Battle of the Fans: Vote Now
February 20, 2012
The time has come to decide the winner of the inaugural MHSAA Battle of the Fans contest.
And we've put the decision, in part, in your hands.
Vote today through Thursday on your favorite of five finalists -- Petoskey, Rockford, Reese, Grand Rapids Christian and Frankenmuth -- by clicking the poll link on the right side of this screen.
But before you do, be sure to brush up on each by clicking on the stories behind all five sections and watching our MHSAA-produced videos of those student cheerers in action, shot over the last five weeks during the MHSAA tour of finalists' schools.
The contest is sponsored by the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, and the winner will be decided by a combination of SAC and public vote. You must be a member of Facebook and "like" the MHSAA page to take part.
The champion will be announced Friday on Second Half. Video of all five finalists will be compiled and shown on the main scoreboard during the Girls and Boys Basketball Finals in March at Michigan State's Breslin Student Events Center.
And now, the finalists, in alphabetical order:
Frankenmuth
Read all about it: Frankenmuth Dance Party
Grand Rapids Christian
Read all about it: Halftime is G.R. Christian's Time
Petoskey
Read all about it: Blue Crew Legacy
Reese
Read all about it: Small Town, Big Reese Spirit
Rockford
Read all about it: We are Ram Nation
Sportsmanship and Success in Soccer
August 16, 2012
Ralph Polson, president of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), reports in the July/August 2012 Soccer Journal that there is a strong statistical link between sportsmanship and success in intercollegiate soccer. He cites the work of Tim Lenahan, head men’s coach at Northwestern University, who compiled total fouls, yellow cards and red cards for the 2011 season to create a “Fair Play Rating” (FPR).
Polson reports that 12 of the 20 teams with the top FPR made the NCAA tournament, while only one of the teams in the bottom 20 did. Of course, this is a statistical link, not necessarily cause and effect. But here’s how Mr. Polson concludes his column:
“How should we interpret this data? One direction is toward more disciplined teams. It seems to me the more a culture of sportsmanship and fair play is established, the more likely any team is to demonstrate the consistency needed for success. The data suggests those teams without entrenched standards, with respect to on-field behavior, should anticipate a higher likelihood of failure in today’s highly competitive environment.
“Play within the spirit of the game and more than just a win may be gained; play against the spirit of the game and much more than just a game may be lost.”
Dr. Brian Crossman, chair of the NSCAA Ethics Committee, contributes this to the discussion in the same issue of Soccer Journal:
“A five year study from 2007 to 2011 of almost 4,700 intercollegiate soccer matches in which only one player was red-carded during the match showed a strong likelihood that the player’s team would lose. Teams that had one player red-carded lost 67 percent of the matches, tied 10 percent of the matches and won 23 percent of the matches. In other words, a team that had a player red-carded at any time during the match was three times more likely to lose the match than win it. Taking steps to encourage clean and fair play, and thus to reduce the likelihood of having players ejected, will pay dividends in sportsmanship and should improve your team’s won-loss record.”
For more, go to www.nscaa.com.