A national poll reveals many parents skip safety measures when it comes to sledding.

Sports help kids build confidence and learn valuable life lessons. Most importantly, they should be fun for kids, but sometimes young athletes who find a sport they love will push themselves or get pushed by their parents into doing it exclusively.

Snow means good business for Michigan ski resorts.

In this segment of our History 4 All special, we’re talking about the Jim Dandy Ski Club, the nation’s first-ever Black ski club.

Michiganders are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by water, but frigid cold temperatures across Metro Detroit will soon turn water into ice. Many people love this time of year, especially those enthused with ice fishing and winter sports, but the ice can become very dangerous as the flowing liquid becomes a solid.

Get a kickstart on fall, winter and spring ice skating and hockey lessons.

LANSING, Mich. – Parents and student athletes rallied in Lansing Saturday to urge state officials to resume winter sports sooner than the Feb. 21 deadline. “The kids need to play. “Going forward, these kids need something. “The opportunities that these kids are missing out on are building relationships with their friends and community,” Hutson said. It’s absolutely terrible.”More: Michigan parents set to file lawsuit demanding restart of high school sports

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan High School Athletic Association is pushing for high school sports to resume before the current Feb. 21 deadline. There was a legislative hearing Thursday that resulted in an unanimous senate resolution that said high school sports should start earlier. The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s executive director, Mark Uyl, held a press conference Friday where he said their data suggests high school sports are good and not a problem. AdMark Uyl, with MSHAA, said their data suggests high school sports are good and not a problem. More: Detroit schools superintendent urges Whitmer to resume high school contact sports

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan High School Athletic Association spoke out Friday on the hiatus of winter sports in the state. They are asking for the state to resume practice and competition in the four main contact sports sooner than the Feb. 21 deadline. Let Them Play, Inc. has been threatening a lawsuit unless winter high school sports are resumed by Monday. Mark Uyl, with MSHAA, said their data suggests high school sports are good and not a problem. More: Detroit schools superintendent urges Whitmer to resume high school contact sports

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan parents and student athletes voiced their concerns at the state Capitol Thursday, hoping to convince Gov. “We’re not given any kind of hope at all, and Feb. 21 isn’t an option. We can’t do all this on Feb. 21. One school superintendent, who also recovered from COVID, described students who came to her office after learning that their season wouldn’t start for weeks. There, outside my office, were high school students from all grade levels.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan House Oversight Committee will hear testimony Thursday about the state’s ban on high school sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. Committee members including Chairman Steve Johnson (R-Wayland), Michigan High School Athletic Association Director Mark Uyl, Let Them Play Michigan Director Jayme McElvany, Olivet High School Athletic Director Matt Seidl, and concerned parents and athletes are expected to testify during the session Thursday morning. “Families throughout the state have reached out to their elected legislators about the governor’s abrupt decision to extend the ban on certain high school winter sports,” reads a statement from the House committee. “The House Oversight Committee will listen to testimony in an effort to provide answers to concerned residents regarding the extension.”AdLate last week, Gov. Michigan House Republicans on Wednesday proposed a $3.5 billion coronavirus recovery plan but threatened to withhold billions to K-12 schools unless Whitmer cedes her administration’s power to prohibit in-person instruction and sports to local health departments.

Michigan parents are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the state over the current pause on high school sports amid the coronavirus pandemic. A few have scholarship opportunities ... it’s part of the health and the welfare of the kids.”More: Michigan parents set to file lawsuit demanding restart of high school sportsAs coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths rose rapidly at the end of 2020, high school sports were put on pause in Michigan to help curb virus spread. Gretchen Whitmer is urging schools to resume in-person learning by March 1, and has extended the pause on high school sports until at least Feb. 21 under Michigan’s latest epidemic order. “The continuing suspension of winter ‘contact’ sports contradicts the message that it is safe to return to in-person learning,” Vitti added. “One only needs to ask any winter ‘contact’ sport athlete and they will tell you we are sending mixed and contradictory messages to them.”More: Detroit schools superintendent urges Whitmer to resume high school contact sports

It said many student-athletes have started to cross state lines to play or are losing faith they’ll ever play again. “They are doing what you asked them to do, but it’s been 10 months since we’ve played basketball in our state ... A petition is also circulating with more than 25,000 signatures to get the governor to restart contact sports. On Monday, a petition was started by group calling themselves a coalition of Michigan athletes asking for 5,000 signatures to show support for lifting the 2-week pause. “The opposition, despair, and anger to the continuing suspension of winter ‘contact’ sports is rapidly growing in the city and across the state.

Dr. Nikolai Vitti started the letter by clarifying that he supports Whitmer, but he has grown frustrated by a lack of clarity about when winter contact sports can resume. He said there are continuing and legitimate fears about COVID-19 in the Detroit community, but 31 female and male high school coaches want to play basketball. “The continuing suspension of winter ‘contact’ sports contradicts the message that it is safe to return to in-person learning,” Vitti wrote. “Please do not let this frustration reach the level of a lawsuit against you and the state,” Vitti cautioned. “Coaches, student-athletes and their parents are in conversation with attorneys.”Mental health, physical well-being and scholarship opportunities are being affected, he said.

Nominate your favorite high school students, staff members, or clubs NOW! You can nominate BELOW between now and February 6th at 11:00 p.m. Voting will begin February 10th. The winners will receive a 4Frenzy patch or a certificate, and their names and schools will be featured on Local 4 and ClickOnDetroit. We’ll be doing stories on many of the nominees, so look for our “Spotlight” articles on ClickOnDetroit.com/4Frenzy and you might just read about someone you know!