MHSAA received zero reports of unsportsmanlike conduct about Notre Dame throughout the entire 2014-15 season of sports.
For the seventh straight year, Michigan ranked seventh nationally in high school sports participation, according to statistics for the 2014-15 school year released recently by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Michigan also ranked ninth or higher in participation in 25 of 28 sports in which the Michigan High School Athletic Association conducts a postseason tournament.
For Notre Dame, which fields 82 sports teams this year—57 for its high school participants alone—it is especially gratifying that with such a large program, it continues to receive accolades where it really matters.
As evidence, school administrators were just notified by the Michigan High School Athletic Association that for the second year in a row, its athletic program has demonstrated "positive sportsmanship throughout the entire 2014-15 school year," putting the school in rare company.
According to John E. Roberts, executive director of MHSAA, the association received zero negative reports of concern, ejection or sportsmanship from officials about Notre Dame Prep during the entire previous school year.
"It is a credit to your student-athletes, coaches, administration, staff and community for demonstrating such positive sportsmanship throughout the entire school year," Roberts said.
Such an accomplishment is very rare, according to school and state officials.
According to statistics provided by the MHSAA, more than 511 member high schools in Michigan received at least one report of concern during the 2014-15 season. Teams eligible for evaluation included varsity, JV and freshman teams, which were monitored by MHSAA during all sports seasons. Schools are evaluated in a number of categories, including officials'-reported "concerns" along with player ejections, coach ejections and fan misbehavior.
As part of its "Good Sports Are Winners!" program, the MHSAA says that success in sportsmanship is much like success with any program. It doesn’t just happen; it is an educated choice. "A choice that takes understanding, leadership and a great deal of commitment. It is very difficult to achieve perfection in the sportsmanship efforts at your school from year to year. However, if a program strives for perfection, excellence will be the result."
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.