And the 2013 BOTF winner is ...
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 22, 2013
Josh Money had gone to just about every Buchanan boys basketball game during his first three years of high school, usually one in a semi-full section of stands.
But as the senior “Trophy Buck” stood in front of his school’s newly-created “Herd” for its first theme night on Dec. 7, he hardly could believe his eyes.
He, his classmates and athletic director Fred Smith had hatched the idea of creating the section only a few months before. But as Money looked up to see – and hear – dozens of students dressed up for “Christmas on the Court” and waving “Buck Power” spirit towels, he began to believe winning this year’s MHSAA Battle of the Fans II was possible.
Late next month, they'll hang an MHSAA championship banner announcing the Herd as this year's BOTF champion and the best student cheering section in Michigan.
“Words can’t really explain it. It just feels good that we are the best. There’s no guessing. We are the best," Money said. "I’m proud of our school, proud of our community. How much support we had throughout has just been amazing. I never knew it was going to come out to be this big.”
The most wide-spread slogan of many put out by this year’s MHSAA Battle of the Fans II champion starts with the friendliest of greetings – “Welcome.”
But to see the entire Buchanan community – from elementary schools students to high school leaders to grandmas and grandpas locking arms and standing together – in our eyes, there was no more meaningful sign of the community-building power of the Herd.
Buchanan was chosen based on a vote by the MHSAA’s 16-member Student Advisory Council influenced by public vote on the MHSAA’s Facebook page. A total of 8,024 fans voted in the MHSAA Facebook poll, with those results then equated against a school’s enrollment.
Buchanan far and away received the most Facebook votes – 4,522, or 63 more than the size of the town’s population. Zeeland East received 2,056 votes. The Student Advisory Council based its vote on the following criteria: positive sportsmanship, student body participation, school spirit, originality of cheers, organization of the group, section leadership and overall fun.
Other numbers to consider from this season's contest: The 26 application videos have been watched more than 24,000 times, and the MHSAA-produced videos from our tour stops have 10,033 views. The stories on the five finalists plus Tuesday’s explanation of how to vote had been viewed 17,206 times as of 8:30 this morning.
As this contest comes to a close, we remember fondly each of our Battle of the Fans visits this winter. Any of the five schools would've been a worthy champion.
Here’s some of what we enjoyed most about each finalist:
Tradition Doesn’t Graduate Award: Frankenmuth
What we saw: More of what made Frankenmuth our inaugural BOTF champion in 2012. A large crowd reaching to the top of the bleachers, completely engaged in the game throughout, and having a blast from opening tip to final buzzer. And when it comes to halftime, no one is more creative – the “Silent Night” sing-along at center court was a solid follow-up to the 2012 halftime chicken dance.
Why we’re fans: Watching Frankenmuth from the outside makes the casual observer want to jump in and take part. The Eagles simply have a blast, regardless of who is standing at the front directing traffic. Nearly all of the section’s leaders graduated last spring, but roles (and in a few cases, costumes) were handed down, and a few key juniors already are involved – meaning we could see Frankenmuth among the finalists again in 2014.
All in the Family Award: Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard
What we saw: A true community where one might not expect to see it – a school which draws students from not just Ann Arbor but a handful of neighboring towns as well, yet gets constant support for multiple sports no matter what day of the week. This section has plenty of history, and some recent tragedies sadly showed again the strength of Gabriel Richard’s bonds.
Why we’re fans: A fun clip we didn't use in the video showed piles of props scattered next to the stands – the necessities of putting on an ultra-creative “Beach Night.” Our favorite was the human wave, which was then surfed by one of the section leaders. We were impressed by the big plans being made for the “Masquerade for Mott” fundraiser for the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and just the overall connection throughout the section and with its basketball team on the floor, and cheerleaders and dance team on the sidelines.
One Voice, All Day Award: Zeeland East
What we saw: Members of “The Coop” don’t leave their responsibilities as student section members at the door. Living their brand of “rowdy” is a fulltime deal. Zeeland East was our largest school among this year’s finalists, but also has the most developed Facebook presence and a strong Twitter following to spread the word and keep the ideas flowing 24/7. And “High 5 Hallway” – a game day occurrence during which hundreds of Zeeland East students meet in one hallway during a break, form lines and high five each other – was our favorite new idea of this year’s tour.
