Flag Football Regional Experiences

Michigan Student Officials (left to right): Jake Homan (UM), Matt Massey (WMU), Shane Gallagher (UM), and Mason Kaiser (GVSU)

Happy Belated Halloween! While many were out trick-or-treating, a few Michigan students and professionals made the trek down to South Bend, IN to attend the Notre Dame Shamrock Classic Flag Football Regional Tournament.

Officials Committee:
Darin Leigh-WMU

All-Tournament Committee:
Andy Boehnlein-UM

Operations Committee:
Sarah DiStefano-Oakland
Kyle Bowen (currently an intern at ND, did his undergrad at GVSU)
Matt Jones (IUPUI, WMU grad, EMU undergrad)

Director of Social Media and Photography:
Scott George-CMU (Most photos below can be credited to Scott!)

Amid some of the falling snow on Friday, the committees got to pick up some awesome free swag while the officials got to be introduced to the clinicians and special guest clinician B1G Official John Roggeman. Afterwards we got to have a lovely pasta dinner and social at the Legends of Notre Dame restaurant near the stadium before heading off to bed to get started for the early day.

Saturday

Saturday started off icy and clear as the staff and officials got an early start. On the Operations Committee we helped to set up the fields, banners, get score and stat sheets ready for the day. Saturday was cold and definitely left some windburn on our faces, but the sky was clear to start games off right.



There were 4 women's teams, 4 co-rec teams, and 14 men's teams playing their pool games on Saturday. Another cool Michigan fact is that there were four men's teams from the state of Michigan and all four made it to the quarterfinals on Sunday! The four teams were the Lake Michigan College Red Hawks, Olivet College, Michigan State University Sexy Sophomores, and Southwestern Michigan College. Our officials got to show off what they learned throughout the day and improve on their own officiating skills. This is what Mason from GVSU has to say about his experiences:

"My favorite part of the weekend was the collection of all of the different officials, starting friendships with them, and learning the different tendencies they have have and even creating new ones for myself, from what I learned from them.
One of the biggest things I got out of my experience there was how to make myself a better official, second was to always carry yourself professionally, and the final thing I took away from this was be open minded to criticism and making new friends.
Don't make the mistake I did and wait so long to go to one of these. You will learn a great deal and make yourself a better official, supervisor, and person in general."

Don Conner (IRSA Student Leader)
 and I at the ND Hockey game.

After a full day of game play, the staff were (somewhat) able to warm up by attending a Notre Dame hockey game at the Compton Family Ice Arena! We got a few private boxes and an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner. Thanks to the Notre Dame Staff for their hospitality all weekend long!

Sunday

You would think that getting an extra hour of sleep due to the reversal of Daylight Savings Time would help us all waking up for another early morning. Unfortunately I think most of us were bleary-eyed and needed an extra cup of coffee to help wake us up if the cold Midwestern wind didn't do the job enough. With another sunny day ahead, playoff games started early at 9am as the officials worked the hardest to earn the chance to officiate one of the championship games. Here's what Jake Homan (UM) has to share about his experiences:

"My favorite part of the weekend was hanging out with officials from all over the area and learning things from them that I could then take back and apply at my own school.I learned how important communication was and I just had a lot of fun.To a newer official I would say that it's a great experience that will make you a better official, teach you a lot, and you'll have a great time."

Tournament Staff watching the final games

As the day wore on, the Championship games began with the CoRec game between two ND teams, Burn Early and Better Than Michigan with Burn Early taking home the CoRec title!

Augustana College's Viktorious Secret took on Howard University Dream for the Women's Championship and Howard took home that trophy. Mason Kasier, an official from GVSU, was the down box official for the Women's Championship game! Here's what Matt Massey wanted to share about the Shamrock Classic:

  "My favorite part of the weekend was working with other talented officials and clinicians. I learned a lot and I feel that I have become a better official because of this tournament.
     A couple skills that I took out of this experience is how to use feedback to improve my skills and also how to use communication to effectively and efficiently officiate a game with my new officials.

Matt Massey as Field Judge

     I would tell an official that officiating at regional tournaments improves your skills exponentially and you will gain valuable officiating experience. The socials and the extra activities are also a blast!"

The Men's Final looked like a B1G Championship match-up as the MSU Sexy Sophomores took on Wisconsin-Madison. MSU was able to take home the championship with a 19-0 win! Matt Massey (WMU) was the Field Judge and Shane Gallagher (UM) was the down box official for the Men's Final. Here's what Shane had to say about his experiences at the Shamrock Classic:

"The favorite part of my weekend had to be the ND vs Vermont Hockey game. Press box seats and unlimited food, can’t beat that.     My understanding of the rules, and mechanics of the game have vastly increased after attending the Shamrock Tournament. Not to mention I made a couple friends while I was there.

Shane Gallagher as the Down Box official

     As a new flag football official myself, it was definitely a great experience. The staff was very friendly to me and took the time to explain what I could do better. It was a trial by fire, because you are thrown right into the action. At the same time you have three other experienced officials right there helping you out along the way. This was an unique experience that I am glad I was able to participate in, and one of the best ways I find to learn is through hands-on experience." 

All in all it was an awesome experience to network with other professionals, students, and a great learning opportunity!

If you're interested in attending an extramural tournament or getting additional officiating experience, check out some of the upcoming events linked below and stay tuned for more information!

Michigan's Basketball Officiating Clinic: Sunday November 23 at Grand Valley State University. Register by November 19th!

Regional Basketball Tournaments

February 27-March 1, 2015
University of Dayton
Matt Ferdinand, 937-229-2709

March 13-15, 2015
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jessica Gentry, 217-244-8033

MIRSA State Workshop Recap and Updates

Hope everyone enjoyed the MIRSA Conference and thank you all for coming!

Here are some of the resources I mentioned and links on more information about them!

State Involvement

• Blog Writer
• sign up here: Student Blog Writers
• Engagement Coordinator
• Let me know if you are interested in being the EC on your campus!
• Involvement Committees:

• Student Committee
• Championships and Special Events
• Workshop Planning
• Awards and Scholarships
• Technology
• Finance
• Bylaws and Operating Code
• Mission/Vision/Values

Chairs should be announced soon and contact information will be posted if you are interested in being involved.

Graduate Assistant Job Postings

Region III Lead On!

Jan 22-24, 2015 at Purdue University
Presentation Proposals: Due Dec 1st, 2014
Registration: should be opening the week of Oct 27 and closes on Dec 19
Scholarship Application: Due Dec 1st, 2014

Follow us for updates and more information:
Facebook: NIRSA Region III
Twitter: @region3leadon

Region III Extramural Events

Flag Football Tournaments

• Notre Dame (October 31-Nov 2)
• Ohio State University (Nov 7-9)
• Closed for volunteers and officials

Basketball Tournaments

• University of Dayton (Feb 27-March 1)
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (March 13-15)
• Accepting Tournament Staff Volunteers here

2015 Midwest Fit Fest

• February 20-22, 2015
• University of Dayton
• Conference website here
• Accepting Presentation Proposals

NIRSA Annual Conference

• March 30-April 2, 2015
• 2015 Conference Website
• Registration Opens Nov 12!

State Workshop Tips and Tricks!

Hello Students!

Whether it's your first ever MIRSA State Workshop or you're a seasoned veteran, here are a few tips and reminders to have the best experience possible!

1. Dress to Impress!

Typical dress code for this conference is business casual. While this can mean a variety of things depending on your personal style, here are some basic ideas that will always work:

• Khakis and dress pants 
• School polo, jacket, and other apparel
• Nice sweater, collared shirt, or dress top
• Skirts, dresses, ties, and jackets are totally optional

The age-old adage is also true, "dress for the job you want, not the job you have." If you're hoping to make a great impression because you're looking for a GA position or maybe even a professional one, it doesn't hurt to dress a bit more formally.

There will also be a Professional Clothing Drive available where you can shop around to find some of these pieces for your own wardrobes! 

For dinner and socials, dress is considered casual so your favorite jeans and shirt combo will work here! Just keep in mind the ever-changing Michigan weather and pack appropriately!

But always make sure what you're wearing makes you feel comfortable and confident!

Still not entirely sure what to wear? Check out the WMU contingent below from last year's MIRSA conference for a better idea (or click this link to view other pictures from last year's conference!)

2. What do I need to bring? 

You definitely don't need to be dragging a large backpack along all day, but a few key items might be helpful to have on hand. A string bag or purse is often enough to carry things around in for the day. 

