADERSHIPAssistant Director Kathy Vruggink

Westdorp informed the committee on theplanning for the Women in Sport LeadershipConference to be held Feb. 10 and 11, 2008,at the Lansing Sheraton Hotel. The confer-ence theme will be “Dare to Soar.” Topicswill include: Coaches Advancement Program(CAP), media relations, handling gamestress, and interactive activities for attendingstudents.

SPORT OFFICIALSAssistant Director Mark Uyl provided

the committee with information relating toofficials registration, recruitment efforts,retention plans and current requirements forcriminal history background checks. As ofOctober 2007 the MHSAA has conducted17,790 criminal background checks throughthe Michigan State Police ICHAT system.Of the 17,790 ICHAT criminal checks com-pleted, 1,383 officials had at least one con-viction (7.8%). The MHSAA currently has60 officials that have had registration privi-leges suspended. The MHSAA will continuerandom checks resulting in a total reviewwithin a two- to three-year period.

201 November 2007

Mr. Uyl's comments continued with areview of recruitment concerns. Noting thateach year the MHSAA will register 1,800+new officials. For 2007-08, volleyball regis-trations have increased due to incentives pro-vided to previously registered officials thatregister for the first time in a different sport.

The committee reviewed data relating toofficial's gender and tournament assignmentsof registered officials over a six-year period.

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS1. 2006 Equity Committee Minutes

2. 2007 National Federation Of State HighSchool Association's Equity CommitteeMinutes

3. 2007 Update Meeting Agenda AndSurvey

4. 2007 Ad In-Service Agenda

5. 2007 Michigan State University's Event"One Book, One Community"

6. Accommodations For PhysicallyChallenged Students

7. National Federation Of State HighSchool Association's State Survey

8. 2007 May Representative CouncilMinutes

9. National Federation Of State HighSchool Association's Title IX Brochure

10. 2007-08 Listing Of MHSAACooperative Programs

11. Schools Testing For Drugs

12. Equitable Use Of School Facilities ForPractice And Competition

RECOMMENDATIONSThe committee recommends MHSAA

staff continue efforts to inform MHSAAmember schools of the importance to equi-tably schedule prime space and time for prac-tices and equitable scheduling of prime spaceand time for competition. ■

GYMNASTICS COMMITTEE MEETINGEast Lansing, October 10, 2007

Members Present:John Cunningham, CantonTim Erickson, Rockford Deanna Fakhouri, TroyJamie Gent, HaslettJoe Haines, Grand RapidsChris Riker, Portage

John Thompson, BrightonTracy Will, Grand Rapids

Members Absent:Susie Weldon, Freeland

Staff Members Present:Kathy Vruggink Westdorp (Recorder)

GENERAL REVIEW AND PURPOSEOF THE COMMITTEE

The 2007 Gymnastics Committee met atthe Michigan High School AthleticAssociation to review its responsibilities as astanding sports committee; review priorRepresentative Council action; examine cur-rent MHSAA policy in respect to out-of-sea-son coaching; determine 2008 Regional qual-ifying scores; review prior survey results; anddraw for 2008 Gymnastics Finals order.

PRIOR REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL ACTION

Through examination of prior meetingminutes and Representative Council action,there had been earlier discussion regarding

the number of current gymnastics coopera-tive programs. Committee members vieweda list of the cooperative programs thatpresently exist in gymnastics, all of whichsubsist between schools whose combinedenrollment does not exceed 3500 students.Presently there are 81 schools which offergymnastics and a total of 57 gymnasticsteams.

In May 2005, the Representative Councilresponded to constituent requests that theMHSAA Girls Gymnastics Tournament bescheduled for the conclusion of a fall seasonby directing staff to survey athletes, coaches,administrators and judges. The surveys wereconducted in the fall of 2005 and did not sup-port a change in the girls gymnastics season

at that time. The committee reflected uponand discussed the survey that was given tomember schools and gymnastics judges. Thecommittee agreed it was appropriate to sendanother survey to member schools regardinga gymnastics change of season. This requestfor a survey now includes additional informa-tion which may change the dynamics of the2005 Gymnastics Survey. At the time of theinitial survey, the results of MHSAA litiga-tion had not been determined. With thechange of seasons, school administrators andgymnastics coaches have been faced witheven more confined space due to both gen-ders playing basketball in the winter season.In addition, since the Survey, the schools thatoffer competitive cheer have increased signif-icantly. Although the committee agreed thata survey should be sent, they were unsure asto the timeline that should be given to thesurvey. Discussion included the time of theyear the survey should be given as well aswhether the survey should be administered inthe 2007-08 school year or the 2008-09school year after school administrators hadexperienced one year with the change of sea-sons. Additional discussion also includedmethodology to administer the survey as wellas individuals who should receive the survey.The Gymnastics Committee determined thata survey should be given and a recommenda-tion was made to Representative Council.

Committee members also expressedsome concern about MHSAA Regulation 236which includes language that there would beconsideration of terminating sponsorship oftournament competition when fewer than 64schools sponsor a sport for two consecutiveyears. Presently, there has been no indicationfrom the Representative Council that gym-nastics is under that consideration as there are81 schools which are currently involved inthe sponsorship of the sport, many throughcooperative programs.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATIONGymnastics tournament information was

reviewed with the committee regarding theOctober 29, 2007 starting date for tryouts andpractice; the first competition date ofSaturday, November 17; the Opt-out due dateof Friday, February 22; and the regional andfinal tournaments. Regional tournament siteson March 1, 2008 will be Rockford, Haslet,

Canton-Plymouth and Walled Lake Central.The 2008 MHSAA Gymnastics FinalsTournament will be held at Canton-PlymouthHigh School. The tournament site in 2009and 2010 will be Rockford High School.

CALENDAR REVISIONSProposals were reviewed that highlighted

some of the more frequently expressed possi-bilities for changing the starting dates andlengths of high school seasons as well as themajor issues created by those options. Thisproposal indicates the 2008-09 winter startingdates in girls gymnastics to include languagethat states, "after 7 separate days of practicefor team starting Monday, October 27, 2008and not before 19 calendar days." In addi-tion, the MHSAA Tournaments in most win-ter sports (including gymnastics) will be oneweek earlier. The committee was appraisedthat the calendar revision information hasalso been disseminated at Update Meetingsthroughout Michigan.

2007-08 OUT-OF-SEASON COACHING CLARIFICATIONSCommittee members reviewed recent

changes to out-of-season and summer coach-ing controls which took effect in June 2007.Information regarding the Summer DeadPeriod, Preseason Down Time, andCurriculum Courses was discussed. Specificinformation was given regarding the presea-son down period when no open gyms, camps,clinics or competitions with groups thatresemble school teams shall occur at theschool or be sponsored elsewhere by theschool.

In addition, MHSAA HandbookRegulation IJ, Section 11 was studied by thecommittee. Efforts are being made to pro-vide this information to the GymnasticsCoaches and Judges Associations.

2007-08 RULES CHANGESNational Federation rules revisions made

the second year of the two year cycle werereceived by the committee members. Theseinclude a hand placement mat (round-offpad) which may be used in vaulting for assis-tance in hand placement and extra cushion-ing. The mat may be 36 inches X 36 inchesX 1 3/8 inches or 36 inches X 54 inches X 13/8 inches. One manufactured hand place-

November 2007 202

ment mat may be used on the runway (not onthe board) for any vault and a manufacturedsting mat shall not be permitted to be placedon the runway for vaulting. An additionalrule change includes the need for the pis-tons/pedestal (vertical uprights) of the vault-ing table to be padded with the manufactur-er's protective padding. The protectivepadding is required for risk minimization forthe gymnast.

2008-2010 PROPOSED GIRLS GYMNASTICS RULES REVISIONS

Over 100 proposed rules revisions andeditorial changes have been submitted to theNational Federation Girls GymnasticsCommittee. These revisions and changeswere given to each committee member withthe request that the revisions be thoroughlyreviewed and any comments regarding therevisions should be sent to the MHSAA.

COACHES AND JUDGES EDUCATION

Information was shared regarding theneed for coaches to receive continuing educa-tion in all aspects of coaching. The multi-leveled Coaches Advancement Program wasreviewed by the committee and discussionincluded the need for both new and veterancoaches to continue striving for additionaleducational opportunities.

TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL QUALIFYING SCORES

The 2002-07 team and individual quali-fying scores for regional entry werereviewed. The 2007 regional participationinformation and scoring distribution forevents at each site were received and dis-cussed in order to assist the committee'scharge to establish 2008 qualifying scores.In all cases, team entries can be accommodat-ed by Regional hosts. The committee deter-mined that the 2008 Regional qualifyingscores will remain consistent with the 2007Regional qualifying scores. These scores areas follows:

Vault - 7.8 Bars - 7.0 Beam - 7.4 Floor Exercise - 8.0 Team - 119

FINAL TOURNAMENT DRAW AND HOSTING

Committee members verbalized thetasks, equipment and procedures that are nec-essary to conduct an efficient meet. Theseprocedures included judge's use of headset,the use of a spring floor in warm-up andcompetition, score table personnel who timecoaches inquiry, the need for a visible score-board and the necessity of having conscien-tious score flashers and timers. In addition,committee members participated in a drawfor order of competition at the 2008 Finals.First, second and third place teams at eachRegional were assigned a number by blinddraw. The number the team received deter-mined the order of competition on vault, bars,beam and floor exercise.

Monday, Feb. 25, 2008 was establishedas the date when regional and state designat-ed officials would meet at the MHSAA in acontinued effort to provide additional consis-tency in judging during regional and statetournament play. Further information wasdistributed regarding the number of judgesregistered in gymnastics in 2006-07. Therewere 97 total judges (7 male/90 female) reg-istered MHSAA judges.

EDUCATIONThere was a desire to make certain that

the education of new officials and coachesremained a priority in gymnastics. The offi-cials who were present indicated a willing-ness to continue to encourage additionalgymnasts who had graduated from their pro-grams to become officials.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE REP-RESENTATIVE COUNCIL

1. Conduct a survey in February, 2008regarding a gymnastic change of seasonfrom the winter season to the fall season(4-3).

2. Propose that teams that qualify for theMHSAA Gymnastics Finals be com-posed of students who are academicallyeligible and have also qualified for theMHSAA Regional Tournament in at leastone event (7-0). ■

203 November 2007

MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOLATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

1661 Ramblewood Dr.EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN 48823-7392

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 887

Lansing, Michigan

November 2007 204

Documents

BULLETIN - Michigan High School Athletic Association · BASKETBALL TICKET ORDER FORMS ONLINE The MHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball Finals Ticket Order Formsfor member schools and approved