Contact: John Johnson or Geoff Kimmerly 
517.332.5046 or [email protected]

EAST LANSING, Mich. – June 6 – A key part of succeeding during a school year full of sports is building fitness during the months leading up to the season’s first practice. The Michigan High School Athletic Association will share how students from all over the state prepare with a “Prep Rally” contest this summer.

The contest is part of the MHSAA’s PLAY (Preparation Lasts All Year) initiative designed to encourage athletes to remain active during the offseason so they are prepared physically and acclimated to warm weather when practice begins in the fall. Student athletes involved in the winning Prep Rally activity will be awarded tickets to an MHSAA Final of their choice, at which they will be recognized for their accomplishment.

“Acclimatization and summer preparation for practice conditions are key parts of our focus on making school sports as healthy as possible for students,” MHSAA executive director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “The Prep Rally contest this summer will promote the importance of staying active during the offseason. We’re excited to see how Michigan’s creative student athletes find fun ways to stay active and fit, and we look forward to showcasing their ideas so they can be shared by students all over Michigan.”

Student athletes are invited to submit a 150-word explanation of an activity they take part in during the offseason to stay active before the start of organized practice. Activities should not be centered on the sport in which those athletes compete, but rather on something recreational and fun. Entries should include photographs or a brief video of athletes participating. Activities also do not have to be team-centered; special consideration will be given to those that include students from a variety of sports participating together.

The deadline for student-submitted video applications is Aug. 12, the first day of practice for football teams (all other fall sports athletes begin practice Aug. 14). Communities are encouraged to promote their athletes’ applications via the MHSAA’s Facebook page and Twitter and Instagram feeds using the hashtag #PrepRally.

MHSAA staff will choose three finalists, which will be featured on Second Half. Staff will then select a winner and announce the champion Aug. 19.

Contest rules and directions for submitting entries can be found on the Prep Rally page of the MHSAA Web Site at www.mhsaa.com/schools/students/preprally.aspx. This year’s finalists, plus the announcement of the 2013 winner, will be published on the MHSAA Second Half site at SecondHalf.MHSAA.com. Also, safety and acclimatization information is available via the PLAY page at www.mhsaa.com/schools/students/mhsaaplay.aspx.

The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract approximately 1.6 million spectators each year.

-0-