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Anytime, Anywhere

July 28, 2014

The MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program (CAP) is like no other high school level coaches education program in the US.

In an online world, including many other ways here at the MHSAA, CAP still trades purposefully in face-to-face learning; and the MHSAA Is committed to delivering sessions “anytime, anywhere” – any time a school, district, league or coaches association will sign up 20 coaches, the MHSAA will deliver one or more of the six CAP levels the group requests.

About 60 percent of those who complete CAP Levels 1 through 5 do so as a part of their course work at one of seven colleges or universities in Michigan (Central Michigan University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Lake Michigan Community College, Muskegon Community College, Northern Michigan University, Oakland County Community College and Western Michigan University).

The other 40 percent of those who complete CAP – and this will be a growing percentage – do so through sessions facilitated by a group of people who have committed many evenings and weekends to CAP’s “anytime, anywhere” approach to ongoing, adult education. During 2013-14, Jerry Haggerty, athletic director at Hamilton High School, led all presenters, teaching 25 sessions. Among other of the busiest presenters were Tony Moreno of Eastern Michigan University; retired athletic administrator Jim Feldkamp; Ken Mohney, athletic director at Mattawan; and Hally Yonko, athletic director at Ann Arbor-Gabriel Richard High School.

The leader of boundless energy and enthusiasm for CAP is MHSAA Assistant Director Kathy Vruggink Westdorp. In 2016-17, CAP Level 1 or 2 becomes a requirement for all persons hired for the first time at any MHSAA member school after July 31, 2016 as a high school varsity head coach. Kathy and a growing cadre of presenters are eagerly awaiting that challenge.

The team closed the 2013-14 school year by presenting eight levels of CAP at six different sites over six days, June 9-14, and then conducted CAP Levels 1, 2 and 3 on three consecutive days, June 19-21, at Clinton High School.

Volleyball Mentors Achieve Milestones

September 26, 2012

Over the last three weeks, two of Michigan's most successful volleyball coaches ever moved further up the all-time list with milestone victories.

On Sept. 8, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley coach Bill Rice became the fifth volleyball coach in MHSAA history to win 1,000 matches when his team defeated Lutheran Westland at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Invitational. And Battle Creek St. Philip's Vicki Groat became the 12th coach to win 800 matches, earning her monumental win against Jackson Christian on Thursday.

Groat has coached the Tigers since 1998, when she took over for her mother Sheila Guerra. At St. Philip's current pace -- it is again considered the favorite to win the MHSAA Class D championship this fall and has claimed six straight -- she could match her mom's 862 career wins during the 2012 season. St. Philip is 35-1-1 this season.

Rice began at Chippewa Valley in 1980 and has led his team to four league and 11 Class A District championships, plus back-to-back 50-plus win seasons from 2002-04. His team is 10-13-2 this fall.