Get Ready to Prep Rally
June 6, 2013
A key part of succeeding during a school year full of sports is building fitness during the months leading up to the season’s first practice.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association will share how students from all over the state prepare with a “Prep Rally” contest this summer.
The contest is part of the MHSAA’s PLAY (Preparation Lasts All Year) initiative designed to encourage athletes to remain active during the offseason so they are prepared physically and acclimated to warm weather when practice begins in the fall. Student athletes involved in the winning Prep Rally activity will be awarded tickets to an MHSAA Final of their choice, at which they will be recognized for their accomplishment.
“Acclimatization and summer preparation for practice conditions are key parts of our focus on making school sports as healthy as possible for students,” MHSAA executive director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “The Prep Rally contest this summer will promote the importance of staying active during the offseason. We’re excited to see how Michigan’s creative student athletes find fun ways to stay active and fit, and we look forward to showcasing their ideas so they can be shared by students all over Michigan.”
Student athletes are invited to submit a 150-word explanation of an activity they take part in during the offseason to stay active before the start of organized practice. Activities should not be centered on the sport in which those athletes compete, but rather on something recreational and fun. Entries should include photographs or a brief video of athletes participating. Activities also do not have to be team-centered; special consideration will be given to those that include students from a variety of sports participating together.
The deadline for student-submitted video applications is Aug. 12, the first day of practice for football teams (all other fall sports athletes begin practice Aug. 14). Communities are encouraged to promote their athletes’ applications via the MHSAA’s Facebook page and Twitter and Instagram feeds using the hashtag #PrepRally.
Entries should be e-mailed to the MHSAA's Andi Osters at [email protected].
MHSAA staff will choose three finalists, which will be featured on Second Half. Staff will then select a winner and announce the champion Aug. 19.
Contest rules and directions for submitting entries can be found on the Prep Rally page of MHSAA.com. This year’s finalists, plus the announcement of the 2013 winner, will be published on Second Half. Also, safety and acclimatization information is available via the MHSAA.com PLAY page.
2014-15 Classifications Announced
March 24, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association elections and postseason tournaments in traditionally classified sports (A, B, C, D) for the 2014-15 school year have been announced, with enrollment breaks for postseason tournaments set up by divisions posted on the MHSAA Website.
Classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was Feb. 12. The enrollment figure submitted for athletic classification purposes may be different from the count submitted for school aid purposes, as it does not include students ineligible for athletic competition because they reached their 19th birthday prior to September 1 of the current school year and will not include alternative education students if none are allowed athletic eligibility by the local school district.
After all the counts are submitted, tournament-qualified member schools are ranked according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2014-15, there are 749 tournament-qualified member schools with 187 schools in Class A, B and C and 188 schools in Class D.
Effective with the 2014-15 school year, schools with 882 or more students are in Class A in MHSAA postseason tournament competition. The enrollment limits for Class B are 424-881; Class C is 215-423; and schools with enrollments of 214 and fewer are Class D. The break between Classes A and B decreased 11 students from 2013-14, the break between Classes B and C decreased five students, and the break between Classes C and D is nine students fewer than the current school year.
The new classification breaks will see 21 schools move up in class for 2014-15, while 26 schools will move down.
Schools were recently notified of their classification. MHSAA Executive Director John E. "Jack" Roberts said schools may not subsequently lower their enrollment figure. However, if revised enrollment figures should be higher and indicate that a school should be playing in a higher class, that school would be moved up.
Schools have the option to play at any higher classification for a minimum of two years, but must exercise the option by April 15 for fall sports, August 15 for winter sports and October 15 for spring sports.
MHSAA tournament sports that will be conducted in traditional classifications for 2014-15 are Basketball and Girls Volleyball. Football will use traditional classifications to determine playoff points.
Sports which will compete in nearly equal divisions are: Baseball, Bowling, Girls Competitive Cheer, Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Lower Peninsula Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Lower Peninsula Soccer, Skiing, Softball, Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving, Lower Peninsula Tennis, Lower Peninsula Track and Field and Wrestling.
Visit the respective sport pages on the MHSAA Website to review the divisional alignments.
The divisions and qualifiers for the MHSAA Football Playoffs will be announced on Selection Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014.
A complete list of school enrollments used to determine classifications for the 2014-15 school year can be found on the Enrollment & Classification page of the MHSAA Website.
Here is a complete list of schools changing classification for 2014-15. (Note: This list does not include schools opting up in class/division for tournaments, which can be found on the Administrators page of the MHSAA Website under Enrollment and Classification):
Moving Up From Class B to Class A
Fruitport
Hazel Park
Romulus
Stevensville Lakeshore
Moving Down From Class A to Class B
Detroit Denby Tech & Prep
Detroit Osborn
Haslett
South Lyon East
Warren Regina
Moving Up From Class C to Class B
Detroit Benjamin Carson HS for Science & Medicine
Detroit Consortium College Prep
Detroit Henry Ford Academy School for Creative Studies
Hamtramck Frontier International Academy
Harper Woods
Hemlock
Kalkaska
Lakeview
Southfield Bradford
Wyoming Lee
Moving Down From Class B to Class C
Capac
Detroit Plymouth Educational Center
Ferndale University
Grand Rapids Wellspring Prep
Jackson Lumen Christi
Mason County Central
Millington
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central
Napoleon
Roscommon
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep
Moving Up From Class D to Class C
Detroit University YES Academy
Eau Claire
Lutheran Westland
Marcellus
Rogers City
Taylor Preparatory
Traverse City Grand Traverse Academy
Moving Down From Class C to Class D
Detroit Universal Academy
Detroit Winans Academy of Performing Arts
Flint International Academy
Kimball Landmark Academy
Mendon
Mio-Au Sable
Newberry
Pittsford
St. Ignace LaSalle
Three Oaks River Valley
New Postseason Eligible Tournament Schools in 2014-15
Inkster Peterson Warren Academy
Lapeer
*Detroit Public Safety Academy will become tournament eligible in 2015-16.
Enrollment Breaks by Classes – 2014-15
(Number of schools in parentheses)
Class A: 882 and above (187 schools)
Class B: 424 – 881 (187)
Class C: 215 – 423 (187)
Class D: 214 and below (188)