Alpena students text2win $50,000
January 24, 2012
Alpena High School -- and more specifically its Kids and Parents United Together (KAPUT) program -- recently received a $50,000 prize from Verizon after the school received 450,000 text votes as part of the company's TXT2WIN contest.
KAPUT provides safe events and activities for teens. Although this prize isn't specifically designated for athletics, Alpena previously has been recognized for promoting school sports. The community's CHAMPS program – Community Helping Athletes Maintain Positive Sportsmanship -- received the MHSAA's SCOPE award in 2007.
Alpena, a Class A school with roughly 1,300 students, competed against schools from 15 states.
To read more, click on this link to The Alpena News.
From High School to Olympic Swimming
July 11, 2012
Fans of U.S. Swimming already have plenty of reasons to cheer for Missy Franklin later this month at the Summer Olympics -- she's only 17, but qualified to compete in a U.S. women's all-time best seven events.
But fans of high school sports and what they provide athletes at all levels of ability can also support her for how she's chosen to compete when she's not racing against the best in the world.
Franklin, who lives in Colorado, has continued to swim for her high school team despite the financial rewards she could've earned by taking the elite swimmer's usual path of going pro.
A ton has been written about Franklin lately, for obvious reasons. Below is a link to a New York Times story from February that focused on her continued dedication to her high school team.
Before the Olympic Trials, There’s This Big High School Meet (New York Times)