Why we’re fans: From “High 5 Hallway” to the way senior leaders plant themselves with the underclassmen at the top of the section, the sense of unity was unmistakable despite the large size of the school and its section. Leaders have a constant dialogue with their athletic director – something we've found is a must for top sections – and it’s easy to get worn out just watching this non-stop Coop party.
Make a Difference Award: Vandercook Lake
What we saw: The lessons taught by Vandercook Lake’s group of 13 senior leaders are twofold: Make the most of your four years cheering on your classmates, and it’s possible to accomplish any number of goals by being driven and organized. The Jayhawks got this section going this fall in part to acquire a new mascot costume; they ended up with that costume, school flags, spirit towels and a legacy ready-made for the next group to pick up and continue building.
Why we’re fans: We have a lot of respect for a large group of students pulling together with so many possible viewpoints and abilities and turning out something this positive. Vandercook Lake also was our smallest finalist this year – but showed us a section much larger than its relative size and comparable in creativity and spirit with schools much larger. These students had an idea and made it happen.
Battle of the Fans champion: Buchanan
What we saw: All five of our finalists have created something of value in their respective schools and their communities as a whole. But nowhere is that presence felt quite like in Buchanan.
“The Herd” was little more than a group of milling “deer” a few months ago. Today, it’s a community staple, a point of camaraderie welcoming to all students not only at the high school but all the way down to the kindergarten classes. The section is invited weekly to community events, and the comments posted on our Facebook page and Second Half stories came from parents and grandparents, recent alums and those who graduated and left town long ago.
There’s a lot of pride in Buchanan, and Buchanan takes pride in the Herd.
Why we’re fans: Buchanan does this the right way. The “Woods” are lively, but positive. The Herd is creative and a little silly, but connected to the game and supportive of the team.
And someone give these students their honorary marketing degrees right now; by branding phrases like “Herd Dat!” with younger students, they've ensured this section will live on for years to come.
“Walking through the school, or in front of the stands, all the little kids are all about it,” Money said. “(They’ll say,) ‘Josh Money, you should do this. You should do that.’ I’m getting messages all day, every day from little kids telling me what we should do.
“To have something that great keep going for years, it’s going to be pretty cool to see.”
Now our finalists will take their acts to a bigger stage – clips from all five MHSAA tour stops will be shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at the Breslin Center.
All five sections are ambassadors of the best of student cheering sections in our state. We’re glad to congratulate them for setting awesome examples of the fun that can be had while keeping to good sportsmanship and a positive vibe.
And we’ll be proud to award Buchanan its championship banner – Herd Dat, loud and clear.
Click to check out our the stories and videos behind the finalists. Also, click to see student-produced videos from 26 sections who entered the contest. (Photo courtesy of Caryn DeFreez, DeFreez Photography.)
Students Take Sports Leaders to Class
By
Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
May 2, 2018
Compiled by Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
MHSAA Student Advisory Council members were asked their opinions on several of the current issues facing the MHSAA Junior High/Middle School Committee and MHSAA Task Force on Multi-Sport Participation.
Click for Tuesday’s report on advances being made on both topics.
Danny deForest
Senior
Holland West Ottawa
Danny has played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse in high school, while being involved in National Honor Society, Dance Marathon, WOBN (West Ottawa Broadcasting Network), and the Ping Pong Club. He played football, basketball and tennis, and ran cross country in junior high school.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “Sports have always just been a passion of mine and are something that helps keep all other aspects of my life in order. Without them I feel as if I'm not on a good schedule, and I find much more room to waste time, procrastinate, and overall lose productivity.”
On JH/MS Participation: “I believe it was important for me to start this in middle school because it just instilled a good work ethic in me to continue in high school.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “Playing multiple sports has benefitted me in countless ways. Socially, it has provided me with multiple different friend groups. Soccer alone has helped to give me a much better understanding of Hispanic culture, and I'm grateful to be friends with these teammates. It gives me a great reason to try hard in school, to keep my grades up, and makes me feel better about myself as I am very fit due to it.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “Schools should really work on having coaches cooperate for summer workouts in order to help multi-sport athletes. It is very difficult for us to make it to everything and we often feel as if it takes up nearly our whole summer, and stresses us out as coaches plan things at the same time. It’s hard on us because coaches get disappointed if we attend some and not others, but it’s very tough to manage it all.”
