Michigan HS athletics runs the full spectrum from large Detroit-area public-school programs to small Upper Peninsula schools, all governed by MHSAA. Lightning for Schools is built for MHSAA athletic directors: FERPA-compliant student-data handling, 10 included coach seats plus low-cost extras, and recruiting-portal integration for Michigan HS programs at any scale.
Built for MHSAA
Governing Body
Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)
Member-school eligibility rules, classification, and championship workflows shape what an athletic department needs from its software. Lightning for Schools is configured to support MHSAA-aligned workflows out of the box — not generic NFHS templates that don't map to your state's specifics. Reference:
www.mhsaa.com.
Compliant with FERPA + Michigan data protection standards
Student Data Privacy
FERPA + Michigan data protection standards
Student-athlete records in Michigan public schools are governed by FERPA plus Michigan's Identity Theft Protection Act and general data-security standards. Vendors handling MI student-athlete data must meet FERPA's third-party handling requirements. Lightning's data-handling practices are built to meet these requirements; a vendor that can't speak to your state's privacy framework should not be on your shortlist.
What Michigan athletic directors actually deal with
- Michigan Catholic High School League (CHSL) is a major football- and basketball-recruiting-density conference (Detroit Catholic Central, Brother Rice, Detroit U-D Jesuit, De La Salle Collegiate, Orchard Lake St. Mary's) — operates within MHSAA but runs distinct conference logistics and recruiting visibility.
- Upper Peninsula schools (Marquette, Houghton, Sault Ste. Marie, Iron Mountain) face substantial travel logistics for state-tournament matchups against Lower Peninsula programs — UP/LP travel is an operational reality unique among states.
- Michigan HS hockey state finals at USA Hockey Arena (Plymouth, MI — formerly Compuware Sports Arena) are a defining annual event — Michigan ranks 4th among US states for HS hockey participation behind Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New York.
- Michigan HS football state finals at Ford Field (Detroit Lions stadium) generate a centralized end-of-season operational rhythm for MHSAA programs reaching the finals — eight separate divisional title games at one venue.
What Lightning for Schools includes
10 coach seats included
Flat $150/yr base includes 10 full coach seats. Need more for a big multi-sport department? Add extra seats anytime at 50% of the coach-tier price.
Roster + eligibility
Per-sport, per-season roster management with eligibility tracking, transfer documentation, and out-of-season practice limits.
Recruiting portal integration
Your student-athletes' Lightning profiles roll into a searchable college-coach portal — recruiting attention without leaving the AD platform.
DPA-compliant data handling
Aligned with FERPA + Michigan data protection standards requirements. Documentation available for your district's procurement review.
Stat verification
Coach Verified and Tournament Verified stats flow into the recruiting layer automatically. Reduces manual roster-update workload for AD staff.
Multi-season scheduling
Fall / winter / spring sport scheduling in one tool — facility allocation, transportation requests, official assignments.
Built for athletic departments across Michigan
We're looking for our first partner departments in the state. If you're an AD in one of these areas and want to talk through a pilot:
Detroit metro
Grand Rapids metro
Lansing area
Flint area
Traverse City area
Upper Peninsula
Talk to Christian directly
I'm the founder. Michigan athletic directors who want to talk through a pilot or just get specific questions answered can reach me directly: [email protected] or (443) 996-6563.