Ottawa-Kent Conference

Last updated

The Ottawa-Kent Conference is an athletic league located in West Michigan. Its current leader is David VanNoord. It has member schools from Allegan, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. It has 48 member schools that partake in athletics. According to the MHSAA they have the main offices located at Grandville High School.

Contents

Members

Classifications

As of the 2006-07 school year the conference has put a requirement in writing for which sports they want all schools to have a varsity level program in. Those include Baseball, Basketball (boys & girls), Football, Softball (girls), Track & Field (boys & girls), Volleyball (girls), and Wrestling

They also listed a second group of sports which they want a minimal of two more sports in varsity level. Those include Bowling (boys & girls), Competitive Cheer (girls), Cross Country (boys & girls), Golf (boys & girls), Gymnastics (girls), Ice Hockey, Soccer (boys & girls), Swimming (boys & girls), Tennis (boys & girls), and Water Polo (boys & girls)

Furthermore, for expansion purposes they must have a JV program in the mandatory programs along with adding freshman programs. This has been a change when in 2004 they wanted freshman programs in all of the required programs instead they want to see improvement in the schools to have them form one when participation is high enough to warrant it.

Sports not listed as ones they will offer varsity status for include Lacrosse (boys & girls) and Skiing (boys & girls).

2024-25 Alignment

OK-Gold [1]

OK-Red [1]

OK-Black [2]

OK-White [3]

OK-Blue [3]

OK-Silver [3]

Past realignments

Every two years, the conference realigns itself due to changes in school sizes as some school districts increase at a large rate while others may stay constant or decline. Along with the changes in school populations, they also hear requests to join the conference. The process is a lengthy one and requires a 75% majority of the member schools to allow any new school in the conference.

The Grand Rapids City League joined the conference for the 2008–2009 season.[ needs update ] According to the Grand Rapids Press , the principals approved with a 43 to 1 vote. The league aligned with seven seven divisions and passed by the committee of athletic directors 34 to 10.

The executive board is made up of at least one principal from each division. After that the Executive Council made up all of the principals would ratify changes. The thought process is only do minor alignment change in two years followed by a possible major realignment in fours depending on different factors. The difference would be actual schools added to the conference or change in the number of divisions versus just flip flopping schools around.

According to the GR Press, seven schools voted no on the City League proposal for several different reasons. Two schools, Lowell and Zeeland West did not show up for the meeting and as such no votes were given to them. The other schools include Lee, East Kentwood, Hudsonville, Jenison, and Middleville. The reasons given for their no votes were because of concerns about the possibility that the four Grand Rapids Public Schools might drop their athletic programs, because of the enrollment differential in some divisions and because of the size of some of the divisions. According to past policies of those schools and previous article quotes from those schools it is assumed what schools felt which way. For Jenison, Hudsonville, and Lee it was the enrollment differences along with the size of their division. East Kentwood and probably Middleville were upset with the Athletic Director of the Grand Rapids Public Schools discussing saving money by eliminating two high school ADs after the first two votes of the conference to let them into the conference.

All seven City League schools officially became full members of the OK Conference beginning with the 2008–09 school year.

The Swimming Conferences were realigned for the 2011–2012 school year and consist of only four levels.

In 2019, a new alignment was enacted that took effect with the 2020–2021 school year. The OK Black division was abolished. The proposal was passed by a vote of 35 to 14 (33 votes or higher to pass). [4]

Notable alumni

Notable Alumni who have participated athletically in the OK Conference

State championships

Schools that have won MHSAA (unless otherwise noted) state championships while being members of OK Conference.

Membership Timeline

Fruitport Community SchoolsWyoming High School (Michigan)NorthPointe Christian SchoolsGrand Rapids Catholic Central High SchoolWest Catholic High SchoolGrand Rapids Christian High SchoolUnion High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)Ottawa Hills High School (Michigan)Creston High School (Michigan)Grand Rapids Central High SchoolForest Hills Eastern High SchoolUnity Christian High School (Hudsonville)Holland Christian High SchoolGreenville High School (Michigan)Muskegon High SchoolReeths-Puffer School DistrictKent City High SchoolSpring Lake High SchoolHastings High School (Michigan)Allendale High SchoolHolland High School (Michigan)Mona Shores Public SchoolsCedar Springs Public SchoolsLowell High School (Lowell, Michigan)Sparta High School (Michigan)Forest Hills Northern High SchoolJenison High SchoolComstock Park Public SchoolsCaledonia High School (Michigan)East Grand Rapids High SchoolRockford High SchoolGrandville High SchoolGodwin Heights Public SchoolsSouth Christian High SchoolKenowa Hills High SchoolNorthview High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)West Ottawa High SchoolWyoming Park High SchoolEast Kentwood High SchoolForest Hills Central High SchoolRogers High School (Wyoming, Michigan)Kelloggsville Public SchoolsHudsonville High SchoolOttawa-Kent Conference

