Council Approves Testing Protocol
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
JAN./FEB. 2008 Volume 92 • Number 4 LeaguerUNIVERSITY INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE Council approves testing protocol League develops Briefs and Notes plan from scratch in less than 6 months Calendar of By Jeanne Acton upcoming events Journalism director It’s common knowledge to most Feb 22 ................. Swimming educators that in June the Legislature and Diving State Meet passed Senate Bill 8 mandating ran- Feb. 22 ...................Wrestling dom drug testing for anabolic steroids State Meet for Texas high school athletics. Feb. 23 .................OAP: Title What many may not realize entry cards though is this high school testing Feb. 28 ................ Girls’ Bas- plan will be the largest steroid testing ketball State Tournament in the country. March 1 ................ILPC: Max “In terms of Haddick Teacher of the Year See FAQ, scope and num- page 18 and Edith Fox King Awards ber of samples, nomination due it’s even bigger than the NCAA March 1 .................... Solo & and Olympic testing programs,” Ensemble: First day for online registration Kim Rogers, public information March 1 ............... ILPC: First director, said. In less than six months, the UIL (Above) At the Legislative day for online registration for Council meeting in January, Summer Workshop team working with legal counsel Dr. Charles Breithaupt March 1 ............. ILPC: Dead- created a complete and detailed answers questions about the line for current year protocol for the random anabolic Yearbook IAAs steroid testing. steroid testing protocol. Dr. March 5 ...............Legislative “This was a very short amount Mark Cousins (not shown) Council Finance of time because we had to, for the briefed the council on the Committee meeting most part, create a protocol from the 18-page document. (Left) March 6-8 ............Boys’ Bas- ground up,” Rogers said. “We had no Members of the council ketball State Tournament other models to look to. It’s actually unanimously approve the March 8 .............. Academics: quite extraordinary that we are able protocol. Random anabolic Last day for invitational to implement this program during steroid testing will begin meets using Set B materials the spring semester.” this semester at high schools. March 10-11 .......... CX State See Steroid, page 14 Photos by Jeanne Acton Tournament 1A, 2A & 3A March 14-15 .......... CX State Tournament 4A & 5A 2 academic state directors March 15 .................. Solo & Q& : Ensemble: Last day for share their stories, experiences region contests A By Andrea Negri the Computer Applications, my company had March 17-22 ....... Academics: UIL Staff produced software and printed products for First week for district The following is part of a series of question meets and OAP zone studying the UIL spelling lists annually. Pat and answer profiles on the Academic state contest March 24-29 ...... Academics: Wisdom dropped a note in her column that Last week for district meets directors. UIL was looking for a test writer for Computer and OAP zone Linda Tarrant Applications; so I collected more information Computer Applications State Director from Pat and ultimately started working with the contest as director. The UIL Web page is: Linda Tarrant presents at a Student Activities Q: How did you start working for UIL? Q: When did you start working at UIL? www.uil.utexas.edu Conference. Photo by Bobby Hawthorne A: For several years prior to working with See directors, page 14 UIL Leaguer 2 • News January/ February 2008 Never a simple answer Travel distance and equity drive the reclassification and realignment process EDITOR h e r e c e n t • A study is now ongoing that could (if ap- very small to the very large schools. Added to the Dr. Bill Farney, Tr e l e a s e o f proved) offer relief in football. This study would problem is the tremendous size of Texas. Formulat- UIL Director the 2008-2009 and divide each conference equally with the smaller ing policies that can best produce an alignment MANAGING EDITOR 2009-2010 realign- half enrollment schools being placed in districts to fit the varying needs of all schools has been a Jeanne Acton, ment produced a usual and the larger half being placed in districts. Each challenge since the inception of the League. assistant academic array of surprises. of the divisions would play to a separate state Some states do not mandate districts. They director Twenty-two new championship. simply release conference groupings and let schools schools (mostly 4A Schools from the smaller enrollment division arrange (in football) their own 10-game schedules. ADMINISTRATIVE and 5A) continued would play schools from the larger division only To determine playoff qualifiers, a weighted system STAFF the trend of the enroll- in non-district games if they chose to do so. is used similar to the ranking system employed by Dr. Bill Farney, Bill Farney director UIL Director ment cut-off numbers The reason the study is looking at football the NCAA in creating a 65-team bracket for the Dr. Charles spiraling