We recently announced the newest class to join the MHSAA Student Advisory Council.  These eight sophomores join the eight juniors who return next year and who together will provide direct feedback to MHSAA staff during 2010-11 regarding policies, procedures and programs at the local, regional and statewide levels.

In addition to meeting four times during the school year in the MHSAA office, the SAC members participate at MHSAA meetings and tournaments around our state throughout the school year.  We thought we might be asking too much of these very busy people – their meetings here are on Sundays – but they’ve asked to meet even more often so they can put more time into their work on our behalf.  I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, as these students were recommended by their schools as leaders; and that they are.

My time with the students is usually spent in discussion.  I ask questions for awhile, and then they turn it around and ask me questions.  I like to ask what they especially do and don’t like about school sports, and they seem to like asking me why certain things are done certain ways at the MHSAA level, or they ask me what I can do about some local issues that concern them.

When I was raising two bright, active high schoolers in my own home, I had a natural feel for what was happening in and around school sports.  Now the Student Advisory Council provides me a lot of what I’m missing.

Here are the most recent students to join the Council, from the Class of 2012:

•  Kevin Beazley, Farmington Hills Harrison
•  Maria Buczkowski, Detroit Country Day
•  Travis Clous, Benzie Central
•  Alissa Jones, Muskegon Catholic
•  Lena Madison, New Buffalo
•  Bailey Truesdell, Grand Blanc
•  Emily Wee, Frankenmuth
•  Tyler Wilson, Rudyard