Century of School Sports: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 11, 2025
A long-held and common philosophy among those serving in educational athletics is that celebrations of achievement should be focused primarily on the student-athletes who participate in MHSAA sports.
But those making those activities possible also realize more than most how much is accomplished behind the scenes – and the MHSAA annually recognizes those contributors as well.
Every school year, the MHSAA presents a series of service awards, voted upon by its Representative Council. Nominations are due by Nov. 1, and awards are then presented over the following months.
Below are brief descriptions of the MHSAA’s awards, and more information including all past honorees is available on the Awards page.
Winners of the 2024-25 Women in Sports Leadership, Nate Hampton Champion of Progress in Athletics and Charles E. Forsythe Lifetime Achievement awards will be announced later this month. This school’s year’s Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award honoree will be announced in April, and Allen W. Bush Meritorious Service Award winners will be announced later this spring.
Women In Sports Leadership Award: The MHSAA has honored 38 leaders since 1990 with this award, which is presented either during the every-other-year Women in Sports Leadership Conference or during MHSAA Finals in years between conferences. The WISL Award recognizes the impacts of women coaches, officials and athletic administrators.
Nate Hampton Champion of Progress in Athletics Award: The newest addition to the MHSAA’s annual honors was presented in 2024 for the first time and recognizes leaders who promote the advancement of opportunities for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups within interscholastic athletics, while serving as an administrator, coach, official, educator or school sports leader. Hampton served as an MHSAA assistant director for 32 years, retiring in 2021.
Charles E. Forsythe Lifetime Achievement Award: Since 1978, the Forsythe Award has honored 74 individuals who epitomize excellence and service throughout the interscholastic community based on outstanding contributions at the local, regional and statewide levels. Forsythe was the first fulltime executive director of the MHSAA, serving from 1931-68.
Vern L. Norris Leadership in Officiating Award: A total of 34 officials have been recognized with this award since 1992 for their participation in local officials associations, mentoring of other officials and involvement in officials education. Candidates all have been registered with the MHSAA for 20 or more years at the high school level. Norris served as the MHSAA’s executive director from 1978-86 and on staff for 23 years total, and also was a highly-respected game official.
Allen W. Bush Meritorious Service Award: Beginning in 1992, the Council has honored 108 individuals for their contributions in a number of roles including coach, administrator, game official, trainer, doctor or member of the media – focusing on candidates who have served without receiving much attention for their difference-making work. Bush was the MHSAA’s second fulltime executive director and served from 1968-78.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read
(MHSAA file photos.)
NFHS Voice: March Madness Begins Again
March 4, 2020
By Karissa Niehoff
NFHS Executive Director
The calendar has turned to March, which in the world of high school sports can only mean one thing – Basketball. It is time for state tournaments, March Madness and, yes, the annual rhetoric about the merits of the shot clock.
For the almost one million boys and girls who participate in high school basketball, there is nothing quite like the state tournament. Although there are great memories from the one-class days, led by Carr Creek’s almost upset of powerhouse Ashland in Kentucky in 1928 and Milan’s Cinderella victory in Indiana in 1954, today, basketball provides more opportunities for girls and boys teams to be crowned state champion than any other sport.
This month, about 450 girls and boys teams will earn state basketball titles in championships conducted by NFHS member state associations. Multiple team champions are crowned for both boys and girls in all states but two, with the majority of states sponsoring tournaments in 4-6 classifications for each, and four states conducting state championships in seven classes.
That is truly March Madness, which is appropriate since the term was first used in connection with high school basketball. Although the tag line became familiar to millions on a national scale in relation to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA shares a dual-use trademark with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), thanks to H. V. Porter, the first full-time executive director of the NFHS.
In his final year as IHSA executive director in 1939, Porter published his “March Madness” essay in reference to the mania surrounding the IHSA’s annual state basketball tournament. Eight years later, in a 1947 Associated Press article, Porter said, “Naturally, we think basketball has done a lot for high school kids, but it’s done something for the older people, too. It has made community life in general a lot more fun each winter.”
While many things have changed in the past 73 years, the value of high school sports – and especially state basketball tournaments – remains as strong as ever today. In some states, seemingly the entire community will travel to the site of the state tournament in support of the high school team.
As a footnote to the use of March Madness, Scott Johnson – recently retired assistant executive director of the IHSA in his book “Association Work” – discovered through research that the first recorded mention of March Madness in relation to basketball occurred in 1931 by Bob Stranahan, sports editor of the New Castle Courier-Times in Indiana.
While the sport remains strong and March Madness is set to begin in earnest across the nation, there is a belief by some that the addition of a shot clock would make the game even better.
Although there are some arguments for implementing the shot clock, the
NFHS Basketball Rules Committee, similar to the other 14 NFHS rules committees, must make decisions based on what is best for the masses – the small schools with less than 100 students as well as large urban schools with 3,000-plus students. Rules changes will always be made with considerations for minimizing risks, containing costs and developing rules that are best for high school athletes.
Nine of our member state associations have elected to use a shot clock in their states, which certainly adds to the clamor for its implementation nationally. And, we at the NFHS have read the headlines, seen the social media posts and received the phone calls advocating for the shot clock’s adoption. However, the Basketball Rules Committee will continue to assess the shot clock based on the aforementioned considerations, as well its members representing all areas of the country.
We encourage everyone to support their local high school teams by attending this year’s exciting state basketball tournaments.
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her second year as executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS, which celebrated its 100th year of service during the 2018-19 school year. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.