• small notebook/pen or tablet 
• Something to take notes with is always helpful! You can even take notes in the Guidebook app if you prefer! 
• Water bottle/snacks
• While there will definitely be lunch and dinner, it can make you more comfortable having a granola bar or water bottle on-hand since there is typically a pretty big gap between the two meals. 
• Resume and/or Business Cards
• It doesn't hurt to have them on hand, whether to pass them out or ask for a quick review for networking. 
• Open Mind 
• Be willing to get out of your comfort zone and meet other people. Attitude is everything and if you go into it with an open mind, you'll have more fun! Don't hesitate to ask any questions.
• Attention Span
• When sitting in a session or business meeting, please give the speakers your full attention! They worked really hard on their presentations and deserve the respect of being heard so please put the phones away and soak up the new ideas.

3. Penny Wars!

The Mitten is back! One of our main scholarship fundraisers is a penny war that occurs between the states to see who can collect the most money at the state conference. The state that wins gets a few extra scholarships to attend the Region III Student Lead On Conference in January! Last year Michigan won (WHOOP!) So help us keep our title as the Most Generous State in Region III! 

To make it interesting, we've had some rivalries and wagers on the line with our rival state to the south (ew). So please keep this Wolverine alumna from having to put on those dreadful shades of scarlet and gray at Lead On this year! Bring at least $1 and encourage your pro staff members to bring their wallets and #StuffTheMitten! 

PS: Don't see your school on the mitten? Bring me a pin or patch and I'll make sure to include it for future years!

4. What sessions should I attend? 

Attend any session that sounds interesting to you! There are sessions that are specifically labeled "Student Track" to help you decide! You can download the Guidebook app (available for free at the App Store or Google Play) now and search "2014 MIRSA State Workshop" to find the sessions that interest you!

Scan the QR code below to receive the Workshop Guidebook:

5. Elections

At the student business meeting this year, we will be holding Elections to vote on a new Executive Board. As the Student Rep, I get to vote as the student's voice. This means that all students will be able to vote, and the collective result will be the vote that will be submitted on the Students' behalf. 

So please make sure you read up on the candidate bios before coming to be an informed voter! You can read them here: Elections

Region III Retreat Day 3

We started our final day of the retreat bright and early as Stesha (Lead On Coordinator, SIUE) and I went to pick up breakfast and coffee from Einstein's Bagels. It was a working breakfast to finish solidifying potential speakers and full group decisions such as a timeline, budget, and logo.

We rounded off the day with a few rounds of Gnip-Gnop! It's a great active ice-breaking game around a ping pong table! Got pretty competitive and got everyone's energy up before everyone headed home.

It was a great experience to meet some awesome students from around the region. But enough from me. I asked some of our current Michigan students on the Lead On Committee a few questions about their experiences! Check it out below!

1. What did you enjoy most about the Retreat? 

2. What is something your committee is hoping to do? 

3. What are you most looking forward to at Lead On?

Matt Coulson, WMU Graduate Assistant-Facilities (Program/Proposal Committee): "What I enjoyed most was meeting all of the other Region III Lead On committee members and being able to brainstorm a lot of ideas that will make this the best Lead On yet. I dare anybody to take us on in trivia."

"Something that our committee is hoping to do is to really encourage presentation proposals that are out of the "norm." Purdue has an absolutely amazing facility that can cater to pretty much any presentation: from in-water aquatic demonstrations to adventurous rock climbing demonstrations. This is an incredible opportunity for presentations to be "out of the box."

"What I am most looking forward to at Lead On is seeing all the hard work that the committee members' put in finally come to fruition. I am also excited to meet even more people and show first-time Lead On attendees how awesome NIRSA is."

Vince Seelbach, OU Graduate Assistant-Fitness/Wellness (Professional Development Committee): " I was excited to get the ball rolling and meet my other committee members. Everything we need for Lead On will be so close at Purdue and I'm excited to help provide opportunities for students to develop themselves professionally."

Brandon Szachta, LTU Graduate Assistant Student Recreation and Athletics (Professional Development Committee): "​I am most looking forward to communicating and working with my fellow committee members to make a positive impact on the professional development of student Lead-On attendees. My hope is that students leave the conference with more confidence as they seek future positions and involvements."

Margie Wallington, CMU UREC Undergraduate (Registration Committee):  "I enjoyed getting to know the other committee members face-to-face. For me, this was the first time I was meeting most of them and learning their "story" of how they became involved with NIRSA/MIRSA.

We are hoping to spice up the name tags a little bit and give attendees a chance to stand out.

