Summer Safety
August 28, 2012
As we have been considering changes for in-season football practice rules that are more in step with recent recommendations of the National Athletic Trainers Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Federation of State High School Associations, as well as the actions of several of our counterpart state organizations across the U.S., we have also been looking at the rules that apply out of season to assure they do not work against the preparation of students for a safe experience.
Except during the school’s designated summer dead period of at least seven consecutive days, football coaches may interact with any number of players in voluntary weight training and conditioning sessions as frequently as they desire. Introduce footballs and helmets, and the coach can still work with any number of students on the sideline and up to seven players at a time for any number of days. Add competition, and the coach can still work with up to seven players at a time for a maximum of seven days. In addition, football coaches may participate for a maximum of ten days at bona fide football camps where any number of their players are participating.
Plenty of time for coaches to teach, and even more time for players to train. During this time, the rules permit students to wear helmets, which protect against accidental collisions during drills; but the rules prohibit other pads that would allow activities to escalate to the point where contact is expected, leading to increased blows to the head at a time when the objective from the pros to Pop Warner is to reduce blows to the head.
When the brief preseason down time begins Aug. 1, the coach continues to be able to work with any number of players in conditioning and weight training. The down time prohibits those activities that could be a disguise for practice prior to the earliest allowed practice date – open gyms, camps, clinics and competition. The down time puts the emphasis where it’s most needed for a healthy student experience when practice actually begins: that’s weight training and conditioning.
Some critics may focus on what they can’t do in the summer; but clearly, there’s much they can do, and it’s all designed to help players improve and excel in a safe environment.
Performance of the Week: Chelsea's Lucas Dunn
December 2, 2021
Lucas Dunn ♦ Chelsea
Football ♦ Senior
The Division 4 championship game provided one of the most unforgettable finishes in MHSAA Football Finals history. And Dunn had a hand, literally, in just about all of it. The senior quarterback set an 11-Player Finals record with six touchdowns passes – including four to teammate Lucas Hanifan during the final 13 minutes as the Bulldogs came back from a 28-point second-half deficit to defeat Hudsonville Unity Christian 55-52. Perhaps the most unnoticed contribution to Dunn’s sizable body of work was his hold on the game-winning field goal as time ran out, corralling a short snap to set up Hunter Shaw’s 33-yarder through the uprights.
Dunn made MHSAA Finals record book lists as well for his 25 attempts, 36 completions, 308 yards passing and 297 total yards (he lost 11 rushing). The 6-foot, 170-pounder finished the season with 1,949 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air, as Chelsea concluded its first perfect season at 14-0. The championship was Chelsea’s first in football, and the championship-game total of 107 points set the 11-Player Finals record for most combined by the two participants. The Bulldogs’ 55 points are tied for third-most in an 11-player championship game.
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@mhsaasports 🏈 POW: Lucas Dunn #performanceoftheweek #champion #mhsaa #football #chelsea #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #TikTok #mistudentaid #fyp ♬ original sound - MHSAA
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2021-22 Honorees
Nov. 25: Riley Nugent, Plainwell swimming - Report
Nov. 18: Harper Murray, Ann Arbor Skyline volleyball - Report
Nov. 11: Abby VanderKooi, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian cross country - Report
Nov. 4: Arianne Olson, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Oct. 28: Jack Guggemos, Okemos soccer - Report
Oct. 21: Sachiv Kumar, Northville tennis - Report
Oct. 14: Kate Brody, Grand Blanc golf - Report
Oct. 7: Lilly Nelson, Negaunee tennis - Report
Sept. 30: Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Sept. 23: Riley Hough, Hartland cross country - Report
Sept. 16: Josie Bloom, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep volleyball - Report
PHOTOS courtesy of the Dunn family and Hockey Weekly Action Photos.