Forsythe Honorees Led with Statewide View
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 6, 2019
Jim Derocher always tried to listen to everyone before making a decision while serving on the MHSAA's Representative Council. He wanted to best serve not just the stars but all student-athletes, and not just those down the road but all over Michigan.
Longtime Council member Fred Smith always thought back to something Lake Michigan Catholic coach Terry Rose once told him: when making decisions, do what's best for kids first. Smith did so while trying to consider the needs not just of the student-athletes in his community, but in the many communities all over the state.
Both Derocher and Smith served thousands of students locally over decades of service and provided statewide contributions that continue to guide educational athletics in Michigan today. In recognition of their dedication, Derocher and Smith have been named the 2019 recipients of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Charles E. Forsythe Award.
The annual award is in its 42nd year and named after former MHSAA Executive Director Charles E. Forsythe, the Association's first full-time and longest-serving chief executive. Forsythe Award recipients are selected each year by the MHSAA Representative Council, based on an individual's outstanding contributions to the interscholastic athletics community. Derocher and Smith will receive their honors during the break after the first quarter of the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Basketball Final on March 16 at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
After beginning his career as a teacher and coach at L’Anse, Derocher went on to serve as athletic director and assistant principal at Ishpeming Westwood from 1989-94, then as superintendent at Brimley from 1994-98 and finally Negaunee from 1998-2014. He also represented the Upper Peninsula’s Class C & D schools on the MHSAA Representative Council from 2003-14 and served as its president from 2008-14.
Smith taught, coached and served as athletic director at St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic from 1981-91, then served as athletic director at Comstock from 1991-2007, Buchanan from 2007-2015 and Benton Harbor from 2015-17. He represented the Lower Peninsula’s Southwestern Class A & B schools on the MHSAA Representative Council from 2008-17, including serving as vice president his final four years.
“Jim Derocher was an outstanding Council president, always approaching things first as a superintendent and looking at the big picture,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “He provided a statewide perspective through an Upper Peninsula prism, always considering how decisions would impact schools from Monroe to Menominee.
“Fred Smith is simply one of the best athletic directors I’ve gotten to work with during my career in athletics,” Uyl added. “I met him while he was at Comstock; from Comstock to Buchanan to Benton Harbor he was presented with and led his programs through different challenges. And he always served as a champion for those schools in that part of the state while keeping a statewide perspective when helping shape the Council’s work.”
Derocher finished his time at L’Anse earning the Copper Country Conference Coach of the Year award for boys basketball in 1989, and he also served as an MHSAA-registered official in football, boys and girls basketball from 1970-90. While on the Representative Council, Derocher served concurrently on the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee.
He was a member of the Michigan Association of School Administrators from 1994-2014 and selected as its Region 1 Superintendent of the Year in 2013. He also received MASA’s 20-year Distinguished Administrator Award.
“I believe the experiences our student-athletes get in school athletics molds their future, whether they are the stars of the team or the supporting cast that make a team. This experience is no different for students in Brimley, Negaunee or Detroit," Derocher said. "I was always trying to work with other members of the Representative Council to recognize that these student-athletes are the same all over the state. I wanted to provide the best possible experience while also giving equality to all.”
Smith’s impact continues to be far-reaching. He remains active as part of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), having served on the Board of Directors for both and recently named to the Strategic Planning Committee for the latter. He also continues to teach courses for the MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program (CAP) and taught the NIAAA’s Leadership Training Course at the national conference and via the internet in 13 states. He has presented at a number of MHSAA New Athletic Administrator In-Service programs and served as the co-chairperson of the MIAAA’s Professional Development Committee.
Smith has been a registered cross country and track & field official for more than 30 years, and while an athletic director at his various schools hosted a multitude of MHSAA Tournament events in cross country, volleyball, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls basketball, track & field, wrestling, baseball, boys and girls soccer and softball. He received the MHSAA’s Allen W. Bush Award in 2014 for his many contributions behind the scenes, was named the MIAAA’s Athletic Director of the Year in 2000 and George Lovich State Award of Merit winner in 2007, and received the Art Jevert/Bruce Jacobs Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Track Officials of Michigan (ATOM) in 2013. He was named Midwest Athletic Director of the Year in 2000 as well by the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors (NCSSAD), and recognized by the NIAAA with a special commendation in 1999, its Distinguished Service Award in 2000, its Thomas Frederick Award of Excellence in 2004 and its Frank Kovaleski Professional Development Award in 2012. Smith also is a member of the Battle Creek St. Philip and Comstock halls of fame.
“Looking back on the service, it goes back to something my mom taught me when I was young and tried to impress on my brothers and sisters – it’s better to serve than to be served,” Smith said. “I’ve always tried to serve. I was very blessed with good high school coaches, and I enjoyed my high school experience at St. Philip. I was wanting to give back and fell into that niche, and I really enjoyed it.”
Derocher graduated from L’Anse High School in 1970 and earned his bachelor’s in secondary education, mathematics and physics in 1975 and master’s in education in 1988, both from Northern Michigan University. He also earned education specialist certification in 2003. He was a member of the Lake Superior Community Partnership from 2003-14 and remains a member of the Negaunee Lions Club. He resides in Ishpeming and works as an account executive for SET SEG, which coordinates benefits for Michigan public schools and their employees.
