Only the closest observers of MHSAA operations would notice this apparent dichotomy:

• On April 21, 2010, the MHSAA Executive Committee approved an unusually high percentage of requests to waive eligibility regulations for student-athletes (all but one of 15).
• On May 2 and 3, 2010, the MHSAA Representative Council declined to approve an unusually high number (12) of MHSAA committee recommendations.

What’s up?

The Executive Committee’s actions reflect first that athletic administrators at the local level are doing a good job of screening compelling from frivolous requests before submitting them to the MHSAA, and second, that the Executive Committee has exercised increased flexibility to assist students in these times of extreme stress caused by bleak economic conditions for their families.

The Representative Council’s actions reflect the need to do no harm to school finances by the addition of policies, procedures or programs that would directly or indirectly require new expenditures at the local school level.  Among the “positive no’s,” the Council . . .

• Declined to establish a committee to study Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament expansion beyond four classes.
• Declined to set a goal of 2014 for using only fully automated timing for MHSAA Boys and Girls Regional Track Meets.
• Declined to permit one week of football practice in the spring.
• Declined to permit teams one out-of-state trip beyond 600 miles round-trip.
• Declined to seed District tournaments in boys and girls soccer and girls volleyball.
• Did not approve resumption on another day of MHSAA tournament soccer games that are suspended before 80 percent of the game is completed (currently 50 percent).
• Delayed from 2010 to 2012 the request that all levels of the MHSAA Girls Volleyball Tournament use the gray, white and blue panel volleyball.
• Accepted the Soccer Committee recommendation to delay from 2012 to 2014 the national requirement that home teams wear white jerseys and socks in boys and girls soccer.

 While it’s been said that the three keys to success in real estate are location, location and location, I’ve frequently observed that the three keys in this association’s work are timing, timing and timing.  Several of these ideas have some merit and, in other (better) times, might get more traction.

 Click here for the complete May 2-3 Representative Council minutes.