I am looking forward to experiencing the conference in a different way as a committee member. Last year as an attendee and presenter I had a fantastic time, but this year being involved at the committee level will allow me to meet more people and gain additional leadership experience!"

#PureMichigan students @region3leadon retreat! @twiterlessvince @csmith_41 @Matt_Coulson25 @ZumbaMargie @BKrombeen pic.twitter.com/o0eJ71ptx9
— MIRSA (@MIRSArec) August 1, 2014

Region III Retreat Day 2

Day Two of the Region III Retreat started with breakfast and introductions with the Lead On Planning Committee. We has some great discussion about the future of Lead On since it has grown tremendously in the last few years.  What do you think is the future of Lead On?

We also discussed the "Lead In" to Lead On pre-conference events specifically for professionals. More information will be coming about those details! We also discussed having a few other pre-conference options for students this year, which will be new compared to previous years. We are hoping to do a Community Service event with our Volunteer Committee and at least one other event. Stay tuned for more information!

Everybody meet the 2015 Planning Committee! #Region3IsThePlaceToBe @NIRSAlive @NIRSAStudents pic.twitter.com/6uBp8pfD4t
— Region lll Lead On (@region3leadon) July 30, 2014

The Lead On Committee then broke off to get a tour of Purdue and determine the best locations to host the conference sessions and socials while the Regional Leadership met again to finish up our business and talk about the future of NIRSA. As you can see below, our SLT enjoyed themselves immensely as they finished off the retreat taping our update videos. Keep an eye out on YouTube for that coming soon!

Your Region III Student Leadership Team having some fun at the retreat last week! @NIRSAStudents pic.twitter.com/ByFA2PssdK
— NIRSA Region III (@NIRSARegion3) August 4, 2014

While many of the Regional leadership had to leave, Jess, Olivia, and I stayed to meet up with the Lead On Planning Committee for lunch and the rest of the tour and planning discussions. Since both Jess and Olivia had been on last year's planning committee, they offered great insights into what has worked well and what can be better for this year. It looks like most of the sessions will be able to be held at the Rec Center and since we'll have some creative spaces, we're looking forward for some new presentation proposals! Keep an eye out for more information coming about Lead On and make sure to mark your calendars for January 22-24, 2015!          
                                                                              

FUN FACT: Of the 18 members of the Lead On Planning Committee, 7 are from the state of Michigan!* 

Planning Committee having fun in front of @PURecSports' Cordova Rec Center! #Region3IsThePlaceToBe pic.twitter.com/M74fRUsCnT
— Region lll Lead On (@region3leadon) July 30, 2014

We rounded out the night with dinner at a local place called Adelino's and then had a rousing game of Trivia at Jake's where one of our teams came in second! Sleeping was a little easier since most of us moved into a more comfortable mat room. We were looking forward to a quick wrap-up for the next morning.  



* Current Michigan Students: Matt Coulson (WMU), Vince Seelbach (OU), Brandon Szachta (LTU), Margie Wallington (CMU)
Past Students: Becca Krombeen (Purdue, from UM), Abel Mengsteab (SIUE, from CMU), Chris Smith (Valpo, from Manistee)

Region III and Student Lead On Retreat Day 1

Last week we traveled down to West Lafayette, Indiana to visit Purdue University and meet up with other Region III state directors, student reps, and the Lead On Committee. It was a lovely drive down with some fellow Michigan students, Vince Seelbach (OU) and Margie Wallington (CMU).

Indiana sign! Headed to Purdue @SarahD319 @zumbamargie #region3leadon2015 pic.twitter.com/a2IlpMRZyN
— Vincent Seelbach (@twiterlessvince) July 29, 2014

We got there safely and Vince and Margie explored campus before the Lead On Committee had to meet while I headed down to our Regional Meeting. Our Regional Reps, Dave DeAngelo (OSU) and Jess Adkisson (BSU) started off by describing the NIRSA 2015 venue at the Gaylord Texan.

Talking all things #NIRSA2015 at the Region III Retreat at @PURecSports! @orsanirsa @MIRSArec @IRSA_INDIANA pic.twitter.com/nA3Dq8eUqa
— Illinois IIRSA (@IllinoisIIRSA) July 29, 2014

It's going to be a much more intimate conference since NIRSA will have the entire hotel, and it's only two miles from Grapevine, TX. If you are hoping to host a school or association social, make sure to contact Sierra Smith: sierra@nirsa.org to help organize and get the best deal as soon as possible! More information about the Annual Conference will be coming throughout the year so stay tuned!

