As schools begin athletic competition during the final year of the twentieth century they will experience major changes in two sports only. Both football and ice hockey have undergone reclassification projects that will go into effect this school year. Other sports have either already experienced classification changes, will have changes in the future, or will continue as they have in the past.

In football the number of schools qualifying for postseason play has doubled to 256 for the 1999 season. Since 1991, 128 football teams have participated in eight separate classes for MHSAA honors. The Representative council approved expansion last December so a fifth week of playoff games was necessitated. In 1999 football may begin one week earlier so that district play can begin on Oct. 29-30. District finals will be held November 5-6 and regionals the weekend of Nov. 12-13. Semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 20 with finals once again scheduled for the Silverdome on Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving.
Schools will now qualify for postseason play based on their record of games won. Classes have become divisions and will not be determined until the last regular season game has been played. Once the 256 qualifiers have been determined, the largest 32 schools in enrollment will be placed in Division 1, the next largest 32 in Division 2, and so forth through eight equal divisions. With 128 games scheduled for the first round, there will be an increase in the number of officials needed to 1280.
The Representative Council also approved reclassification of ice hockey for the 2000 MHSAA tournament. Acting on recommendations from the Hockey and Classification Committees, the council approved three equal divisions for championship levels; based on growing numbers of school sponsorship (135 schools in 1999-00). There will no longer be a need for district play in any division and all three will begin regional tournament play on Monday, Feb. 28, 2000. The format for each division will be consistent with four quarterfinals scheduled. The Semifinals and Finals are once again scheduled for the Flint IMA March 9-11, 2000.
As the MHSAA prepares for entrance into the 21st century, the Representative Council will continue to prioritize reclassification of various sports to achieve balance and fairness.

NOMINATIONS FOR MHSAA SPECIAL AWARDS

The MHSAA will continue to receive nominations for the Women in Sports Leadership Award, the Charles Forsythe Award, the Vern L. Norris Award, and the Allen W. Bush Awards.

In addition, nominations can also be made for the National Federation High School Sports Hall of Fame. Conferences, officials associations, schools and individuals may nominate deserving candidates. Names submitted the last two years will continue as nominees in this year's selection process.

Please contact the MHSAA for application forms. Deadlines for applications are October 15 for WISL Award & Charles Forsythe Award, Feb. 15 for the Norris Award, and April 1 for the Bush Awards.

On April 28 of this year the Michigan High School Athletic Association convened a committee of 26 school administrators, coaches & officials to discuss the condition of high school ice hockey in the state of Michigan. Based on reports of violence and abusive behavior, both on the ice and in the stands, it was decided that a summit of this nature was necessary to present a report to the MHSAA Representative Council relative to the future of hockey in Michigan.

Indeed, Michigan's problems are not unique and several other state associations are facing similar dilemmas.
What is especially interesting about the results from the April 28 meeting is the unanimous agreement of meeting participants that the coach is the key to behavior on the ice, and to some degree, in the stands. Recommendations to the Representative Council emphasized the need to:
1. Impress on coaches the necessity for educational athletics-first and foremost.
2. Emphasize that the coach's behavior is reflected in the behavior of his players and their attitudes toward opponents and officials.
The committee's overall observation concerning coaches was that more than most sports, hockey coaches are less likely to be classroom teachers and education for coaches is critical.
The need for coaches' education is well documented and is being treated seriously in most states.
The National Federation, responding to requests from a variety of sources instituted NFICEP in 1990 and
has encouraged the implementation of coaches education at the state level. Student-athletes, from youth to intercollegiate levels, want and deserve strong leaders who are well trained, compassionate and ethical role models. The one individual who is the key player in creating either a chaotic atmosphere or a respectful one is the coach. Although most of us agree that the best person to have coaching is someone with knowledge of the sport who is teaching in the building and who also has the ability to deal with people, the reality is that in most states, 50 percent of high school coaches are not certified teachers and are not full-time employees of a school district. The need for education has never been greater.
In 1990, the National Federation selected the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to develop the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Education Program (NFICEP) as a "practical, convenient and economical coaches education program for high school coaches". The original program of two courses-Coaching Principles and Sports First Aid has been expanded to include two additional elective courses. Drugs and Sport Course, and Citizenship Through Sports. None of the courses deal with any specific sports tactics or techniques but are designed to provide the foundation on which coaches can further build their expertise in a sport. Currently, 30 states use NFICEP/ASEP as their primary or exclusive vehicle for transmitting coaches education. Thirty-six states require some or all coaches to take coaches education courses.
Since 1991 over 100,000 coaches in the country have been trained through NFICEP-almost 22,000 in 1998-99 alone. Most certified coaches have completed the Coaching Principles course, followed by Sport First Aid, Drugs & Sport, and Citizenship Through Sports.

