MITCA (Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association) is a coaching organization with a membership of approximately twelve hundred, primarily high school track and field and cross country coaches.
Founded in 1959, MITCA is dedicated to the education and recognition of the student-athlete and coach. This is achieved through several programs:
EDUCATION
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Cross Country Clinic – annually held over a day and a half during the second weekend of November, this clinic typically draws three hundred cross country coaches to hear noted clinicians speak on a variety of topics. |
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Track and Field Clinic – annually held over two and a half days during the first half of January, this clinic typically draws eight hundred track and field coaches to hear noted clinicians speak on a variety of topics. |
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MITCA Newsletter – published quarterly includes meet results and articles of interest covering news, training tips, etc. |
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Team Michigan – in the fall, a group of ten senior boys and ten senior girls qualify to run and are sponsored by MITCA in the Mid-East Cross Country Meet held in Ohio, competing against teams from several surrounding states. In the spring a track team of senior boys and girls are sponsored by MITCA to compete in the Mid-West Track and Field Meet. |
BENEFIT
This program is available to member associations of the Michigan High School Coaches Association through their membership in the National Organization of Coaching Association Directors. The MHSCA is the member organization representing the State of Michigan in NOCAD. The only way a sport specific organization like MITCA can take advantage of the insurance program is through their membership in the MHSCA This insurance covers the coach in all their coaching related activities wherever and whenever they are conducted. It might be a track and field lesson during a gym class, at a practice, at a game, at a clinic, summer camp or all-star game. This would be quite different from a school’s program probably. That normally would just cover school sponsored activities and not the out of season stuff. The important thing to remember is that it covers all the sport related activities that you are involved in for your sport. To clarify this point let me say that it would not cover the track coach for teaching a basketball lesson because he was not a basketball coach insured through the basketball coaches but a track coach insured through MITCA This is far cheaper and better insurance that a coach can obtain through the National Federation Coaches Association and is part of their $35.00 + membership fee. The bookmark that you were provided with at the clinic gives a better summary of all the things or ways that you are protected. But as stated above the insurance covers all your coaching related activities. It even covers you when you are the camp director, or clinic director. If the site of your clinic or camp wants to see proof of insurance for your camp or clinic, the insurance company will issue certificates of insurance for you at not additional cost. If your site wants to be named as an additional insured party for your camp or clinic, then there would be a cost involved. This cost generally runs $300.00 per camp or clinic but there are some variations to this cost based on numbers, etc. The program is administered by Loomis & LaPann in Glen Falls, NY. They do a lot of work in the Amateur Sports Area including some work with the USOC. As you can see on the Book mark the coverage comes through the Lexington Insurance Company which is a highly rated AIG company. This program was a decision of your association and not available to only those members of your association that want to have it. It was an all or nothing program for your members. The only exception to this would your life members who are no longer coaching. The policy dates are from August 1 – July 31 of each year. I then would need a check from your association to cover your dues and your insurance by a certain date to be determined in order to forward to Loomis & LaPann in a timely manner. If a coach joined your association after the due date they still would be covered. In essence the billing for the insurance would catch with him or her the following year. The insurance company will not be keeping a membership list. I would be keeping that. If a claim was made, then I would be consulted as to whether Coach Smith is a member of the MHSCA and the constituent sport association. Ed. Note: For several years when you picked up your clinic materials there was a round decal and a membership card for the MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION (MHSCA). Like many you probably never paid attention and just pitched them. The back of the membership card lists discounts that are available for the members. At the banquet and in the newsletter the MHSCA Coach of the Year is announced. And occasionally the newsletter will mention a MITCA member is a finalist or has won the NHSCA COY award. Other than that the MHSCA is nothing more that a collection of letters. The MHSCA is an umbrella for all of the coaches associations in the State of Michigan. MITCA had affiliated with it several years ago, paying the dues for each member to be a member of MHSCA and nominating a boy’s and a girl’s coach for MHSCA’s COY each year in cross country and track & field. This past year it was decided by your executive board that MITCA would also pay for all of the members to participate in the NOCAD Insurance Program. The bookmark that you now receive when you pick up your clinic materials refers to that program. Since it is something new your editor felt that a little more information would be useful, hence the above article by former MITCA President and current MHSCA Executive Director, Rich Tompkins
RECOGNITION
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All-State – The top thirty runners in each boys and girls division race in cross country are awarded a MITCA All-State Certificate immediately following their race. The top six track and field finishers in each event in each division are |
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Academic All-State – Top finishers in cross country and track and field, in each division, meeting a minimum grade point average receive a certificate. |
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Coach of the Year – four boys team coaches and four girls team coaches from each of four divisions are nominated for Coach of the Year honors. A membership vote selects the COY. |
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Assistant Coach of the Year – awarded to those nominated by their head coach. |
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15/20/25 Year Recognition – as coaches reach these career benchmarks, they are recognized at the cross country and track and field clinics, each receives a certificate. |
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Patsy Arpino Scholarship – two five hundred dollar scholarships are awarded via random draw to children of MITCA members in college. |
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Hall of Fame – for athletes, MITCA selects a Mr/Ms Track and Field and Mr/Ms Cross Country. Additionally a cross country and a track and field coach are recognized via the Ambrose and Sweeney awards respectively as well as coaches meeting a set criteria. |
POLITICAL
MITCA works to develop new ideas, and the rules necessary to create the best athletic experience for those boys and girls who participate in the sports of cross country and track and field. Because MITCA is not the governing organization for high school athletics, these ideas and rule suggestions are taken to the MHSAA for consideration. The flow-chart below diagrams this process.
