MHSAA Announces 2016-17 Concussion Data
August 7, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has completed its second year of collecting head injury reports from member schools as it continues to build data that will assist in identifying trends and progress being made to reduce the incidence of head injuries in school sports.
Following a first mandate to do so in 2015-16, member schools again were required to report head injuries to the MHSAA identifying the sport that each student-athlete was participating in and whether the injury was sustained during practice or competition. As reporting for the 2017-18 school year is now underway, schools again are required to designate if potential concussions occur during competition or practice and at which level – varsity, junior varsity or freshman.
The full report of all head injuries experienced during 2016-17 by student-athletes at MHSAA member high schools – including percentages by sport (per 1,000 participants), gender and team level, as well as data tracking when athletes returned to play – is available on the Health & Safety page of the MHSAA Website.
As with the first year of reporting, the MHSAA received data from more than 99 percent of its member high schools after the fall, winter and spring seasons and continued to track each injury report through its conclusion this summer. Member junior high and middle schools also were allowed, although not mandated, to report their potential head injuries; and those findings are not part of the published report.
The 2016-17 concussion report found an 11-percent decrease in the number of confirmed concussions from the previous year. Student-athletes at MHSAA member high schools encountered during 2016-17 a total of 3,958 head injuries – or 5.2 per member school, similar but lower than the 2015-16 average of 5.9. Total participation in MHSAA sports for 2016-17 was 283,625 – with students counted once for each sport he or she played – and only 1.4 percent of participants experienced a head injury; that percentage in 2015-16 was 1.6.
However, MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said that while it’s significant to note the similarity in those statistics over the first two years of injury report collection, the lower percentages in 2016-17 don’t necessarily represent a trend – that conclusion can only be made after more data is collected in years to come. Some differences in data from the first year to the second could be the result of schools’ increased familiarity with the reporting system, the refinement of the follow-up reporting procedure and other survey error that is expected to decrease with future surveys.
“Our first survey in 2015-16 raised some initial themes, and the data we collected this past year and will continue to collect will help us identify the trends that will guide our next steps in reducing head injuries in interscholastic athletics,” Roberts said. “However, the necessity for more data to determine these trends should not delay our efforts to experiment with more head protection and modified play and practice rules in contact sports like ice hockey, soccer, wrestling and lacrosse – which all ranked among the top 10 sports for numbers of head injuries per thousand participants.
“We will continue to look for ways to make our good games better and our healthy games safer, and the collection of this data will continue to prove key as we work toward those goals.”
Although the total number of confirmed concussions was significantly lower in 2016-17, a number of findings detailing those injuries fell in line with results of the 2015-16 survey.
Boys experienced 2,607 – or 66 percent – of those injuries, nearly the same ratio as 2015-16 and as boys participation in sports, especially contact sports, remained higher than girls. More than half of head injuries – 55 percent – were experienced by varsity athletes, which also fell within a percent difference of last year’s findings.
A total of 2,973 head injuries – or 65 percent – came in competition as opposed to practice. More than half took place during either the middle of practice or middle of competition as opposed to the start or end, and 52 percent of injuries were a result of person-to-person contact. The largest percentage of athletes – 27 percent – returned to activity after 6 to 10 days, while 23 percent of those who suffered head injuries returned after 11-15 days of rest. All of these findings were within 1-4 percent of those discovered from the 2015-16 data.
Contact sports again revealed the most head injuries. Ranking first was football, 11 and 8-player combined, with 44 head injuries per 1,000 participants – a decrease of five head injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16. Ice hockey repeated with the second-most injuries per 1,000, with 36 (down two injuries per 1,000 from 2015-16), and girls soccer was again third with 28 head injuries per 1,000 participants (also down two from the previous year).
In fact, after football and hockey, four of the next five sports to show the highest incidences of head injuries were girls sports – girls soccer followed by girls basketball (23 per 1,000), girls competitive cheer (22) and girls lacrosse (20). Although girls basketball again showed the fifth-highest ratio, it did see a decline of six injuries per 1,000 participants from 2015-16.
Startling indications of another potential trend were seen again in the number of reported head injuries suffered by girls and boys playing the same sports. Soccer, basketball and baseball/softball are played under identical or nearly identical rules. Just as in 2015-16, females in those sports reported significantly more concussions than males playing the same or similar sport.
Female soccer players reported double the concussions per 1,000 participants as male soccer players, while female basketball players reported nearly triple the number of concussions per 1,000 participants (23 to 8). Softball players reported 11 concussions per 1,000 participants, and baseball players reported four per 1,000. The numbers from all three comparisons remained consistent from what the survey found in 2015-16.
