During each October for more than 20 years, we’ve invited attendees at MHSAA Update Meetings across Michigan to register their opinions on proposed changes in MHSAA programs, policies and procedures.

We don’t consider the votes to be mandates because those who attend the meetings tend to come more from large schools than small; but the survey does allow us to take the temperature of our membership and begin to evaluate which new ideas might have legs now and which should be benched for, at best, another time.  Here’s some of what we’ve learned from attendees this year:

• More than 75 percent of 710 respondents favor no change in April 15 as the earliest date for preparticipation physical exams for the following school year.
• More than 64 percent favor no change in the minimum frequency of academic checks (every 10 weeks).
• More than 73 percent favor no change in the requirement that schools must rate game officials.
• More than 91 percent favor no change in the requirement that head coaches must attend rules meetings or complete the online rules meeting for their sport.
• Nearly 59 percent oppose any MHSAA-mandated reduction in the maximum number of contests during the season for any sport.
• Nearly 73 percent favor ending the girls volleyball season one week earlier and both starting and ending girls and boys basketball seasons one week earlier.