MICHIGAN COACHES EDUCATION
In 1987, the MHSAA moved to establish its own coaches education program.
In partnership with the MIAAA and the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at MSU a steering committee was formed and the Program for Athletic Coaches Education (PACE) was born.
Although most of the research and organization of the program had already been done by the staff at MSU; the steering committee, which was made up mainly of high school athletic administrators, made some crucial decisions early on that continue today regarding program content and duration.
1. A Level I program of instruction that includes risk management, emergency procedures, and care and rehabilitation of sports injuries was organized for presentation during the first 6 hours of instruction. It was also decided that the opening 90 minute segment of Level I would be a presentation by MHSAA staff to include review of current regulations concerning student eligibility and coaching limitations.
2. Level II programming includes six hours of instruction/discussion in planning , conducting and evaluating effective instruction as well as psychological aspects of coaching emphasizing positive reinforcement, motivation, effective communication and maintaining discipline.
The 12-hour course, which can be presented in 3 or 6 hour formats, is offered throughout the state in a variety of forums during the school year.
1. Schools, leagues and conferences can make arrangements through the Michigan High School Athletic Association to host programs at their site on dates mutually acceptable. Coaches register and pay their fees directly to the MHSAA although, in most cases, schools assume the responsibility and pay all charges. The obligation of the host school is to provide the room, AV equipment and lunch or refreshments when necessary for Saturday program. The MHSAA will make all arrangements for speakers and reimburse the school for expenses.
2. Colleges & Universities
Currently, 11 Michigan colleges offer PACE as an elective class for general students who are not necessarily enrolled in education. The program is designed to provide minimal training for potential non-faculty coaches and often includes more than the 12 hours of regular PACE instruction.
In every case, through either program, coaches completing the 12-hour as well as college students who pass the exit examination will receive a certificate of completion and be listed in the MHSAA data base of coaches education.
Throughout Michigan's 12-year sponsorship of coaches education over 10,000 coaches have completed one or two levels of instruction. But it isn't only the coaches who are involved with learning; it is absolutely necessary for the program administration to evaluate and learn through experiences with the participants. The following three areas are vital to the success of coaches' education and must be evaluated yearly: Material, Presenters and Participants.
1. The educational materials, whether they be reference manuals, video tapes, overhead transparencies or power point presentations should be topical, professional and timely.
The National association for Sport and Physical education (NASPE) has been advocating quality coaching and coaching education for over 30 years. To that end they have promoted National Standards for Athletic Coaches to define what coaches should know and be able to do. Representatives of many sport organizations including NFICEP/ASEP and PACE came together to draft a set of National Standards. The first step was completed in 1994 and represents minimum entry level qualification for any individual who begins to coach. It includes 27 separate standards incorporated within 8 separate domains.
Although it is not intended that the National Standards be a certification program or be the basis of a single national assessment for all coaches, the standards are valuable in assisting organizations who currently provide coaches education to meet the needs of prospective and practicing coaches. The National Standards should be the basis or framework for program design and should be supported by all programs of coaches' education. It is necessary that all programs go through extensive re-evaluation at least once every five years with materials upgraded as determined by the evaluative process.
Current defined standards must be supplemented to cover CPR, the handling of bodily fluids and sexual abuse/harassment. Although school districts may offer coaches and other faculty independent instruction in CPR and bodily fluids, the matter of sexual abuse/harassment in coaching is a separate issue. Very few presenters feel capable of addressing the subject and little is available in print form for practical application. But the issue persists and is necessary to be addressed in a complete coaches education program.
2.Presenters vary from state to state, but most are volunteers with a degree of experience and or expertise on some or all of the material in the program. In each instance the presenters should go through a training class and familiarize themselves in techniques for adult education and learning.
There is no greater component of any program than the credibility and expertise of the presenter. He/she must gain the respect of the audience and resist the temptation to spend hours telling "war stories" and present the material and answer questions as they arise. Our strategy in Michigan has been to provide a variety of
speakers so that there is a specialist responsible for each of the various disciplines. After the initial presentation by an MHSAA staff member, the risk management unit is presented by an attorney who has volunteered his services to the MHSAA. To present conditioning and emergency procedures we enlist either certified athletic trainers or an instructor from the university. The same is applicable for Level II PACE where a minimum of two presenters will teach the 6 hours of material. Participants will inform us one way or another if any portion of the program is sub-standard in its presentation.Although we have had three summer sessions to train volunteer teachers, it hasn't provided the program with sufficient presenters. It will be necessary to once again seek out persons willing to master the material and share their expertise with coaches throughout the state.
3. The participants can be the most difficult element of the program if they are coerced into attendance and bring an abundance of cynicism with them. We find it important to have a state office representative open the program with a 15 minute video explaining the role of associations in interscholastic sports and then leading a discussion on student eligibility, coaching limitations and the importance of integrity in coaching. In almost every case, this presentation breaks down most barriers and prepares the audience for the remainder of the day's program. A receptive coach, willing to participate in the dialogue with each of the presenters will help in material retention and result in continuing support of the program.
Although coaches education is not required on a statewide basis, many Michigan school districts require non-faculty, and in many cases faculty coaches to complete a minimal education program as a condition of employment. Financial support is usually provided by the district and in some districts non-staff coaches are advanced on the salary schedule after completion of the 12-hour program.
Because of financial support from the Michigan High School Athletic Association the costs to participants has been kept to a minimum. Coaches attending the six-hour, Level I program pay $50 which covers the cost of instruction, the reference manual and typically, at Saturday programs, a lunch at noon. Cost for the six-hour Level II program is $25 and includes instruction and lunch.
The presenters-instructors are paid a modest honorarium plus expenses for their efforts. There is no fee for instructors to attend training classes and no fee for teaching materials. Financial support from the MHSAA, MIAAA and Youth Sports Institute makes this possible.
In summary, coaches hold the key to those values that are sacred to participants in high school sports. And state associations must provide encouragement and leadership for schools and coaches to aggressively pursue coaching education that meets national standards. To that end, the National Federation NFICEP Committee, at its February, 1999, meeting, listed three goals for the National Federation coaches education program;
1. To assist member state associations in the selection of a quality coaches education program.
2. To offer both faculty and non-faculty coaches opportunities for professional development of teaching skills and methods through participation in NFICEP.
3. To provide student participants competent and informed coaches who have completed an NFHS-endorsed coaches education program.
Although much has been accomplished, cooperation of all interested entities can assure schools of appropriate and complete educational programs for their coaches.

-- Jerry Cvengros, MHSAA Associate Director, as presented at the
NFHS Annual Conference Workshop on Coaches' Education

1999-2000 PACE SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION--Click Here

Two respected athletic administrators who have been instrumental in expanding and improving the educational atmosphere of their programs, while serving their communities with a combined total of nearly 70 years of service have been chosen to receive the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Allen W. Bush Award for 1999.

This year's recipients are: Carl Latora, assistant principal and athletic director for Portage Northern High School; and Ron Schultheiss, athletic director of Charlotte High School.
Bush served as executive director of the MHSAA for 18 years. The award honors individuals for past and continuing service to prep athletics as a coach, administrator, official, trainer, doctor or member of the media. The award was developed to bring recognition to men and women who are giving and serving without a lot of attention. This is the eighth year of the award, with the selections being made by the MHSAA's Representative Council.
The recipients of this year's awards will be recognized at ceremonies in their communities at a future date.
Both Latora and Schultheiss have worked as teachers, coaches, officials and administrators; and share a common bond in having served the wrestling community as a coach and official during their careers. As administrators, they have shown their diversity and dedication to the total sports programs at their schools.
"Leaders bring people together to work for common goals and the common good," said John E. "Jack" Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. "When you think of what Carl Latora and Ron Schultheiss have done in their respective communities, you see that their work has had impact across the board. You see that their work touches every sport, every coach and every student-athlete in a positive way. They are truly great role models for others to follow. We're pleased to be honoring them with the 1999 Bush Award."

