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The following was written to advocate for changes to policy that adversely impacted high school student-athletes. Written by Jared Field on behalf of Senator Kevin Daley. It was signed by 18 members of the Michigan Senate.

Michigan High School Athletic Association
1661 Ramblewood Dr
East Lansing, MI 48823

To Whom it May Concern:

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted every facet of life in our state and across the country. The
opportunity costs of the pandemic are immeasurable and, in many cases, irretrievable. Perhaps no group of
Michiganders has felt the negative impact of the pandemic more than our students. In an instant, their world has been turned upside down. Our students are missing out on some of the most formative events in their lives, opportunities that often present themselves once and never again.

This moment in our history requires a level of ingenuity that challenges all of us to consider what we can do to
help, and not hinder, our students make the best of a tough situation. We must consider the costs of the status quo, of unwavering adherence to precedents that may not be fit for the challenges we are confronted with.

As school districts across the state continue to work cooperatively with local public health agencies to keep our schools safe, I am calling on the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the organization responsible for athletic competitions among more than 1,500 schools across Michigan, to develop common-sense contingency plans to lessen the impact of the pandemic on our student-athletes. Now is not the time for rigid compliance to rules that do not consider the unprecedented circumstances our students have been forced to confront.

Jeremy Williams, a junior at Lapeer High School, is one of these students. Jeremy is one of the state’s best country runners who was deemed to be in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case. Per Michigan Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, he was required to quarantine and thus not allowed to
participate in the pre-regional meet on October 24. His inability to participate in the meet makes him ineligible to compete in regionals and the state meet. His season was over even though, by any measure, he is among the fastest runners in the state.

The MHSAA’s position, outlined in an MLIVE article on Oct. 24, was that Jeremy’s circumstance, while
unfortunate, was not worthy of an exemption because it would set a precedent. That, they pointed out, could
impact other sports in the future.

The precedent that would be set, in this case, is that unprecedented circumstances often require creativity,
flexibility, and adaptation — the very things we are expecting from our students as they confront the new realities of school in the midst of a pandemic. The ruling, in this case, is as hard as Jeremy is fast. It was a missed opportunity for the MHSAA to show grace to a student who desperately needed it and, beyond that, deserved it.

In these challenging times, it is imperative that lawmakers, school administrators, and organizations like the
MHSAA, indeed anyone involved in education in our great state, are responsive to our students’ needs.

For Jeremy Williams, and every student-athlete like him, I call on the MHSAA to develop common-sense,
contingency plans for unprecedented circumstances to ensure less injurious outcomes for all students.

If I can be of service as you consider any updates or changes to your interim guidance for sports, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. I look forward to your response and further discussing how we can all work together to best serve our students.