It is the hope that Michigan’s universities, health care systems and the National Federation of State High School Associations will take part in analyzing the data and questions that have arisen during the past two years. Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports submitted a paper titled “Gender Differences in Youth Sports Concussion” based on the 2015-16 results, and that subject will remain closely monitored in 2017-18 and beyond.
“The Institute’s research concluded that there is merit for believing females may be more susceptible than males to having concussions because of structural differences to the neck and head, and also due to neurological differences in the brains of females and males. But the findings also show merit for believing females may be more honest in reporting concussions,” Roberts said.
“We need to find out why. Are girls just more willing to report the injury? Are boys hiding it? These are some of our most important questions moving forward, and they will be critical in our efforts to educate athletes, their parents and coaches on the importance of reporting and receiving care for these injuries immediately.”
Schools report possible concussions online via the MHSAA Website. Reports are then examined by members of the MHSAA staff, who follow up with school administrators as those student-athletes continue to receive care and eventually return to play. Student privacy is protected.
The reporting of possible concussions is part of a three-pronged advance by the MHSAA in concussion care begun during the 2015-16 school year. The MHSAA completed this past spring (2017) the largest-ever state high school association sideline concussion testing pilot program, with a sample of schools from across the state over the last two years using one of two screening tests designed to detect concussions. The second year of the pilot program (2016-17) allowed participating schools to use the sideline detection tests in all sports but mandated they be used in sports (11 total over three seasons) showing the highest prevalence of concussions.
The MHSAA also was the first state association to provide all participants at every member high school and junior high/middle school with insurance intended to pay accident medical expense benefits – covering deductibles and co-pays left unpaid by other policies – resulting from head injuries sustained during school practices or competitions and at no cost to either schools or families. During 2016-17, a total of 139 claims were made – 20 fewer than in 2015-16 – with football (44) and girls basketball (27) the sports most cited in those claims for the second straight year.
Previously, the MHSAA also was among the first state associations to adopt a return-to-play protocol that keeps an athlete out of activity until at least the next day after a suspected concussion, and allows that athlete to return to play only after he or she has been cleared unconditionally for activity by a doctor (M.D. or D.O.), physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.
In addition, the MHSAA’s Coaches Advancement Program – which includes courses that must be completed by all varsity head coaches hired for the first time at a member school – has augmented for this fall its already substantial instruction on concussion care. Separately, rules meetings that are required viewing for all varsity and subvarsity head and assistant coaches at the start of each season include detailed training on caring for athletes with possible head injuries.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.
2026 Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients Announced in Class A
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2026
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has selected 13 student-athletes from Class A member schools to receive scholarships through the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
Farm Bureau Insurance, in its 37th year of sponsoring the award, will give $2,000 college scholarships to 32 individuals who represent their member schools in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament. The first 30 scholarships are awarded proportionately by school classification and the number of student-athletes involved in those classes; also, there are two at-large honorees who can come from any classification.
Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must be carrying at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have previously won a letter in a varsity sport in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association sponsors a postseason tournament. Other requirements for the applicants were to show active participation in other school and community activities and produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
The 32 scholarship recipients will be recognized March 14 during the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.
The Class A Scholar-Athlete Award honorees are Lydia Binelli, Berkley; Brynn Corrion, Bay City Central; Lilamae Frank, Battle Creek Lakeview; Ava Mac Donald, Rochester Adams; Maggie Rothstein, Holland West Ottawa; Maggie Telgenhof, Holland; Ari Blank, Birmingham Groves; Sajan Doshi, Bloomfield Hills; Omar Elghawy, Portage Northern; Trevor Griffith, Flint Kearsley; Benjamin Hu, Northville; Amogh Mavatoor, Northville; and Ian Morgan, Okemos.
Overviews of the scholarship recipients of the Class A Scholar-Athlete Award follow. A quote from each recipient's essay also is included:
Lydia Binelli, Berkley
Ran four seasons of cross country, is competing in her third of gymnastics and will compete in her fourth of track & field this spring. Has qualified for Regional competition in 11 events across her three sports and earned league medals in cross country and gymnastics. Served as captain of all three teams. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction and College Board national recognition. Participating in third year of National Honor Society and fourth of Science National Honor Society, and as president of the latter this school year. Serving fourth year on superintendent’s student advisory board. Created Bravery Bears project to serve children in post-anesthesia care units and participated in Focus: HOPE’s Generation of Promise leadership program. Will attend University of Michigan and study biology, health and society.
