Dear MHSAA Community,

We hope this email finds you and your family safe and healthy. 

Please see the cover memo with an important update and the MHSAA/NFHS Guidance for Reopening School Sports document at this link:

Guidance 05-29-20.pdf

The MHSAA will continue to provide regular updates and information in the days ahead during these unprecedented and fluid times.

Thank you.

Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
mark@mhsaa.com
Phone: 517-332-5046
MHSAA.com

Dear MHSAA Community,

The MHSAA hopes this email finds you and your family healthy and safe.

Next week, the MHSAA will be providing a comprehensive update that will include further guidance from state government and health department officials, along with the document “MHSAA Guidance for Opening School Sports” that will assist schools with procedures and protocols as we transition into summer activity when permitted by Governor Whitmer.  This guidance document has been a collaborative effort between the MHSAA, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the MHSAA and NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory committees which both include physicians, other medical professionals and school administrators.  We hope more definite details will be available next week with the current state of emergency order set to expire on May 28 which may or may not be extended.  The one thing we have learned over the past nine weeks is this continues to be a fluid situation, and we simply wanted to alert you that further details and the guidance document will be coming to you by May 29.

We wish you and your family a safe Memorial Day weekend.  The MHSAA will be connecting with you again next week.

Thank you.

Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
mark@mhsaa.com
Phone: 517-332-5046
MHSAA.com

HERE is the link to the new Health Questionnaire from the MHSAA. This is the new form that students who had a valid sport physical in 2019-20 (completed on or after April 15, 2019) can complete with required signatures to meet the pre-participation health status requirement in 2020-21.

Dear MHSAA Family:

Below you will find the media release announcing the MHSAA’s decision to cancel all 2019-20 winter and spring tournaments and sport seasons.  This was based on protecting the health, safety and well-being of students, teachers, coaches, support staff, officials, media members, parents, fans and families.  It follows the Governor’s order of April 2 and will allow member schools to put all attention, energy and resources into online learning experiences for the next two months.  This is a public health crisis and the MHSAA, like many others, is putting public health first.

We wanted to alert you to this news before the public announcement.  Thank you for all that you do for school sports in our state.

Mark Uyl
MHSAA Executive Director
mark@mhsaa.com
Phone: 517-332-5046
MHSAA.com

MHSAA Cancels Remainder of 2019-20 Winter & Spring Seasons

EAST LANSING, Mich. – April 3 – The Michigan High School Athletic Association has canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 Winter and Spring sports seasons, in compliance with the Thursday (April 2) “state of disaster” directive by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closing school buildings and moving education online for the remainder of the school year to help decrease the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

This will be the first school year to not see MHSAA Finals played in multiple sports since 1942-43, when World War II led to the elimination of Finals in most sports.

The MHSAA on March 12 suspended its girls and boys basketball, girls gymnastics, boys ice hockey and boys swimming & diving tournaments amid COVID-19 concerns. All activity in all sports was halted March 13. Spring sports to that point had begun practice, but not competition.

The MHSAA’s Representative Council approved during its Winter Meeting on March 27 a series of concepts for completing the Winter tournaments and an abbreviated Spring season, contingent on the lifting of a statewide quarantine. The closure of school buildings into June made those possibilities void.

The MHSAA’s Executive Committee, comprised of officers of the larger Council, affirmed the decision today (April 3) to cancel the remainder of this school year’s activities.

“We are heartbroken to not be able to provide these opportunities for Michigan’s student-athletes, and especially seniors. We continue to hear from dozens asking us to hold out hope. But safety always must come first, and Governor Whitmer is making courageous decisions to safeguard the people of our state,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “We understand as much as anyone how much school sports mean to athletes and their communities. We had ideas and hopes for finishing Winter and Spring and helping bring some sort of normalcy after this long break. But this is the correct decision, and we will play our part in bringing schools and communities together again when the time is right.”

“For now, we cannot state strongly enough that all students, staffs and others follow the guidelines established to slow the spread of this virus – we all must do our part.”

Because the five Winter sports were not able to conclude with Finals, no champions will be awarded in those sports for 2019-20. However, championships won at earlier rounds of those tournaments (District or Regional) will continue to stand.

The MHSAA will in coming weeks provide guidelines and other information pertinent to this unusual offseason as attention is turned to preparing for Fall 2020.

Whitmore Lake Middle School Track and Field

2020

Starts Monday, April 6th

Parent Meeting in HS Media Center is temporarily on hold!

The Trojan Mission:  We want you to become the best athlete you can be. We want you to get stronger, faster, and become mentally and physically tough. We want you to be the BEST version of YOU. We want you to understand the importance of COMMITMENT, working HARD to achieve your goals and the SUCCESS that comes from reaching goals.

Coaching Staff:

• Coach Betz 

Carrie.Betz@wlps.net

Room A201

Phone 734-449-4461 ex. 3343

REMIND101 (@k4de7f)

• Coach Livingston (Varsity Track and Field)

• Mr. McCormack, Athletic Director

All athletes need to have a physical on file in the Main Office and pay $75 to play.

Practices:  Monday through Friday from 3 to 4:30  pm

• Be dressed and ready and meet in the locker room hallway by 3:00.

• Practice will end in this hallway, so your rides can pick you up at the pool doors at 4:30.

• On instruction days, athletes will be divided into smaller groups (Sprinters, Distance, Field).

• You will be working out with different groups each day.

• Athletes will be participating in Volt Athletics for ultimate conditioning.

• Athletes should ALWAYS be prepared with the following:

  • 2 sets of clothing and shoes (inside clothes and outside clothes)

  • Water 

  • Sunscreen

  • Comfortable, supportive running shoes

  • Warm hats and gloves (because we will go outside most days)

• All athletes are expected to attend and work hard at every practice.

• Valid excuses for missing practice are doctors’ appointments or school functions, etc., but these MUST be communicated to me.

• Communication is the key! As your coach, I am responsible for you, so I need to know where you are at all times during practices and meets.

• Use REMIND101 to contact me.

• Two unexcused absences will result in a meeting with the coaching staff and your parents to look at your status with the team. If you don’t want to put in the effort and hard work for our team, this might not be the sport for you.

• The coaching staff has the final say in all decisions pertaining to the team.

• Refusing to compete or missing an event will result in you not competing in the next meet. 

Volunteers Needed:

• We will need some parent volunteers to help with meets. If you can help, please contact me at Carrie.Betz@wlps.net .

• We also want to organize some healthy snacks for meets (especially Saturdays), so we will be sending out a Group Sign Up email if parents are willing to contribute.

• Although uniforms are provided by the school, if you are interested in purchasing a team t-shirt or hoodie through our school store, look for notification of this soon.

• Parents and grandparents can also purchase spirit wear.

Meet Procedures:

• There are a limited number of entries for each event, and there is a strict limit to how many events one athlete can participate in during a single meet.

• This guarantees everyone will run at least once.

• The athletes that I have chosen to run in each event are not necessarily the three best runners, but they are chosen strategically for our team.

• Scoring:

  • 1st place in an individual event = 5 points

  • 2nd place in an individual event = 3 points

  • 3rd place in an individual event = 1 point

  • 1st place in a relay = 5 points

  • 2nd and 3rd place in relay = 0 points 

• Every athlete needs to be ready to run at any given moment. Listen and be ready for your event on time.

• Every athlete needs to help set up and take down events.