Here are brief biographical sketches of the 1999 Bush Award recipients:

Carl Latora - A long-time Kalamazoo area resident, Carl Latora graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1960, and went on to earn his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Western Michigan University. He has spent 34 of his 35 year career in education at Portage Northern High School, where he started as a wrestling teacher and coach, and moved into the athletic director's position 18 years ago. His work as athletic director at Northern has included the institution of four new sports - girls competitive cheer, girls gymnastics, and boys and girls soccer. He also instituted a sports Hall of Fame at Northern; as well as an overall booster club for the sports program; and has overseen the expansion and upgrading of the school's athletic facilities. He has served as a host for numerous MHSAA tournaments and rules meetings, and has served on a variety of Association committees. A registered official in wrestling, he has worked MHSAA finals in that sport and has been recognized with a 30-year service award. Latora has also been active with the Michigan and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Associations, and the Michigan and National Associations of Second School Principals. He was nominated for the Bush Award by the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference.

Ron Schultheiss - A graduate of St. Louis High School and recipient of two degrees from Central Michigan University, Ron Schultheiss has spent over 30 years at Charlotte High School, first as a teacher and coach of cross country, track and field and wrestling. His wrestling teams won one MHSAA Lower Peninsula title and finished second on one occasion. He has also been recognized with a 30-year award for officiating in track and wrestling, being active in area officials associations in both sports. For the past 7 years, Schultheiss has served as Charlotte's athletic director, where he has spearheaded athletic facility renovation projects, and helped develop codes of conduct and handbooks for the school's student-athletes and coaches. He has been active as an MHSAA tournament manager and committee member, along with membership in the Michigan and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Associations, and as treasurer of the Capital Circuit Conference. He has also served as president of the Band Boosters at Charlotte, advisor to the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle group, and has served as a youth director at his church. He was nominated for the Bush Award by the Capital Circuit Conference.

1999-2000 Coaches Association Contact Persons--Click Here

0ne of the great things about our world of athletics is to observe the things that are constantly changing and the things that are constantly the same. The game changes -- three-point shot, weight training, stronger and faster athletes, etc. Yet, there are the constants -- blocking and tackling, playing defense, hitting and fielding, etc.

The same can be said of what is still the greatest resource in our business -- coaches. Coaching styles have changed; the number of coaches that we have coaching a sport has changed; we have moved from a person coaching three sports to "specialization" of coaches (and we wonder why we have specialization of athletes). But the constants are still there -- people teaching fundamentals, people motivating students, etc.
As you consider all of the constants, there is one that stands out above all the rest. The right kind of person in the role of a coach at our level can impact students and parents in about as profound a way as anyone anywhere. The other part has also not changed. The wrong kind of person in the role of a coach can be disastrous to students, parents, and programs. My choice is to think about the good people and smile when I see good young people coming into the field of coaching.
We are all aware of the critical shortage of teachers that will occur in the next five years and the obvious shortage of coaches that we will have. Our schools, through their elected representatives, have tried to meet this crisis with the expansion of our coaches education program and the expanded definition of who may coach for our schools. As we look at both, it is critical that we remind ourselves of the impact that can be made by the right kind of person in the role of a coach. As our schools are now able to look at retired educators and non-faculty personnel in the role of coaches, it is critical that we remind ourselves that the best person to have coaching is someone with knowledge of the sport who is teaching in our building and who also has the ability to deal with people. The other areas are options, but all of us need to be looking for young people who can teach and coach and impact people.
I recently observed this in a very special way while watching a high school baseball game. As I observed good people coaching, there were three assistant coaches (two from one school and one from the other school) who seemed to be enjoying what they were doing and seemed to be doing a pretty good job. All three are teaching in our schools. Just a few years ago, one of them was an insurance salesman, one was a banker, and one was a construction engineer ­ none of them were teaching. The two schools have done a good job attracting three quality people into coaching, not as non-faculty coaches, but as full-time employees teaching and coaching daily.
I think the shortage of teachers and coaches in the next few years and the "crisis" that we face creates the opportunity for us to be looking for good people to put in positions of impacting people. Knowledge of the game is important, but my observation over the years is that the most critical part of coaching at our level is the ability to communicate with people and relate to young people and their parents. You can take our good ones, place them out of their field of expertise, and they will still field good teams in any sport because they know how to motivate people and they know how to relate with kids. It's really not that complicated.
I have talked often with Bernard Childress of our staff about the people coming through our coaches education courses and the type of people we are observing that our schools are selecting as non-faculty coaches. They are of the highest quality.
We have great challenges and great opportunities ahead of us as we deal with the changing times and the changing responsibilities on our coaches. However, the constant is still the same. The right person in the role of a coach can impact young people and their parents as much today as at any time in our past. It will be the same 50 years from now.