Essay Quote: “I started struggling with feeling not good enough because I constantly compared myself to (my teammate). … Our friendship was as strong as ever, but nevertheless, I felt inferior. After a late-summer run, our coaches called us over. We were going to be the only two junior captains for the girls side. I realized then that we were the leaders, and no longer just part of the team. We had the opportunity to build our girls team up. Together.”
Brynn Corrion, Bay City Central
Played two seasons of varsity volleyball, is playing her first of varsity basketball, and will play her fourth of varsity soccer and compete in her fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-league recognition in volleyball and soccer and qualified for Regionals in track. Earned league all-academic honors the last three years and served as co-captain in volleyball, soccer and basketball. Expects to enter college with 42 credits earned by dual enrollment, and participating in third year of National Honor Society. Participated in DECA and with regional Child Abuse and Neglect Council as a junior and Great Lakes Bay Region Youth Leadership Institute as a senior. Will attend Delta College and then transfer to Northwood University, and study marking and management.
Essay Quote: “Our team lacked effort and respect, disregarding the spirit of competing with pride. Yet that year became one of the most important learning experiences of my athletic career. It taught me critical life skills and the responsibility of carrying good sportsmanship through all my varsity athletics. Equally important is how I transfer these lessons into the classroom, working respectfully and collaboratively with teachers and peers. In the end, character, teamwork, and integrity matter far more than stats or scoring.”
Lilamae Frank, Battle Creek Lakeview
Ran four season of cross country, is playing her third of varsity basketball, and will play her fourth of varsity soccer and compete in her fourth of track & field this spring. Qualified multiple seasons for MHSAA Finals in cross country, earned all-state recognition in soccer and was a city champion in track and cross country. Served as cross country and basketball junior varsity team captain. Participated in DECA throughout high school, earning a state championship as a junior and serving as president of promotions as a senior. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and fourth of show choir, as a section leader this school year. Participated in theater club throughout high school and contributed to school television network all four years and earned state awards for production. Will attend Ball State University (Ind.) and study sports media and broadcasting.
Essay Quote: “High school sports have taught me how to be a great teammate and competitor, but the true takeaway is the better person I’ve become. Character is worth way more than any medal or trophy in my bedroom. I will pay it forward and will forever be the person who reaches out their hand to help lift others up.”
Ava Mac Donald, Rochester Adams
Competing in third season of competitive cheer and will play her third season of varsity lacrosse in the spring. Helped cheer team to MHSAA Finals runner-up finish and lacrosse team to league title, earning academic all-state in both sports while contributing to team academic all-state awards in both. Served as captain of both teams. Participating in third years of National Honor Society and Spanish National Honors Society. Serving on student council and as president of Interact Club, and has participated in Key Club and UNICEF club throughout high school. Founded Tiny Steps dance collective. Participated for two years in Michigan Medachieve program and two as part of Health Occupations Students of America. Is finalizing where she will attend college and her course of study.
Essay Quote: “In a sport where lifting each other up is a physical requirement, it becomes a moral obligation as well, reflecting the honor and integrity within each athlete. At the end of the day, success or failure, each cheerleader and athlete makes the decision to show up to practice, play the game, perform the routine, and give it their all.”
Maggie Rothstein, Holland West Ottawa
Played three seasons of varsity golf and will play her fourth of varsity tennis this spring. Earned all-state honorable mention and helped team to Regional championship in tennis. Earned all-area and academic all-state in golf, and helped both teams to academic all-state team awards. Served as captain of both teams. Earned AP Scholar award and certified nursing assistant certification. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and as chapter vice president, and serving fourth year on student government and second year as class vice president. Serving third year on Holland Youth Advisory Committee and participating in second year of West Ottawa Equality Now club. Will attend University of Michigan and study nursing.
Essay Quote: “It is the quiet choice to stay cool when something feels unfair, to respect the call even if it hurts, to play for the joy instead of the win. On the court or in the program, it is all the same. I play for the kids who cannot, and I am thankful I get to compete when some kids never will. So instead of getting mad over a silly point, I am grateful for being out there.”
Maggie Telgenhof, Holland
Competed four seasons of swimming & diving, completing third of varsity basketball and will play her fourth of varsity softball this spring. Earned all-conference recognition in softball and academic all-state in basketball, and qualified for Diving Regionals all four years. Served as captain of all three teams. Serving fourth year on student senate and as president. Participating in fourth year of Youth in Government and third of National Honor Society, the latter as chapter secretary. Participating in second years of Holland Youth Advisory Council and school’s athletic leadership committee, and co-founded the latter. Played two years in school marching band. Participated in Students Helping Our Remarkable Environment club throughout high school. Will attend University of Michigan and study kinesiology, pre-athletic training and movement science.