Smith graduated from Battle Creek St. Philip in 1973 and Western Michigan University with his bachelor’s degree in 1979. He received the Certified Master Athletic Administrator designation from the NIAAA in 2004. He remains active through his church, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Bridgman, and resides in Stevensville.
Past recipients of the Charles E. Forsythe Award
1978 - Brick Fowler, Port Huron; Paul Smarks, Warren
1979 - Earl Messner, Reed City; Howard Beatty, Saginaw
1980 - Max Carey, Freesoil
1981 - Steven Sluka, Grand Haven; Samuel Madden, Detroit
1982 - Ernest Buckholz, Mt. Clemens; T. Arthur Treloar, Petoskey
1983 - Leroy Dues, Detroit; Richard Maher, Sturgis
1984 - William Hart, Marquette; Donald Stamats, Caro
1985 - John Cotton, Farmington; Robert James, Warren
1986 - William Robinson, Detroit; Irving Soderland, Norway
1987 - Jack Streidl, Plainwell; Wayne Hellenga, Decatur
1988 - Jack Johnson, Dearborn; Alan Williams, North Adams
1989 - Walter Bazylewicz, Berkley; Dennis Kiley, Jackson
1990 - Webster Morrison, Pickford; Herbert Quade, Benton Harbor
1991 - Clifford Buckmaster, Petoskey; Donald Domke, Northville
1992 - William Maskill, Kalamazoo; Thomas G. McShannock, Muskegon
1993 - Roy A. Allen Jr., Detroit; John Duncan, Cedarville
1994 - Kermit Ambrose, Royal Oak
1995 - Bob Perry, Lowell
1996 - Charles H. Jones, Royal Oak
1997 - Michael A. Foster, Richland; Robert G. Grimes, Battle Creek
1998 - Lofton C. Greene, River Rouge; Joseph J. Todey, Essexville
1999 - Bernie Larson, Battle Creek
2000 - Blake Hagman, Kalamazoo; Jerry Cvengros, Escanaba
2001 - Norm Johnson, Bangor; George Lovich, Canton
2002 - John Fundukian, Novi
2003 - Ken Semelsberger, Port Huron
2004 - Marco Marcet, Frankenmuth
2005 - Jim Feldkamp, Troy
2006 - Dan McShannock, Midland; Dail Prucka, Monroe
2007 - Keith Eldred, Williamston; Tom Hickman, Spring Lake
2008 - Jamie Gent, Haslett; William Newkirk, Sanford-Meridian
2009 - Paul Ellinger, Cheboygan
2010 - Rudy Godefroidt, Hemlock; Mike Boyd, Waterford
2011 - Eric C. Federico, Trenton
2012 - Bill Mick, Midland
2013 - Jim Gilmore, Tecumseh; Dave Hutton, Grandville
2014 - Dan Flynn, Escanaba
2015 - Hugh Matson, Saginaw
2016 - Gary Hice, Petoskey; Gina Mazzolini, Lansing
2017 - Chuck Nurek, Rochester Hills
2018 - Gary Ellis, Allegan
PHOTOS: (Top left) Fred Smith, left, congratulates Edwardsburg football coach Kevin Bartz after the 2017 Division 4 Final at Ford Field. (Top right) Jim Derocher, left, presents Tecumseh's Jim Gilmore with the Forsythe Award in 2013 at the Breslin Center.
Trail-Blazing Beckett Leads On
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 27, 2013
Barbara Beckett had an idea this was going to be big.
But until she arrived in East Lansing for the 1995 MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals, she had no idea how major a deal her next assignment would be.
Beckett had made the trip from Traverse City for Boys Finals weekend before, and officiated Semifinals two of the three previous seasons. But until that Saturday’s Class C Final between Ishpeming and Lakeview, no woman had ever officiated an MHSAA boys basketball championship game.
“I was pretty fearless. I was really, really driven to succeed,” Beckett said. “I was just so happy I got to be that person. It could’ve been a couple of other people. We had other women who were tremendous officials. I was very fortunate.”
Many who have worked with Beckett over the last three decades would claim the same. A 30-year MHSAA registered official, and the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA program director for the last 28, Beckett has left a long-lasting imprint on athletics not just in the northern Lower Peninsula, but statewide. She will be presented with the 26th MHSAA Women in Sports Leadership Award during halftime of the Girls Basketball Class A Final on March 16 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
“Barbara Beckett is a demonstrated leader, evidenced by her previously being awarded the Norris Award for her efforts in recruiting and training officials,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “In that regard, she’s a trailblazer for women in the officiating family, and her influence continues to be felt. We’re pleased to honor her with the Women In Sports Leadership Award.”
Each year, the Representative Council considers the achievements of women coaches, officials and athletic administrators affiliated with the MHSAA who show exemplary leadership capabilities and positive contributions to athletics.
Beckett worked with Donald Gustafson and Todd Geerlings on the crew that called the 1995 Class C Boys Basketball Final. But that wasn't her first experience reffing the guys.
