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The Leaguer Workout Blues Growing violations of off-season and summer practice rules prompt Council to appoint study committee By Dr. BILL FARNEY "I cannot UIL Director of Athletics express too ore often than not, it begins with a telephone call strongly the from an angry parent. "Generally, the mother or overwhelming WI father will complain that their child is unable to participate in a family activity — a vacation or holiday trip students to — because of a workout," Dr. Bill Famey, UIL director of workout on a athletics, said. "The parent will want to know whether the purely coach can legally require their child to attend the off-season voluntary basis. practices." At other times, the League will hear from school officials But there is themselves. "Sometimes, we receive phone calls from equally strong other coaches or administrators, alleging that another feelings that school or coach is violating off-season practice rules," Far- coaches should ney said. "The off-season practices are supposed to be not be involved voluntary but the message quickly gets through: If you as either don't practice in the summer, you won't play next fall or supervisors or winter." spectators." And it isn't football alone. In today's win-at-all-costs society, many coaches feel great pressure to schedule and enforce off-season practice rules. "In private conversations with a number of coaches, I've been told that in order to Photo by DENISE PENNY compete, some coaches must require students to work out Dow Park High School year-round," Farney said. "This attitude breeds more vio­ lations." In an effort to identify and resolve problems of off-sea­ • Restrict school coaches from involvement in summer issues, Farney said: son practice, the UIL has appointed a committee of school programs in team sports involving students from their • Defining what is permissible in off-season and sum­ administrators, athletic directors and coaching association school attendance zone. mer for athletes. representatives. The committee met January 14 to adopt • Develop policies to insure that students in more than • Eliminating the practice of requiring athletes to work basic principles of iff-season practice, and will meet again one athletic activity will have the opportunity for maximum out in the summer. February 18 to vote on off-season practice and participation participation with minimum conflict. • Considering rules that would not permit a school rule recommendations. These proposals will be forwarded • Disperse information on summer and off-season rules coach to coach a non-school team which includes one or to the Legislative Council's Athletic Committee, June 2-3. to insure equity among schools. more players from his school. The 10 basic principles adopted include: "I cannot express too strongly the overwhelming desire • Providing an atmosphere in which students are not • Member schools should develop sound education ob­ of the committee members to allow-students to workout on coerced, required or monitored in the summer by coaches. jective to enhance the benefits and minimize the risks of a purely voluntary basis," Farney said. "But there is an • Applying the following principles to guide off-season athletic programs. equally strong feeling that coaches should not be involved and summer activity: • Minimize conflict with family life, job opportunities as either supervisors or spectators.'' 1. Individual schools will develop educational principles and growth development in other areas. At its February 18 meeting, the committee will attempt to guide off-season and summer activity. • Eliminate pressure and coercion of school team mem­ to clarify acceptable offseason and summer behavior. 2. Conflicts with students' and coaches' family lives, job bers during the off-season and summer by school coaches. "There is no attempt to label Texas coaches as individuals opportunities and personal growth will be minimized. • Make school facilities available for individual students who habitually violate rules," Farney said. "The vast ma­ 3. School facilities will be opened to all students who who wish to train on their own. jority of coaches abide by the rules. Often, rules are broken wish to utilize them on their own. • Permit safety and security supervision of school facili­ unintentionally. In order for all schools to complete on an 4. Students will have an opportunity to participate in ties without allowing team skill instruction. equal basis, coaches need to know what is legal and illegal more than one athletic activity. • Permit in-season athletes the opportunity to compete so that there is not an unintentional violation. Hopefully, 5. School facilities will be supervised for security and without interferences from out-of-season training. this committee will be able to clarify most if not all of the safety purposes. • Prevent athletes from being exploited by profit-seek­ gray areas." 6. Regulations will be distributed so as to insure uniform ing entities. The focus of the committee will be on the following understanding of the rules. The Leaguer • Volume 71 • Number Six • February, 198? • USPS 267-840 Opinion Contest control remains a local responsibility Pressure by special interest groups has led to imbalance in some programs he public schools of Texas through the University Inter- State Board members and members of the UIL Legislative Coun­ scholastic League banded together to provide interschool cil prefer the controls be at the local school level. T competition as an additional opportunity for students to We know schools can and will control their own programs. If increase and enhance their education. Rules passed by the schools Director's you need suggestions please contact the UIL office. We will assist are intended to enhance the students' opportunities for education you in the development of policies and procedures and outline and protect the health and welfare of the participants. viewpoint how some schools are instituting effective controls. Let's start Most educators feel that students learn valuable concepts and now and not wait until next fall. develop positive values and attitudes through participation in Bailey Marshall properly controlled competitive activities. The rules passed by the schools through the UIL are just a part of the controls necessary to keep activities at a level where they Discipline problems change Each school administrator, coach or sponsor and teacher must will: The following article appeared in the January, 1987 issue of • provide experiences that will help prepare the students for work within their communities to formulate policies and regula­ tions that will develop and maintain the proper educational pro­ Alabama Strate Talk and was originally compiled by the Fullerton living in today's society; gram for their students. Police Department. I think you'll find it interesting. • minimize expenditures on games and practice schedules that Local control has become increasingly difficult during the past The top seven discipline problems in public schools in 1940 and would negatively affect the education of the total school popula­ ten years. Special interest groups such as booster clubs, parents the top 17 problems in 1982: 1940 — 1. talking; 2. chewing gum; tion; groups and athletics associations have progressively become more 3. making noise; 4. running in the halls; 5. getting out of line; 6. • minimize loss of school or study time that would diminish sophisticated in their requests for support of their programs. This wearing improper clothing; 7. not putting paper in wastebaskets. education in the regular classroom; has led to an imbalance in some programs in some schools. 1982 — 1. drug abuse; 2. alcohol abuse; 3. pregnancy; 4. • eliminate pressure on students to: (a) participate in only one If we can't establish and maintain control at the local level it suicide; 5. rape; 6. robbery; 7. assault; 8. burglary; 9. arson; 10. activity, (b) practice in violation of the intent of school, UIL or will lead to more rules and regulations being passed by a state bombings; II. murder; 12. absenteeism; 13. vandalism; 14. extor­ TEA rules or (c) curb their opportunities for a well rounded educa­ regulatory body. Everyone, including the UIL administrators, the tion; 15. gang warfare; 16. abortion; 17. venereal disease. tion. Official notices Cypres* Fairbanks ISD Gilmer ISD Shorthand Fort Worth Paschal HS Cypress Fairbanks ISD has been Coach Joe Black has been as­ Page 150, Section 1012: Short­ Walter Dansby of Paschal HS Legislative Council assessed a public reprimand and sessed a public reprimand and pro­ hand, (p) REFERENCE MATERI­ (Fort Worth) has been assessed a Larry Butler, Spearman ISD, Richard Coha- one year's probation in football lor bation for the 1986-87 school year ALS. Standard dictionaries or word public reprimand and probation in violation of pre-season practice reg­ by the State Executive Committee division manuals may be brought in basketball through the 1986-87 The Leaguer gan, Gunter ISD, Paul Curtis, Uvalde ISD, Bill ulations by the District 6-5A Execu­ for violation of offseason workout to the contest room by the contest­ school year for violation of off-sea­ Farmer, Barber's Hills ISD, Bill Graves, San tive Committee for the 1986-87 ants. No shorthand dictionaries are rules in football. son workout rules. The penalty was The Leaguer is the official publication of Angelo ISD, Clarence Ham, Killeen ISD, Bob school year. permitted in the room. assessed by the State Executive the University Interscholastic League, Box

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