School days, those dear ol’ Golden Rule days.

Well, maybe not in the school days I attended decades ago in a small rural community in the southwest corner of Michigan. It was more like “wooden ruler” days wielded by dedicated nuns who motivated us merely by the threat of a rap on the knuckles.

(You’re probably thinking: how old is this guy, anyway?)

If your kids and/or grandkids are fortunate enough to be among the nearly 11,000 enrolled in 25 Catholic high schools or the 22,000 or so in 71 elementary and middle schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit, chances are they’re in the classroom already. (For a listing of the schools, log on to aod.org/schools).

Each student, of course, experiences a well-rounded education in mind, body and spirit, based on the four R’s — reading, ’riting, ’rithmatic and religion.

For those so blessed, an “a” can be added to the above formula — athletics.

Boys and girls in grades 4 through 8 enjoy the benefit of the Catholic Youth Organization, the CYO, founded in 1933 in the midst of the misery of the Great Depression. Over the eight-plus decades, CYO has positively impacted the lives of literally millions of youngsters across religious, geographic, racial, gender and generational lines.

The majority of elementary and middle schools — and in parishes without a school — sponsor teams for thousands of participants in 11 sports, ranging from basketball to volleyball.

A word of commendation must be inserted here to the hundreds of volunteers who offer their time and talent as coaches, and to the families and community for their support in a joint pursuit of instilling the ideals of Christian values, sportsmanship and fair play.

For more about the CYO, click on to aod.org/CYO.

High school student-athletes might not realize how special it is that they play in the Catholic High School League — the only such athletic conference of Catholic schools in the United States!

Entering its 91st year, the CHSL sponsors 13 sports for boys and 16 for girls. Competition is top-notch, and well-regarded around the state. Last year, the CHSL chalked up 14 state championships and eight runners-up in nine sports. In addition, some 206 CHSL student-athletes have moved up to the collegiate level this fall in 24 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

Beyond, numerous athletes have or are competing professionally.

Here’s a rundown of the 23 Catholic schools and five non-Catholic private schools that make up the CHSL with their projected enrollment for the 2017-18 year provided by the Michigan High School Athletic Association:

ALL BOYS SCHOOLS: Novi Detroit Catholic Central 1,040, Warren De La Salle 769, Detroit U-D Jesuit 725, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 612, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 478, Detroit Loyola 137.

ALL GIRLS SCHOOLS: Farmington Hills Mercy 727, Bloomfield Hills Marian 494, Warren Regina 320, Livonia Ladywood 215, Wixom St. Catherine 201, Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart Academy 134.

CO-ED SCHOOLS: Dearborn Divine Child 852, Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard 555, Allen Park Cabrini 344, Riverview Gabriel Richard 341, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 328, Detroit Cristo Rey 305, Royal Oak Shrine 246, Marine City Cardinal Mooney 136, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 124, Clarkston Everest Collegiate 112, Chesterfield Township Austin Catholic 105.

NON-CATHOLIC PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood 812,  Macomb Lutheran North 521, Ann Arbor Greenhills 331, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 284, West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy 198.

Two Catholic schools – Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (718) and Monroe St. Mary



Catholic Central (344) – are not members of the CHSL. The total Catholic high school enrollment is 10,362.

The overall league enrollment is 11,506.

Make it a point to catch the action on either or both levels. You will be pleasantly surprised – and, yes, proud.

Don Horkey is a freelance writer. You can contact him at [email protected].