Representative Council Wrap-up: Fall
December 20, 2011
EAST LANSING – The appointment of its newest member and the adoption of four lacrosse regulations were among actions taken by the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association during its annual Fall Meeting, Dec. 2, in East Lansing.
Yale Public Schools athletic director Maureen E. Klocke was appointed to the 19-member council for a two-year term and brings with her more than 16 years experience as an athletic administrator.
She’s served in her current position since August 2005, and during her tenure has led in the hosting of MHSAA post-season tournaments for eight sports, including Regionals for girls basketball and volleyball. Previously, Klocke served as Capac’s athletic director for nine years and prior to that was interim athletic director for Memphis schools for seven months. She also coached basketball, volleyball and softball during her time at Memphis.
Also, Perry High School principal Paula Steele was re-appointed for a two-year term. Steele joined Perry’s district this summer after previously serving in the same position at East Lansing High School.
The Representative Council is the legislative body of the MHSAA. All but five members are elected by member schools. Four members are appointed by the Council to facilitate representation of females and minorities; and the 19th position is occupied by the Superintendent of Public Instruction or designee.
Also at the Fall Meeting, the following Girls Lacrosse Committee recommendations were adopted for the 2012 season:
--A game interrupted by events beyond the control of authorities may be continued from that point of interruption either later that day or on another date. This alters a national women’s lacrosse rule stating an interrupted game must be played from the beginning if rescheduled for another date. A game continued over two days will count as just one date on those teams’ schedules, while it will count as two of the team’s scheduling dates if the game is played, interrupted, and then played from the beginning on another day.
--Teams may play two regulation games in one day, to not exceed 120 total minutes played. This is in addition to the current rule allowing three games in one day with not more than 20-minute halves. This addresses a preference by some teams to play two full games at a tournament instead of three shortened games.
--A student or coach disqualified for unsportsmanlike conducted must be withheld by her or his school for at least the next day of competition for that team, consistent with MHSAA rules for other sports. This alters the national women’s lacrosse rule stating those who are disqualified must be withheld from the next two games.
--The unruly actions of spectators will not result in a card being assessed to their team’s coach. The national rule does assess a card to the head coach as punishment for spectator misconduct.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by over 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 approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.
MHSAA Member High Schools Report Highest Participation Since 2018-19
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 17, 2025
MHSAA member high schools reported a combined participation of 275,684 athletes in MHSAA-sponsored tournament sports during the 2024-25 school year – the highest number of participants in those activities since 2018-19 and despite another decrease in combined enrollment across those 754 schools.
This past year’s participation total was 5,020 students – or 1.9 percent – higher than in 2023-24, while enrollment at member schools fell by 1.3 percent. Boys participation was up 1.9 percent to 161,329 – also its highest since 2018-19 – and girls participation was up 1.8 percent to 114,355, its highest count since 2019-20. MHSAA participation totals count students once for each sport in which they participate, meaning students who are multiple-sport athletes are counted more than once.
Two sports set participation records during 2024-25. Boys track & field counted 24,759 participants – a 3.7 percent increase from a year ago in breaking its previous record from 2005-06. Girls lacrosse participation was up 0.9 percent from last year to 3,970 participants in setting a record for the second-straight season.
Another 15 sports saw participation increases this past school year. Girls tennis saw an increase of 6.4 percent to 9,485 athletes, followed by boys and girls wrestling’s combined increase of 5.2 percent to 12,422 participants – with boys wrestling participation up 3 percent and girls up an incredible 24 percent to 1,505 athletes. Girls track & field (18,108 athletes) and boys cross country (8,209) also saw some of the largest jumps at 4.5 and 4.1 percent, respectively.
Also reporting increased participation during 2024-25 were boys tennis (3.7 percent, 6,163 total athletes), football (3 percent, 36,210), girls volleyball (2.9 percent, 19,679), boys golf (2.7 percent, 7,416), girls competitive cheer (2.4 percent, 6,319), boys basketball (1.7 percent, 20,541), girls cross country (1.4 percent, 6,826), boys soccer (1.1 percent, 14,112), boys bowling (1 percent, 4,333), boys swimming & diving (0.9 percent, 4,073), and girls soccer (0.7 percent, 11,090).
Although 11 sports saw participation decreases during 2024-25 from the previous school year, those for girls basketball (-0.4 percent) and boys ice hockey (-0.7 percent) were lower than the 1.3-percent enrollment decline at MHSAA member schools.
Football remains the most popular sport in terms of participation at MHSAA member high schools, with that total of 36,210 athletes its highest since 2017-18. Girls volleyball remained the most popular girls sport in 2024-25, with its 19,679 athletes the highest total since 2012-13.
The participation figures are gathered annually from MHSAA member schools to submit to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) for compiling of its national participation survey. Results of Michigan surveys from the 2000-01 school year to present may be viewed the "Sports Participation Listing" page.
The following chart shows participation figures for the 2024-25 school year from MHSAA member schools for sports in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament:
|
|
BOYS |
|
GIRLS |
|
|
Sport |
Schools (A) |
Participants |
Schools (A) |
Participants (B) |
|
Baseball |
650/9 |
16,044 |
- |
-/13 |
|
Basketball |
741/2 |
20,536 |
689 |
13,063/5 |
|
Bowling |
408/12 |
4,312 |
380 |
2,689/21 |
|
Competitive Cheer |
- |
- |
335 |
6,319 |
|
Cross Country |
658/3 |
8,205 |
626 |
6,826/4 |
|
Football - 11 player |
522/65 |
33,427 |
- |
-/79 |
|
8-player |
132/12 |
2,692 |
- |
-/12 |
|
Golf |
535/46 |
7,333 |
390 |
3,970/83 |
|
Gymnastics |
- |
- |
86 |
497 |
|
Ice Hockey |
285/12 |
3,092 |
- |
-/15 |
|
Lacrosse |
173/11 |
5,023 |
134 |
3,194/15 |
|
Skiing |
106 |
762 |
111 |
727 |
|
Soccer |
485/13 |
14,063 |
470 |
11,909/49 |
|
Softball |
- |
- |
616 |
11,368 |
|
Swimming & Diving |
266/17 |
4,031 |
276 |
4,648/42 |
|
Tennis |
288/15 |
6,133 |
328 |
9,485/30 |
|
Track & Field |
685 |
24,759 |
677 |
18,108 |
|
Volleyball |
- |
- |
731 |
19,679 |
|
Wrestling |
503 |
10,917 |
379 |
1,505 |
(A) The first number is the number of schools reporting sponsorship on the Sports Participation Survey, including primary and secondary schools in cooperative programs as of May 15, 2025. The second number indicates the number of schools that had girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys.
(B) The second number indicates the number of additional girls playing on teams consisting primarily of boys and entered in boys competition.
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.