Ottawa KentOK-BlueOK-RedOK-Red Metro/LakeshoreOK-WhiteOK-GoldOK-SilverOK-BlackOK-GreenOK-Bronze

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Central High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan)</span> Private school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Catholic Central High School is a college preparatory high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Advance Newspapers, based in Hudsonville, Michigan, published weekly community newspapers for Kent County, Michigan and portions of Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. Advance Newspapers started as an independent company, later purchased by Advance Publications which later placed them into their MLive Media Group unit. MLive Media Group ceased publication of the seven community newspapers as of January 27, 2019, citing the "cost of publishing the products exceeded the company’s ability to sustain production."

Unity Christian High School is a private Christian school located in Hudsonville, Michigan. It is a member of Christian Schools International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Hills High School (Michigan)</span> High school in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Ottawa Hills High School is a high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ottawa Hills is one of five high schools of the Grand Rapids Public Schools. The school colors are orange and black, and the athletic teams are referred to as the Bengals. They were previously referred to as the Indians.

The Grand Rapids City League (GRCL) was a high school athletic league in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The GRCL originated in the spring of 1928 when seven Grand Rapids high schools competed in the first City Track Meet on May 18-19. The meet doubled as the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class A Regional Meet. Catholic Central, Central, Creston, Davis Tech, Ottawa Hills, South and Union competed in the meet under the direction of newly appointed City League athletic director Henry Lightner. The league's final membership consisted of the four public high schools of the Grand Rapids Public Schools plus Catholic Central, West Catholic and Christian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Area Activities Conference</span>

The Capital Area Activities Conference is a high school sports league located in Central Michigan. It is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). There are currently 19 member schools in the conference that come from the counties of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, and Livingston. The Capital Area Activities Conference Logo was designed by Lansing Catholic 2003 graduate Raymond B. Corey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Catholic High School</span> Catholic college preparatory school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

West Catholic High School is a private Catholic college preparatory secondary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan (U.S.). It opened in 1962 with loans from Kenowa Hills Public Schools. It is located within the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskegon High School</span> High school in Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon High School is a public high school located in Muskegon, Michigan, and was the first high school in Muskegon County, Michigan.

Hudsonville High School, is a public high school located in Hudsonville, Michigan. It serves grades 9-12 for the Hudsonville Public Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Hills Northern High School</span> Public school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Forest Hills Northern High School is a public high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It is one of three high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools district, the other two being Forest Hills Central High School and Forest Hills Eastern High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Hills Central High School</span> Public high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

Forest Hills Central High School is located in Ada Township, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. It is one of three high schools in the Forest Hills Public Schools system. The district also includes Forest Hills Eastern High School (FHE) and Forest Hills Northern High School (FHN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Grand Rapids High School</span>

East Grand Rapids High School is a public secondary school located in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It serves grades 9–12 for the East Grand Rapids Public Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelloggsville Public Schools</span> School district in Michigan

Kelloggsville Public Schools is a school district located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Wyoming, Michigan, and Kentwood, Michigan. The district serves 2,289 students

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenison High School</span>

Jenison High School is the senior high school for Jenison Public Schools located in Jenison, Michigan serving grades 9 through 12. The school's athletics department competes in the Ottawa-Kent Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Huizenga</span> American politician (born 1969)

William Patrick Huizenga is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 4th congressional district, serving in Congress since 2011. The district, numbered as the 2nd district from 2011 to 2023, covers much of the southwestern corner of the state, including Kalamazoo, Holland and Battle Creek.

Allendale High School is located in Allendale, Michigan, in the United States, in the Allendale Public School District, serving grades 9–12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Rapids metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan area in Michigan, United States

The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and Holland. The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,059,113 in 2017. The region, noted in particular for its western edge abutting the Lake Michigan shoreline and its beaches, is a popular tourist and vacation destination during the summer. Noted popular metro area beach towns include Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, and Saugatuck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Michigan Conference</span> High school athletic conference

The Lake Michigan Conference is an interscholastic athletic conference affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. It is located in Northern Michigan and contains eight teams that encompasses six counties: Antrim County, Charlevoix County, Crawford County, Emmet County, Grand Traverse County, and Kalkaska County.

Lowell High School is a public school located in Vergennes Township, Michigan, United States, with a Lowell postal address.

Mona Shores High School is a public high school in Norton Shores, Michigan, United States. It serves grades 9-12 for Mona Shores Public Schools.

References

  1. 1 2 "Red Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Green Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "White Division". okconference.info. Ottawa-Kent Conference. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kaminski, Steve (October 4, 2019) [October 2, 2019]. "OK Conference realignment proposal passes on third attempt". MLive . Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Boys Track & Field Team Champions 1925-2022". Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.