Next we talked about our State Workshops and schedules. Dave will be coming up to our state conference this year!
October 8-10: Michigan (CMU) and Wisconsin (UW-Whitewater)
October 15-17: Illinois (UofI)
October 23-24: Indiana (Butler) and Ohio (Cleveland State)

 We then talked about the budget and the need to put together a Scholarship Committee to talk about possibly endowing a Region III Student Scholarship with the NIRSA Foundation or other options for Regional scholarships. If you are interested in chairing or joining this committee, please contact Dave DeAngelo.

Next was a chat about updates and best practices from each state. It was really cool to hear what some of the other state's have been doing and there were quite a few ideas we can implement here in Michigan!

We wrapped up the first day by sprinting to our cars in the pouring rain to head to dinner at a great local pizza place, Bruno's, with the Lead On team.

Presentation Proposal Ideas

Remember the Presentation Proposal is just a quick idea of what you're thinking of doing. Don't even need to have a full presentation yet! Here's the link to the form: 2014 Workshop Presentation Proposal 

We just had an E-board meeting discussing the upcoming State Workshop and how we're hoping to try out a few new things based on some of the trends we've noticed at the Strategic Planning meeting and throughout the years. But we still need some help from the membership to present and help us make the Workshop successful. Below are some of our new themes and potential topics if you need help getting started!

1. Student Track

• One of our main focuses is to engage our students better. So this year, we want to change that to have at least one student-specific presentation at each educational session, and we want to make it general enough that students not going into the field will be able to benefit. 
• Topics of Interest
• Resume and Cover Letter Building
• Interviewing Skills
• How to Network
• Social Media and how to use it appropriately
• Panel of Campus Rec Alumni (not in the field)

2. Micro-Sessions

• I went to a Micro-Session as NIRSA and it was a nice change of pace. Short 15-minute presentations on a topic from various institutions under a common theme. We think this is a great way to show off best practices and get some quick insight from across the state. 
• Topic Themes
• Student Employment and Training
• Marketing
• Technology 
• Sponsorships
• Programming
• Student Development
• Professional Development
• Research and Assessment

3. MIRSA Governance Discussions

• Since we received some great feedback from our Strategic Planning meeting, we want to discuss a few changes with the entire membership since some changes are major. This would also be a way to learn about and shape each committee to move forward with having an active and engaged membership. 
• Topics of Discussion
• Committee Structure and Transition
• Bylaws and Operating Codes
• Elections
• Finance
• Workshop
• Championship and Special Events
• Awards and Scholarships
• Technology
• Student Committee

Strategic Planning Recap

On Monday we held the MIRSA Strategic Planning meeting at Central Michigan University. Representatives attended from Grand Valley, CMU, Wayne State, University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Oakland University from undergraduate students to professionals with 10+ years of experience. 

Stan Shingles, NIRSA's President-Elect, started the event by explaining NIRSA's values to us to use as a framework. From there, small discussion groups took place to figure out what MIRSA's mission, vision, and values should be by thinking about the following questions:

• Who are we? What does MIRSA mean to you? 
• Where are we going? How do you see MIRSA in the future? 
• What is important to you as a MIRSA member? 

As you can see in the photo below, there were plenty of notes jotted down about what MIRSA is and what it should be. 

Next we discussed our committees and what each could be doing throughout the year to make each committee effective and valuable. We did decide to change up the committee terms, so if you are interested in getting involved, look out for more information at Workshop and look for the call for committees to come out later in October!

• By-laws and Operating Codes
• Workshop
•  Championship and Special Events
• Finance
• Awards and Scholarships
• Nominations and Elections
• Technology
• Student 

To wrap up the meeting, we discussed the next questions about how a MIRSA membership can be more valuable:

• What do you want to get out of your MIRSA membership? 
• What leadership opportunities would be beneficial to you? 
• What resources can MIRSA provide? 

We received lots of great feedback and are looking forward to making changes. We'll have the results to share with everyone in about a month's time. 

Huge thanks to everyone that participated and big shout out to CMU's UREC team for being such gracious and generous hosts! We're excited to be back in October for the Workshop!

Welcome

Hello Everyone!

We're testing out the student blog to see how this goes. Bear with us and if you have any suggestions don't hesitate to let me know!

Thanks!
Sarah
distefano@oakland.edu