Essay Quote: “Sportsmanship is also a choice you make in your hardest moments. I’ve had games where I wanted to throw something out of frustration, but sportsmanship pushes you to rise above that instinct. It’s learning to pause and not take the impulsive path. It’s walking away from trash talk instead of joining. Choosing to be the steady teammate when the pressure rises shows commitment to the game and respect for everyone involved.”
Ari Blank, Birmingham Groves
Played three years of varsity tennis and will play his second of varsity golf this spring. Earned all-state in tennis as a senior and earned league scholar athlete awards in both sports multiple seasons. Served as tennis team captain as a senior. Participating in second year of National Honor Society. Played in school’s concert and symphony orchestras throughout high school and earned “1” orchestra ratings from the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association. Served as campus captain for his school’s mental health awareness program and a mentor as part of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Serving third year as student ambassador to the school district superintendent. Will attend University of Michigan and is finalizing his course of study.
Essay Quote: “(Sportsmanship is) not about following the rules when the coach is watching. It's the conscious decision to uphold the honor of the game, even when it costs you greatly. In high school tennis and golf, this integrity is our greatest strength and the most profound lesson we can take away from the golf course or tennis court into life. It teaches us that true success is measured by the character we show when the only referee is ourselves.”
Sajan Doshi, Bloomfield Hills
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, earning all-state recognition and finishing with a 72-2 career record. Contributed to MHSAA Finals team championships his first three years of high school and was part of the No. 3 doubles flight champion as a junior. Served as team captain as a senior. Participating in third year of Spanish National Honors Society and fourth of student government. Competed as part of Future Business Leaders of America throughout high school, making state finals and qualifying for national competition. Competed in forensics throughout high school, winning two state championships. Served as co-president of FBLA team and president for forensics. Founded Downsize with Dignity decluttering service and co-founded Lil Aces Tennis Academy, which has served more than 250 youth players and raised more than $12,000 for charity. Served on boards of investing club and Indian-American Student Association. Will attend University of Michigan and study finance.
Essay Quote: “We had a true respect for one another, and an understanding that the wins and losses ultimately mean less than the experience, wisdom, and memories gained from giving everything you have and lifting each other up. Motivation, preparation, effort, struggle, strategy, maximum effort, fair ethical play, and treating your opponents with respect ... sportsmanship truly represents a microcosm of life.”
Omar Elghawy, Portage Northern
Played four seasons of varsity tennis, will play his second of varsity lacrosse this spring and competed in track & field as a freshman. Earned all-conference and academic all-state recognition in tennis and served as team captain as a senior. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and fourth as part of student senate, this year as student body president. Competed two years as part of DECA and forensics teams. Participated in Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War group throughout high school, earning Martin Luther King Youth Social Justice Award from the Kalamazoo city commission. Helped lead school’s student cheering section. Participated in community service work that included helping raise money for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Is undecided where he will attend college and is finalizing his course of study but considering a pre-law track.
Essay Quote: “As captains, we worked with our coach to dedicate a few practices to mental toughness and good sportsmanship. Even in mistakes, we saw how sportsmanship is a necessary part of learning. … In a world with unfavorable circumstances, it is vital to purify what's already there to crystallize into a diamond rather than become a lump of coal.”
Trevor Griffith, Flint Kearsley
Played three seasons of varsity football, is playing his second of varsity basketball and will compete in his fourth season of track & field this spring. Earned all-conference and league scholar-athlete recognition in football and qualified for Regional competition in shot put. Served as captain of football and basketball teams and field event captain for track. Participating in second year of National Honor Society and served on school’s athletic leadership council. Attended Genesee Career Institute for two years for welding and advanced welding and earned several certifications. Volunteered as part of school’s summer learning program and has participated as a youth basketball and football mentor and referee throughout high school. Is undecided where he will attend college, but intends to study aerospace engineering.
Essay Quote: “This year, my senior year, we decided we didn’t want to be the storm, we wanted to be the spark. We leaned into competitiveness with respect. We stopped responding to negativity with negativity. We started showing up for each other, celebrating the right things, and reminding the younger players that being an athlete is about more than winning, it’s about how you win, how you lose, and how you treat the people standing across from you. Here’s what I’ve learned: sportsmanship is contagious.”