Grace Reetz
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
Senior
Grace plays volleyball, basketball, softball, and runs track & field. She is a member of the NHS and in the drama club as well.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “I grew up with three brothers who all played baseball so I spent a good portion of my childhood at ballparks baking in the hot sun, but their interest definitely influenced my decision to play softball. After I joined the city youth team it was hard to stay away from any other activities. Softball was always my favorite, but over time I realized I didn't love softball nearly as much as I just loved to compete and be active. When I was younger I played soccer and swam competitively and was even in a dodgeball league. As I got into middle and high school sports I tailored my efforts towards those that I could actually play with my classmates through the school (Sacred Heart doesn't offer swimming or soccer).”
On JH/MS Participation: “Middle school sports for me were more social than anything else, but they helped me understand the game and get a good grasp on it before competing at the JV and Varsity level my freshman year. Being on a sports team as a 7th and 8th-grader gave me an immediate friend group and a sense of importance and helped make those years a little less painful.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “I found out that as much as I love the sports I play, I'm not cut out to play any of them year-round. I played for a travel softball team one year that played throughout the whole year from August to July with practice every weekend. By the end of that year, I basically hated the sport because I hadn't been able to take a break from it.
“I think my success I've had in each sport has been largely due to the fact that when I take some time off I get an itch to start playing them again. It keeps me from getting bored and allows me to stay highly motivated during every season.
“Physically working out different muscles also keeps me in better shape than if I were only playing one sport year-round. Playing defense in volleyball surprisingly translates very well into defense on the basketball court and down-and-backs in basketball practice keep me fit and develop my fast twitch muscles which benefit me in track season.
“I think being a part of many different teams has helped develop me as a person as well. In volleyball I act as the more serious leader and motivator, whereas on my basketball team I'm more of the comedic relief. In softball there's a little more tension so my role is just to keep everyone positive and together, and on the track team I become an ultra supportive teammate and back-up player. It's nice to play different roles on different teams with different people and see what new skills, both athletically and in a leadership sense, I'm capable of developing.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “In small schools like mine, if kids don't play multiple sports then there won't be multiple teams; there's just not enough kids. I play most of my sports with the same core group of girls, and it really makes team chemistry and switching from season to season an almost effortless process. I personally think it's kind of lame to only play one sport every day year-round. I think a lot of kids think the only way their dreams of playing at the collegiate level will come true is if they give up all their other activities to focus on that single sport. But that doesn't develop you as a person or as a leader; it only makes you a slightly more skilled athlete.”
Neil Bazaj
Junior
Ann Arbor Greenhills
Neil is a soccer, basketball and track athlete, who played those sports and tennis in junior high school. He also adds Peer-to-Peer Math Tutoring, Captains Club and Gryphon Ambassadors to his activities.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “I have been playing soccer from a very young age, but have also had a natural love for basketball. I began running track as a way to stay fit, but I really enjoyed being part of the team and loved my coaches, so I stayed with the team. My decision to play numerous sports was mostly influenced by my love for the atmosphere that surrounds team sports and how much I enjoy sports myself.”
On JH/MS Participation: “I don’t think that it’s very important to start school sports in middle school; however, I do recommend it. It is an easy way to meet people, and if you are planning to play in high school it helps grow your skill in the respective sport.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “Participation in multiple sports has helped me physically by giving me more stamina and strength. It has also helped me stay in shape. Sports have helped me mentally by giving me something that is normally away from all the drama and problems that arise in high school (and lets me) just focus on the sports that I love.
“They have helped me socially by giving me opportunities to meet new people from each team for all grade levels. Track is co-ed, so it gives me a way to interact with girls as well as guys. Some of my best friends came from the teams I play on. Sports have helped me academically by giving me better time-management skills, which are important for when I do my homework and for my future.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “To help promote multi-sport participation, schools should show the bond that players on teams enjoy and show people how every team is like another family for someone. Also they could do a better job of making it clear that the school supports student-athletes, because I know at my school it often times feels like we lack support because we can barely get 10 people from the community to come out to events.”
Chloe Idoni
Junior
Fenton
Chloe competes on the basketball and volleyball teams at Fenton, and also ran track in middle school in addition to those two sports. She also is a member of the NHS and Captains Club.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “It’s fun to be a part of a team and I love competing in sports.”