-- Ronnie Carter
Ronnie Carter is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association

1998-99 Sports Participation Numbers--Click Here

1999-2000 MHSAA Rules Meetings--Click Here

NECK GUARDS REQUIRED IN ICE HOCKEY

The MHSAA Representative Council, at its May 1999 meeting, approved mandatory use of neck guards in high school ice hockey beginning with the 1999-00 season. National Federation rules recommend rather than mandate the use of neck guards, but the Council, acting on staff recommendation, decided to implement the requirement immediately. Previously only goalkeepers were required to wear throat guards that attach to the helmet, facemask or neck.

During the 1998-99 season, there was at least one serious neck injury in a Michigan high school hockey game when a player received a throat laceration from an opposing player's skate. Some schools reacting on their own purchased neck guards for their team members' protection. Players are not unfamiliar with neck guards as many youth leagues have current regulations for their use. The MHSAA requirement will be in effect for all high school hockey competitions; scrimmages, regular season games and tournaments. In addition, it is strongly recommended that players wear neck guards during all practice sessions.

CONTEST START TIME

MHSAA staff have received questions about a protocol to follow when participating teams arrive after the scheduled start time during the regular season. Although late arrivals are often understandable, there can be an impact which affects opponents and officials adversely.

First of all, it is important that the games scheduled be played at the posted time. If schools release students at a time which make it impossible to arrive in time to honor the contracted start time, the MHSAA would encourage the league to establish a realistic start time.
Officials who depart early from work to make an often missed start time are forced to sacrifice pay or vacation time for no reason. If the start time must be later than that contracted, the following guidelines are promoted as fair to all.
Please take the time to address this important concern well in advance of the season so all involved can know what to expect. Nothing is as disappointing as the misunderstandings created through failure to communicate. The final step is to share with coaches, administrators, officials and bus drivers the requirements which have been agreed upon by contract so there is full awareness of the protocol to be practiced.

REGULAR-SEASON CONTEST FORFEITURE

When a league or conference does not have a written policy regarding late contest start time, the following policy should apply (subject to MHSAA Executive Committee review, Aug. 18, 1999):

1. If a team fails to arrive for a regular season contest at the time stated on the contract, it will be necessary for the host administration to delay the contest, declare the game forfeited, reschedule the contest, or declare the event "no contest."
2. If the host management has been notified of the reason for the delay and projected arrival, the officials must stand by for 60 minutes beyond the scheduled starting time. When the team arrives, a reasonable amount of time must be provided for the visiting team to conduct a pre-game warm-up. In any case, warm-up may not be less than 15 minutes.
3. If the host management has not been notified that there is a delay and the reason for it, the officials have permission to leave the site, without obligation, 30 minutes after the contracted start time has passed.
In MHSAA tournament play, the General Information Bulletin for each sport will prescribe the specific action to be taken.

Please advise students of the 1999-00 test date schedule. Your student should be aware of athletic tournament dates and should attempt to schedule their respective test date away from tournament dates of the sport or sports in which they are interested and participate.

Following are test dates for 1999-2000 and possible MHSAA Tournament conflicts:

ACT ASSESSMENT DATES--SPORT CONFLICTS

October 23, 1999 -- None
December 11, 1999 -- None
February 12, 2000 -- None
April 1, 2000 -- None
June 10, 2000 -- Girls Soccer Regionals, Baseball/Softball Regionals

SAT TESTING DATES-- SPORT CONFLICTS

October 9, 1999 -- LP Boys Golf Regionals, LP Girls Tennis Regionals
November 6, 1999 -- Football Districts, Boys Soccer Regionals, LP Cross Country Finals
December 4, 1999 -- Girls Basketball Finals
January 22, 2000-- None
April 8, 2000 (SAT 1 only) -- None
May 6, 2000 -- None
June 3, 2000 -- Girls Soccer Districts, Baseball/Softball Districts, Track Finals, LP Girls Golf Finals, LP Boys Tennis Finals

AP EXAM DATES-- SPORT CONFLICTS

May 8-19, 2000-- Boys Tennis Regionals, Girls Golf Regionals, Track Regionals

(Advanced Placement Exams are administered over a five-day period each week. Consult school counselors for daily schedule of examinations.)