Benjamin Hu, Northville
Competed on boys swimming & diving team all four years of high school. Swam on MHSAA Finals championship relay as a junior and has earned all-state five times over his first three seasons. Has qualified for USA Swimming futures and national competitions. Served as team captain. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction recognition. Played in University of Michigan Youth Symphonic Band throughout high school and solo & ensemble his first three years and earned MSBOA “1” rating; also won Michigan Open classical piano competition. Attended Michigan New Century Chinese School throughout high school and served as lifeguard and swim instructor also all four years. Will attend University of Michigan and study biomedical engineering.
Essay Quote: “… (My teammate) knew I wasn't drowning in the water, but in my own thoughts. For the remainder of that practice, I focused on the steady kick in front of me, a lifeline that I didn't know I needed. That moment, in the red-tinted gloom of a 5 a.m. practice, is what true sportsmanship is. It's not the polished handshake after a buzzer. It's the unobserved investments in the person next to you when they're at their worst. It's the team coming together to say, ‘Your struggle is our struggle.’”
Amogh Mavatoor, Northville
Played four years of varsity tennis, competed two in track & field and one on the junior varsity bowling team. Earned an MHSAA Finals No. 4 singles championship in 2023 and twice earned all-state recognition in that sport. Also named academic all-state all four years and served as tennis team captain. Earned AP Scholar with Distinction recognition and named National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. Participated in National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. Participated in DECA throughout high school, serving on executive board and winning two state championships. Served as president and program director of ACEing Autism chapter and serving second year on Wayne County Civic Youth Council and as part of its executive board. Serving on VT SEVA Detroit executive board working to assist underprivileged and visually-impaired children in India. Co-founded and serves as co-president of Hope for Dignity providing for underprivileged communities in Michigan and India. Earned state and national community service awards. Will attend University of Michigan and study business administration.
Essay Quote: “ … Sportsmanship isn’t the absence of competition; it’s the way we choose to compete. It’s choosing integrity when no one would blame you for doing the opposite. It’s understanding that the respect you earn matters more than the result you achieve.”
Ian Morgan, Okemos
Ran four seasons of cross country and will compete in his fourth of track & field this spring. Earned all-state in cross country the last two seasons and all-conference in both sports; also earned academic all-state the last three years. Served as cross country team champion as a senior. Participated in National Honor Society the last two years. Played the last three years in school’s symphonic wind ensemble and philharmonic orchestra, and competed three years in MSBOA solo & ensemble events, earning multiple “1” ratings. Served as school camp counselor and Vacation Bible School teen leader, and participated throughout high school as part of community service and student orientation teams. Will attend College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts and is finalizing his course of study.
Essay Quote: “My experience of sportsmanship extended to athletes I once saw only as rivals. I race runners in my league about five times each season. I always wish the guys beside me good luck on the line. Over time, the pre-race small talk grew into friendship. … I learned that treating competitors with respect opens the door to friendships I never expected.”
Other Class A girls finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Reese Beauleaux, Adrian; Sydney Behnke, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Justine Casey, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood; Laurin M. Edwards, Detroit Cass Tech; Arabella Glass, Waterford Kettering; Ella Griffin, Bloomfield Hills; Jillian Hayes, Saline; Veda Keshavamurthy, Plymouth; Grace Kim, Farmington Hills Mercy; Anna Linen, White Lake Lakeland; Bella Matthews, Bay City Central; Gracelynn Olson, Fruitport; Meredith Peterson, White Lake Lakeland; Jade Queen, Grand Ledge; Jacey Roy, Birmingham Groves; Asia Shi, Ann Arbor Huron; Mattie Thompson, Okemos; and Julia Yoder, Birmingham Groves.
Other Class A boys finalists for the Scholar-Athlete Award were Sami Anwar, Plymouth; Luke Desnoyer, Royal Oak; Ian Deters, Grand Ledge; Ryan Dye, Detroit Catholic Central; Caleb Garrett, Birmingham Seaholm; Matthew Huang, Midland Dow; Andrew Legg, Holland; Eli Macauley, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern; Nicholas Maeso, Royal Oak; Matthew McGaugh, Midland Dow; Eamon Murray, Midland; Wesley Rogers, Mason; Drew Rothstein, Holland West Ottawa; Carson Soltis, DeWitt; Marcel Stork, Mattawan; Kazutaka Suzuki, Canton; and Owen Wohlfert, Traverse City West.
The Class C and D scholarship award recipients were announced Feb. 3, and the Class B honorees were announced Feb. 10.
Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services — life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more — protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.