On JH/MS Participation: “It benefitted me a lot. You become familiar with your future teammates and the sport, which will help significantly when you get to high school.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “It taught me to manage my time well, and I made so many good friends that I still have today. It’s good to forget about everything that has happened that day and focus on the sport, and it keeps me in shape.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “I believe if your coach supported it, many more athletes would be multi-sport athletes. Sometimes athletes only play one sport because the coaches of different sports want to practice at the same time and the two overlap. Schools can also build up team chemistry within their sports teams because that will influence people to want to join the team because of how much fun they have.”
Aaron Fahrner
Senior
Owendale-Gagetown
Aaron is a member of the school's football, basketball, and baseball teams, as he was in junior high school. He also is in the NHS and currently serve as the chapter’s president, and serves on the student council and youth advisory committees.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “Going to a small school, just about everyone has to play in order for there to be a team, so that is one of the main reasons I've played all the sports available.”
On JH/MS Participation: “I have an older brother who played every sport in high school. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, so that led me to play all sports available in junior high, which carried over into high school.
“For me it was very important to start young. I started playing basketball on a school team in 5th grade, and that really helped me to develop my skills into the basketball player that I am today. I believe that if you start young you will learn the right way to play that sport and will continue to grow and further develop your skills.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “Playing in three sports helps me stay in shape for the next sports season. I am fortunate to be a 4.0 student and playing sports hasn’t had an effect, but I have seen teammates who keep better grades in order to be eligible to play that sport. I have met some of my closest friends through sports, whether they were on my team or an opposing team. Living in a rural area, many kids in the schools around me play many sports. By seeing these same kids throughout the year during sports, I have built many lasting friendships.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “At my school almost everyone who plays sports, plays all the sports. In other schools, I know that some kids don't play because they don't think they will make tryouts. If schools encouraged more kids to try out, then more kids will want to play.”
Taylor Adams
Junior
Allendale
Taylor has played basketball and soccer since middle school, and is currently a member of the NHS.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “I really love soccer; it's my favorite sport. But when my mom started hyping up basketball, I really wanted to play it. In 7th grade I went out for basketball, and since then I've really enjoyed it. It's good to be a well-rounded two-sport or more athlete, especially if you're looking for athletic-related scholarships.”
On JH/MS Participation: “It was important to gain the knowledge and understanding of the sport before jumping into the big play at high school. It was great being able to get the opportunities and playing time that I needed to get good at the sport. It's important to learn the basics at a younger age so that you are able to compete once you get into high school.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “I've learned so many new skills and met so many new people. I've been able to grow as a leader and help others grow as well. From being a captain to being an underclassman on varsity, to being a part of the MHSAA SAC, sports have helped to shape my behavior and personality. It's pretty awesome when you can know people from all over your state and even outside your state because of sports. People are surprised when they hear how many connections I have because of my sports. And, it hasn't hurt my academics whatsoever; I've actually been able to still keep up my studies and continue to achieve a 4.0.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “I think that if sports games and teams are better advocated for both genders, as well as for every sport, that would be beneficial to the cause. If every sport is advocated, more people will know about them and want to participate.”
Shane Dolan
Junior
Clarkston Everest Collegiate
Shane plays soccer, football, basketball, and runs track at the high school level, and is an NHS member. He participated soccer, football and basketball during middle school.
Influence to Play Multiple Sports: “Originally, it was my desire to try new things and see how well I could do. This led to me enjoying and constantly playing all of the sports I still play today.”
On JH/MS Participation: “It’s very important if you want to be elite or be one of the top players in a given sport at your school. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get a feel for the game and constantly work to improve yourself and your skills.”
On Benefits of Multi-Sport Participation: “Physically it has helped make me stronger and kept me in good shape. Mentally it has helped me make quick decisions and hone my reaction time. Socially it has helped me to make so many new friends and form strong bonds with others. Academically it has taught me the importance of time management and hard work.”
Ways in Which Schools Can Better Promote Multi-Sport Participation: “The one thing I would say that schools can improve upon is promoting all sports equally so that students will be encouraged to join any team they would want to as the school and other students show support for all sports, not just football and basketball.”
PHOTO: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Grace Reetz comes off the court to congrats from her teammates after a win this winter. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)