Leaving Everything Have on the Court They

Leaguer THE FULL RANGE OF EMOTIONS. The post-game photo session is ecslacy lor Waco Midway, something quite different for the Dallas Lincoln players, who fell in the 4A finals, 52-40. Photo by Joey Lin. Leaving everything they have on the court For sheer intensity, nothing ingness to let it all go that makes compares to the UIL girls state the girls tournament so special. basketball tournament. The For the record, Amarillo de athleticism of the boys is impres feated Conroe, 62-46 to repeat as sive, but with it comes a lot of 5A champions while Waco Mid typical "guy" behavior. way added to its trophy case, tak The girls, on the other hand, ing its sixth state title with a 52-40 are genuine. If one of them win over Dallas Lincoln. screams, it's because they needed In Conference 3A, Jerry En to, not because they thought it glish finally won his gold medal as would look cool. Whenthegames his Dripping Springs squad held end, the contrasts in emotions offWacoLaVega, 64-56. Tuscola couldn't be more different. Jim Ned squeezed by Hemphill, UIL athletic directors admit 31-29, for the 2A title, and the that the hardest part of their job is Panhandle reclaimed its domi bringing the medals and trophies nance of Conference A as Sudan to the losing semifinalists. Walk outlasted Jayton 40-36. ing into the cold, quiet dressing GOING FOR IT. Conroe's Shannon Ogden rooms where 14 or 15 girls are lunges for the ball during the Tigers' loss to crying is brutal. But it is this will Amarillo in the 5A finals. Photo by Joey Lin. Volume 78 • Number Six • March, 1994 • ISSN 0897-4314 CuHlJdci Debunking myths COMMENT It is always interesting to learn that all state interscholastic Athletics have characteristics associated with intelligence activities associations grapple with the same problems. During a round-table discussion meeting at a national meeting, By LOUIS TOMAINO ceptance of penalty for failure to ob directors of other state associations discussed two issues that have MAIL EGO serve the rules. rjecomesomewhatfaruuiartomeUlLovermerjastfewyears: foreign Many educators, and other citi • The Whole Picture - must be exchange students and conduct at soccer matches. zens, would probably be surprised at learned by an athlete in action. The While the League's street Participation by foreign exchange students is an issue that is the suggestion that organized athlet Gestalt theory maintains that we do ics requires as much intelligence from address has changed, its not learn anything by itself, that mean receiving more attention each year. The primary concern, especially students as do the traditional aca mailing address has not. ing is derived by seeing the whole, arnong4Aschools, is that good athletes come in from other countries demic subjects. Keep those cards and let much as the athlete must do in rela and displace students who have worked three years to represent their We are accustomed to thinking ters coming to P. O. Box tion to his or her team, the other team schools, or defeat students in district, regional, or state competition. of athletics as marginal to learning and the assignment presented. These foreign students even take the medals to their home countries and easily refer to "dumb jocks" and 8028, UT Station, Austin, • Teamwork - athletes become before school is completed. "no-pass/no-play" as phenomena alien TX 78713-8028. aware that the key to successful per InWashmgton,atranderwitJho^^ toeducation. Activitiessuchaspaint- formance is collaboration, working ing, singing, acting, poetry recitation, results in ineligibility. Foreign exchange students are treated the same The street address -3001 together as we were taught and seeing recalling battle dates, figuring out this cooperation pay off. This is an as other students wanting to transfer, although subvarsity participa math problems and doing science ex Lake AustinBlvd., Austin, other learned response and one which tion is not affected. In Ohio,"one year approved program was periments are all presumed to have an TX78703-shouldbeused our society would surely applaud and established for foreign exchange students. In Wisconsin, foreign educational worth not accorded to for delivery services only. be willing to pay taxes for. Isitnotone exchange students can regain eligibility after Sitting out one year. formal sports. of the more sorely missed outcomes in Foreign exchange students in the District of Columbia are Not so! education today? accepted if they meet scholarship rules, regardless of when they As the new school year gets un even in adverse conditions such as Who would deny that the activi entered the local school. der way, I would like to make the sun, wind, cold and rain, unlike prac ties indicated here are legitimate, point that formal team sports such as ticing a drama or ballet inside a warm learning-based behaviors requiring In Utah, they are only permitted to play on subvarsity teams. football, basketball and baseball may building. reasonably acute brain function with Like Texas, many states liberalized their rules, only to subse- demand