Note from MHSTeCA's President - July 2010

Passing Shots

Dear Fellow Coaches,

At our June Board meeting, Kathleen Hawkins from Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central was selected as the recipient of the 2010 Miss Tennis Award.  Kathleen and her tennis talents will be on display at the University of Memphis beginning this fall.  Congratulations Kathleen!

State Coach of the Year honors went to Chris Layson, Utica Eisenhower (D1), Dan Bittner, Bloomfield Hills Marian (D2), Matt Brown, Cadillac (D3) and Steve Stanley, Williamston (D4).  Congratulations to all the Regional Coaches of the Year winners, as well as the finalists for the Miss Tennis Award. 
I am proud to say that Glenn 'Fuzz' Corey has been inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association's Hall of Fame.  Check out the many links on our fantastic website for this information and much, much more.

Coaches, please be prepared for your season!  The MHSAA states that each head coach of a varsity team in a sport under MHSAA jurisdiction shall complete the MHSAA rules meeting for that sport for the current school year. If the head coach does not complete the rules meetings, an administrator or designee from that coach’s school shall do so.  Fall tennis online rules meetings begin August 9th and the last day is September 13.  Go to www.MHSAA.com for additional information.

Hope springs eternal as most coaches and players are now gearing up for the fall tennis season.  There are a couple of changes that will take place for the fall.  Check with your Athletic Director or the MHSAA website for further information, but listed below are the rulings of the MHSAA's Rep Council on items that the MHSTeCA's Board of Directors sent to them:

1. Request that Tennis be exempt from the "dead period" provision of the MHSAA. FAILED
2. Eliminate the following guideline in the Tournament Manager's Manual under Additional Procedure for Drawing Brackets (Final Tournament): "individuals who are winners must not play other winners in the first round matches. If an individual player is on the winning team, but did not win his/her flight, no special consideration is to be given." PASSED
3. Request that the MHSAA select coaches to serve on an Ethics Committee - to serve as a resource for dealing with allegations of stacking or rule violations. FAILED, requested that tennis do like other coaches associations and appoint their own.
4. Allow the four interscholastic scrimmages to happen any time during the season. PASSED

Our Coaches Association is here to serve you.  Your ideas are important to our organization.  Please feel free to contact me or any member on the Board of Directors if you have ideas or concerns.  If you have not already joined, please consider becoming a “USTA No Cut-Coach”.  The many advantages can be found on this website: www.usta.com/highschoolcoaches.