On top of officiating games at lower levels of the MHSAA tournaments, she also had begun reffing rec league games at the Y during the early 1980s. That might’ve come as a shock to some of those players – but she must’ve won them over, as now she helps build programs for their children and grandchildren.
During her nearly three decades at the Y, she’s developed women’s, men’s and co-ed softball leagues that have grown to include more than 1,500 players and a men’s recreational basketball league with more than 250 participants. Under her guidance, the YMCA’s Pop Warner football league has grown to become one of the largest in the Midwest with 2,500 players.
She also achieved another MHSAA first in 2000 when she became the first female selected for the Vern L. Norris Award for her work as an official.
“My purpose always has been to be an advocate for the officials and game participants,” Beckett said. “I try to be an active advocate all the time. And working for the Y too, we’re all about participation. My time 24 hours a day is actively advocating for game participants and officials.”
Beckett is a 1971 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School and a 1973 graduate of Northwestern Michigan College. She briefly left Traverse City after college before returning a few years later, and became involved with the thriving and close-knit recreational scene in her new hometown. She soon began working part-time at the YMCA, in charge of organizing its basketball program.
Her credo as program director is similar to that of the MHSAA – she creates programs for people who want to participate, and she works to give them the best possible experience in part by making sure the programs are managed by qualified officials.
But she’s also made it a priority to mentor and provide a positive influence to women and men both who are following in her paths.
“At times, it can be very intimidating to be one of the few women in our field. Barb has such an amazing relationship with those she works with and for. To tell you the truth, I can’t say if I know of anyone more well-liked and respected who does so many things,” said Heather Simpson, who coaches volleyball at Traverse City St. Francis, girls basketball at Traverse City Central and works for Beckett at the YMCA.
“I can’t imagine where I would be had I not been able to work and learn from someone like Barb Beckett. I work with young athletes currently, and I want for them to see that women can be a success in whatever they choose. We talk about choices in life. … I try each day to choose to do something positive. That’s what I learned from Barb. Women can make an impact. Women can make a difference. Barb has made such an impact in our area in the world of athletics. She has opened so many doors for so many women.”
Beckett also has worked three MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals and three Softball Finals, twice serving at the latter as umpire in chief, and was an alternate for a number of other championship games. She has officiated several Boys and Girls Basketball Semifinals and Softball Quarterfinals during her career, and continues to serve as president of both the Grand Traverse Area Umpires Association and the Northern Sports Officials Association. She also serves as an assigner of girls and boys basketball and softball officials in the Traverse City area, and was named to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Honor in 2006.
Beckett also has served as commissioner of District 19 of the Michigan Amateur Softball Association since 1992, and has been instrumental in hosting four women’s, two men’s and one co-ed state final. She’s officiated both women and men’s MASA state finals and received that body’s Award of Excellence in 1996.
“Barb Beckett believes in how athletics and extracurricular activities can impact our kids and communities in such a positive way. So often when I am frustrated with how things are going and how everyone points fingers, she simply says to me, ‘Heather, be part of the solution, not part of the problem,’” Simpson said. “She reminds me that I can make a difference, just as she has with so many. We are in a society where it’s all about travel teams and what the scoreboard says; Barb is still old school and cares about the product she puts out there and the relationships that are formed from her work at the YMCA and in athletics. People like Barb, who care so much for those around her, get lost in the shuffle.
"Administrators call her, officials call her, coaches call her and parents call her for advice and simply just to talk. For me, she has done so many things to help me grow as a person, as a coach and a leader in our community. It's an honor to work for and with Barb Beckett. I truly think that each and every one of us could benefit from sitting in her office and just listening to her."
Past Women In Sports Leadership Award recipients:
1990 – Carol Seavoy, L’Anse
1991 – Diane Laffey, Harper Woods
1992 – Patricia Ashby, Scotts
1993 – Jo Lake, Grosse Pointe
1994 – Brenda Gatlin, Detroit
1995 – Jane Bennett, Ann Arbor
1996 – Cheryl Amos-Helmicki, Huntington Woods
1997 – Delores L. Elswick, Detroit
1998 – Karen S. Leinaar, Delton
1999 – Kathy McGee, Flint
2000 – Pat Richardson, Grass Lake
2001 – Suzanne Martin, East Lansing
2002 – Susan Barthold, Kentwood
2003 – Nancy Clark, Flint
2004 – Kathy Vruggink Westdorp, Grand Rapids
2005 – Barbara Redding, Capac
2006 – Melanie Miller, Lansing
2007 – Jan Sander, Warren Woods
2008 – Jane Bos, Grand Rapids
2009 – Gail Ganakas, Flint; Deb VanKuiken, Holly
2010 – Gina Mazzolini, Lansing
2011 – Ellen Pugh, West Branch; Patti Tibaldi, Traverse City
2012 – Janet Gillette, Comstock Park
PHOTO: Barbara Beckett stands between Todd Geerlings (left) and Donald Gustafson moments before becoming the first woman to officiate an MHSAA Boys Basketball Final in 1995.