greater cognitive rigor than • Memory - learning to recall carry-over value to work and to liv quendy pass more stringent restrictions. For example, a court case on hundreds of intricate maneuvers and most 'academic' activities and bring ing? Complex content in math and the recruiting of foreign exchange studentspromptedOhio to change with them a bonus not readily found remembering when to use them in the science has an inherent rigornot found its by-laws concerning approved program, limiting foreign exchange in other curricula: the need for stu face of opposition. in an array of school courses which students to one year of participation, dents to effectively cooperate with • Focus - the intensity to learn themselves lack the strictness of sys each other - teamwork. how to acquire a clear image of a tematic sports. Also like Texas, other states had experienced problems with Major writerswhohavedescribed specific task and to complete it quickly, This is not an attempt to sanctify soccer conduct Threeyearsago.theissiiewassotroublesomethatthe intelligence over the years -Aquinas, as in making a tackle. or hype sports. Like everything else in League ordered a one year study to determine if the sport should be Herbert, Piaget, Dewey, Tyler, Bloom • Anticipation and Prediction- Texas education, athletics is carried removed from the list of UIL activities. During that year and since, acquiring a sense of and readiness to and the experimentalists - all agree out imperfectly by human beings. But the conduct has improved but more needs to be done to improve on one thing: An educated, person complete an assignment, such as be it does deserve respect as an authentic conduct in soccer as well as some of the other team sports. must be able to adapt to change as ing in a certain position by predicting learning experience rather than be Similar problems arose in Michigan, which issued a memo required, to "do something" effectively what the opposition is likely to do. ing treated as a sideline phenomenon. questioning whether to keep the sport Utah put the sport on a with what he or she knows. Athletics • Spontaneity - now well ac The Roman dictum "mens sans have all the characteristics associated cepted as an act when covert integra in corpore sano," a sound mind in a probationary status. In Ohio, a spcatsmanship committee focused with intelligence, which may be de tive processes of brain, mind and sound body, still applies today. It is a exclusively on soccer penalty. A Nevada association official called scribed as these: person are converted into activity great investment in education for soccer behavior "a national tragedy." New Jersey now requires designed to solve problems. • Mind/body coordination - a America and for Texas. principals to be in attendance at contest at every match, and Minne • Discipline - most educators learned function endemic to sports sota is working to improve problems with officiating. which requires constant alertness and probably agree that discipline is Former coach Louis Tomaino is a Many of the problems associated with athletics result from the action and is simply not present in learned via hard work; winning and retired professor from a San Antonio loss of social and cultural values. No state is immune, and it will take some other academic enterprises. losing; submitting to team expecta university. This article is reprinted from • Practice - learning to do it over tion; the observation of dietary, sleep the San Antonio Express-News. the concerted effort of all School people to insure that competition and over again until it's mastered, and exercise mandates; and the ac remains educationally sound.—Dr. Bailey Marshall LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Leaguer, Box 8028, UT Station, Austin, TX 78713. Chair: Richard Cohagen, Gunter ISD. 1 st Vice chair, Virgil Dr. Bailey Marshall, director; Dr. William D. Tiemann, Columbia -Brazoria ISD; 2nd Vice chair, Robert Farney, assistant director and director of athletics; EDITOR Ryan, Seminole ISD; Pat Wisdom, academic director; Charles (ISSN 0897-4314) Dr. Bailey Marshall 5A - Bill Graves, San Angelo ISD; James Terry, Mesquite Breithaupt, assistant athletic director; Peter UIL Director ISD; Wayne Schaper, Spring Branch ISD; Victor Rodriguez, Contreras, assistant to the athletic director; Treva The Leaguer is the official publication of the San Antonio ISD; 4A - Ben Gilbert, Stephenville ISD; David Dayton, assistant academic director (speech and University Interscholastic League. The Leaguer is MANAGING EDITOR Montgomery, Waxahachie ISD; Virgil D. Tiemann, Columbia- debate, elementary/junior high contests); Cynthia distributed to Texas public school administrators, Bobby Hawthorne Brazoria ISD; Byron Steele, Jr., Scherlz-Cibolo-Universol Gly Doyle, assistant athletic director, contest directors, coaches and sponsors, the media, Assistant Director of Academics ISD; 3A - Robert Ryan, Seminole ISD; Justin Wakefield, Frisco Richard Floyd, director of music activities; and to other interested parties.

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