It's time to bring Discus into Middle School Track and Field.

Written Sunday June 1st at 9:30 AM

Discus is well known field event around the track and field community.

The event is a perfect partner to shot put. 

It's hard for a thrower especially in middle school to see just shot put as an event. Most don't want to run even though running especially short distances helps build strength but too much running loses strength.

Bringing in discus to middle school would solve this problem. 

There are multiple states in the country that have middle school discus but Michigan isn't one of them.

I get a ton of questions from student-athletes, parents, coaches, alumni, and my middle school student-athletes I coach, they ask me. "Why can't we throw discus???" It's hard for me to tell them but I have to be honest. "It's not a me rule, it's a state rule, only shot put is allowed in Michigan. I wish I can bring discus into Michigan but sadly it's not my call it's the MHSAA's" (Michigan High School Athletic Association.) 

I see the sadness and frustration in their faces and I get it, I wish I can give them an answer.

Discus would be a fun experience for middle school student-athletes for multiple reasons. If middle school student-athletes do shot put and discus was allowed it would allow them to stay longer and learn the event. It would give every middle school thrower in the state a chance to learn the event in middle school and they would have an advantage when they get into high school knowing the system along with the techniques. The discus has to be one kilogram (2.2 pounds) for middle school athletes to throw according to a Google Search.

If I had to drop an event to accommodate discus it would be the 70 meter dash. The 70 meter dash although there are some middle school athletes who are very good at running this short distance but the 70 meter dash doesn't prepare the student-athlete for high school. There is no 70 meter dash in high school and the shortest distance would be the 100 meter dash. 

There are safety concerns and understandably so if discus were to be allowed. Discus is very dangerous if someone gets hit on the sides but also shot put is as well but the State has it for middle school. Another issue is space and where to put the discus ring, some venues don't have the space. I've looked at several schools in the OAA and there are places where schools can put a discus ring. At Scripps (Lake Orion), Pierce (Waterford), Pontiac, and Van Hoosen (Rochester) they share space with their respective high schools. At Waldon and Oakview in Lake Orion there is plenty of space to have a discus ring and both schools can move their shot put pits off the infield of the track to outside the track. At Oxford since Oxford Middle School used to be the old high school, they have a space next to the shot put pit to put a discus ring. There are several venues where discus would be a challenge. One location for example that discus would be a challenge is Clarkston Jr. High School. Clarkston just put in a new turf field at the junior high school but they don't have a lot of space to put a discus ring and if discus was allowed, where would they put it is the question???

I know costs and space are a challenge and understandably so. 

I'm hoping when the MHSAA Representative Council meets for track and field, they bring discus into middle school track and field. It encourages throwers throughout the state to stay longer and gives them another event to compete.

It's worth it, it's time.