Lapeer presenters highlight 2023–24 athletic successes, coaching mentorship and new safety plans

Mr. Cross and district athletics staff presented a 2023–24 athletics update to the Lapeer Community Schools Board of Education, highlighting team accomplishments, booster-club fundraising, coach development and new safety protocols.

The presentation front‑loaded results from the year: the district produced state qualifiers across multiple sports and claimed a Sag Valley League tennis championship. "For 23–24 we're going to talk about some of our accomplishments, a little booster club update and what our goals are for this upcoming school year," Mr. Cross said, introducing the recap.

The presenters credited an active booster club with raising funds through concessions and events. Those efforts funded scholarships and awards; the booster club awarded 18 scholarships of $400 last year, the presentation said.

A major focus was coaching development. The district described a coaching summit and a mentorship program that pairs struggling or first‑year coaches with experienced mentors and offers summer professional development. Sarah Taylor, introduced as a learning coach for CFI, was described as supporting mentors and helping coaches with planning and reflective practice.

On participation and competitive balance, presenters acknowledged declining participation from middle to high school and said the district is exploring conference realignment (a north/south football alignment) and other strategies to reduce travel burden and preserve opportunities. The presentation included participation-rate tables and a stated district goal of increasing participation (the transcript notes a target such as “50%” participation as aspirational but did not present an implemented funding plan to reach that number).

Athletic safety was emphasized: the district said it is developing emergency action plans for every team that name responsibilities (who calls 911, who secures keys/doors, who fields external traffic concerns) and include contact lists for administrators, trainers and custodial staff. Mr. Cross said teams will run drills and store the plans for quick reference.

The presentation closed with facility and fundraising priorities — weight‑room upgrades and donor outreach to enable larger, consolidated purchases — and with a pledge to share more details as bond- and reconfiguration-related projects move forward. The board thanked the presenters and acknowledged the scale of work ahead to preserve and expand youth participation.

Next steps: presenters said they will continue implementing mentorship supports, finalize emergency action plans with building staff, and return with further updates as facilities projects and participation strategies develop.