In organizations of almost all kinds in almost all times, there have been issues of “us versus them.”  For example:

• When I worked for a national sports ministry, there was decidedly unspiritual bickering and back-biting between the national office and the field staff, and even between state offices and more local field offices.  Us vs. Them.
• I have worked at both the national and state levels of high school athletics and observed frequent friction, if not division, between national and state level priorities.  Us vs. Them.
• Between the federal and state departments of education, and between state departments and local districts, there are frequent disagreements and criticism that “the local districts don’t see the big picture” or, from the other perspective, that “the state is in an ivory tower and doesn’t appreciate our local needs.”  Us vs. Them.
• We see it in the politics of cities, counties, states and our nation, and even the United Nations.  Us vs. Them. 
• We see it in the relationships between national civic organizations and their local affiliates, and between denominational headquarters and local churches.  Us vs. Them.
• And we sometimes hear coaches blame “the state” (meaning the MHSAA) for rules and regulations that may not be to their liking.  Us vs. Them.

One of the ways the MHSAA has minimized the us and them divide is to provide for a governing board (the Representative Council) that allows most of schools’ diverse voices to be heard by providing a seat at the table.  Unlike some state high school associations that limit governing board service to school superintendents or principals only, the MHSAA permits any person who is a representative of a member school to serve (administrator, faculty member or board of education member).

This month, five new persons are replacing five others on the 19-member MHSAA Representative Council for 2011.  The Council’s makeup is now an unprecedented 11 athletic directors who in many cases have an additional job, like assistant principal; four principals; two superintendents;  and two others.  Nearly all have coached or still are coaching; half have been or still are MHSAA registered officials.  Several have been named athletic director of the year by and/or served as president of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.  One was once an MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient!