Participation Fees Rise Again
December 19, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The use of participation fees to help fund interscholastic athletics in Michigan high schools for the first time rose significantly above 50 percent during the 2012-13 school year, according to the most recent survey taken by the Michigan High School Athletic Association of its member institutions.
Use of fees had held steady at just above 50 percent over the last two school years, 2010-11 and 2011-12. But the most recently completed survey indicated that of 450 member schools participating, 249 schools – 55.3 percent – charged participation fees during the 2012-13 school year.
There were 758 senior high schools in the MHSAA membership in 2012-13 – the survey generated a response rate of 59 percent. This was the ninth survey of schools since the 2003-04 school year, when members reported that fees were being charged in 24 percent of schools.
The largest surge of charging fees in 2012-13 came at Class B schools, with 61 percent reporting fees after 54 percent reported using them in 2011-12. Class A schools saw a five percent jump to 71 percent, Class C saw a three percent rise to 49, and Class D schools saw a slight increase to 37 percent assessing fees.
Charging a standardized per-team fee for each on which a student participates remains the most popular method among schools that assess fees – although those doing so in that way dropped to 36 percent, a decrease of more than five percent. The median fee among those schools was $65, a decrease of $10 from the previous year.
Building on a trend that emerged during the 2011-12 survey, the use of fees incurred by students who paid once for an entire year of participation increased again to 29 percent of schools that charge. Families as a whole are facing higher fees as well; although an increasing number of schools are setting a maximum fee a family can be assessed, the amount of that fee increased in 2012-13 to a median of $300.
The survey for 2012-13 and surveys from previous years can be found on the MHSAA Website by clicking on Schools – Administrators – Pay-To-Play Resources.
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.
Winter Contact Sports to Resume in Full
February 4, 2021
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Per an announcement today by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Michigan High School Athletic Association member schools may begin full practice activities in the Winter contact sports of girls and boys basketball, competitive cheer, ice hockey and wrestling on Monday, Feb. 8, with some precautions to continue limiting the spread of COVID-19.
Competition in those four sports also will begin next week, with basketball and hockey able to play Feb. 8 and cheer and wrestling able to compete starting Feb. 12.
Those four Winter contact sports have been able to practice since Jan. 16, but only with non-contact activities. MHSAA Tournament dates for all four sports previously were rescheduled into late March and early April to accommodate a later start to the regular season, and those dates appear below. All four Winter contact sports also must participate with some level of masking and/or rapid testing, also detailed sport-by-sport below.
All testing will be coordinated between schools and MDHHS or their local health departments. Following are specific precautions and key dates for those contact sports at the high school level. Participants are defined as athletes, coaches and other team personnel active in practice and competition. For the sports detailed below, regular-season contests may be played up until the date of the MHSAA Finals in that sport.
Girls Basketball
Masking/testing: All participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. A testing requirement may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the floor if they test negative that game day; more details will be provided to schools when confirmed.
Competition limit: Teams may play up to three games per week, Monday through Sunday.
First contest: Feb. 8
Districts: March 22, 24, 26
Regionals: March 29, 31
Quarterfinals: April 5
Semifinals: April 7
Finals: April 9
Boys Basketball
Masking/testing: All participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. A testing requirement may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the floor if they test negative that game day; more details will be provided to schools when confirmed.
Competition limit: Teams may play up to three games per week, Monday through Sunday.
First contest: Feb. 8
Districts: March 23, 25, 27
Regionals: March 30, April 1
Quarterfinals: April 6
Semifinals: April 8
Finals: April 10
Competitive Cheer
Masking/testing: Teams may compete without testing or face coverings, but must wear masks at all times outside of active competition or stunting/tumbling practice.
Competition limit: Teams may participate in 12 days of competition, not counting MHSAA Tournament events.
First contest: Feb. 12
Districts: March 17-20
Regionals: March 23-24
Finals: March 26-27
Ice Hockey
Masking/testing: All participants must wear face coverings at all times – during all practices and non-game activities, and during games. A testing requirement may allow participants to remove masks while in active participation on the ice if they test negative that game day; more details will be provided to schools when confirmed.
Competition limit: Teams may play up to three games per week, Monday through Sunday. Teams also may play two games on one non-school day twice; during those two weeks, teams are allowed up to four games Monday through Sunday.
First contest: Feb. 8
Regionals: March 15-20
Quarterfinals: March 23-24
Semifinals: March 25-26
Finals: March 27
Wrestling
Masking/testing: Testing is required for wrestling, but competitors will not be required to wear face coverings.
Competition limit: Teams may compete two days per week, Monday through Sunday, with no more than four teams at a site (with each individual competing in up to three matches per day.)
First contest: Feb. 12
Team Districts: March 17-18
Individual Districts: March 20
Team Regionals: March 24
Individual Regionals: March 27
Team Finals: March 30
Individual Finals: April 2-3
The same masking and testing requirements will be in place for all junior high/middle school teams wishing to participate in the four Winter contact sports.