higher with is because that is where larger schools tend to Division I basketball tournament. Breithaupt, each new two-year have an advantage over smaller schools. Later That method, as we know, also has its problems assistant director & release. Expanding suburban populations in Hous- this spring, a projected district-by-district sample and, obviously, a good deal of controversy. If it director of athletics ton, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin witnessed alignment will be released for information, analysis were used by Texas high schools in football and/ Richard Floyd, the lion’s share of new schools. and study. or any other team sports, state champions like director of music In inner cities, more schools dropped from 5A, There will be opportunity to respond. If there Katy High School and Trinity would have trouble activities resulting in outlying suburban schools being added is enough interest, the Legislative Council could getting games. Travel expenses would escalate, as Treva Dayton, director of academics to the district. Those schools in less-populated place the concept on the agenda for official coaches would range far and wide to find teams Jeanne Acton, parts of the state saw some decline in numbers consideration. that offered a good chance for a win. assistant academic of students. There are two distinct sides. The schools in Whatever method is used to facilitate districts director The population shift from rural to urban caused the lower enrollment within each conference and conferences, there will always be problems of Daryl Beasley, a number of schools to drop down a conference see it as a system whereby they would not have travel and equity in size of student body. athletic coordinator from the current alignment. Some schools will to compete with larger schools for district and If there were 10 conferences instead of five – Diana Cardona, have to travel more than before, especially in playoffs. Most of these schools are single high or 20 conferences – there would still be a sizable spring meet materials West Texas. With rising gasoline prices, this is school districts. difference in the smallest and largest school in supervisor always a concern. The second group consists of the multiple high a conference. Assuredly there would be travel Peter Contreras, athletic coordinator The two principle concerns in any realign- school districts that now have all their schools problems. Somebody has to play Amarillo, Tex- Dr. Mark Cousins, ment are travel and equity. Always a concern is in the same district. Under the study plan, their arkana, Laredo, etc. athletic coordinator the smaller school playing a larger enrollment schools would no longer be in one district together. Those schools in sparsely populated areas would Rachel Harrison, school. Their main concern is primarily the facility prob- need games, just as they do now. athletic coordinator The UIL Legislative Council has approved a lems, i.e., scheduling and administration of two The League will keep searching for better ways Cody Havard number of provisions over the past few years to different districts. to create alignments. Aided by newer methods and assistant public deal with equity of school size and reduce the gap For example, many of these school districts technology, changes will be made. My prediction information director in largest-to-smallest within a conference. have seven or more schools and only one varsity is that changes — when they occur — will come Kelly McCollum, • Six-man football has two distinct conferences stadium. in steps, not in wholesale revisions. technology director Luis Muñoz, and two separate state champions. Obviously, all of their schools cannot play the The people of the state have supported the theatre director • Conference 1A basketball is in two divisions same night. system of state championship playoffs. Future com- Bonnie Northcutt, with a Division I (large) state champion and a Divi- Many are already using Thursday, Friday and petition depends on regular systematic evaluation director of policy sion II (smaller enrollment) state champion. Saturday for varsity games. While they may agree of what we are doing now and a majority of the Cliff Odenwald, • Conference 3A has been reduced from 220 with a study for equity’s sake, these districts fear schools supporting any future recommendations associate athletic schools to approximately 180 schools to narrow the logistics of it. for revision. director the enrollment different from the largest to the With more than 1,300 member high schools, We will fail only if we stop looking for innova- Jana Riggins, smallest school. the UIL is faced with the varying needs of the tive solutions. assistant academic director 78713-8028. LEGislatiVE COUNCIL Kim Rogers, The Leaguer is published by The University Interscho- Chair: Mark Henry; Vice Chair: Carl Taylor public information lastic League. It is published in September, October, 5A • Vernon Newsom, Mansfield ISD; Curtis Culwell, director Leaguer November/December, January/February, March and Garland ISD; Mark Henry, Galena Park ISD; John Folks, April/May.