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NCAA Raises the Bar on Eligibility Standards
By Jamie Oberg, UIL Intern | Thursday, January 24, 2013 11:07 AM
The NCAA has released details for changes in initial-eligibility standards for Division I college-bound athletes. The new rules will affect student–athletes entering a Division I school on or after August 1, 2016.
Athletic Director Dr. Mark Cousins said his department supports the new standards.
"The UIL has always promoted academic and athletic success as a part of a well-rounded educational experience. We are always glad to see programs that help support academic readiness and a smooth transition for our college bound participants," said Dr. Mark Cousins, Director of Athletics.
Common Questions Answered about Basketball Post-Season Play
By Darryl Beasley, Assistant Athletic Director | Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:50 AM
The spring is an exciting time for basketball teams, players and coaches. All the hard work culminates with the start of postseason competition. It brings new expectations of the players and coaches.
Before starting the postseason competition, we would like to address some frequent questions about district ties and warm-up games and post-season reporting.
District Ties and Warm-up games
The girls’ district certification date will be Saturday, Feb. 9, and the boys’ district certification date will be Saturday, Feb. 16.
As the basketball district competition is coming to a close, some districts may have two-way or three-way or more schools ties.
Entry Forms and Instructions for Essay Contests Ready for Students
By David Trussell, A+ Director | Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:46 AM
Entry forms and instructions are now available online for the Barbara Jordan Historical Essay and Latino History Essay competitions (http://www.uiltexas.org/academics/essay-contests).
The entry process is fully digital, with interactive PDF entry forms and dedicated email addresses for submitting entries. Students must attach their essay and completed entry form to an email message and send to the address indicated in the instructions. Some important points to keep in mind:
• Each entry must be the work of only one student. A student may submit one entry (per competition) per school year. The entry deadline for both contests is March 1, 2013.
Journalists Need to Slow Down, Re-Visit Ethics
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:32 AM
Pregnancy. Child Abuse. Suicide.
Pretty heavy topics for a high school newspaper. But back in the late 1980s those were the topics we covered.
At first glance, the topics may sound a bit sensational. Maybe even shocking.
And perhaps they could have been if we didn’t have our journalism teacher who drilled the importance of ethics and compassionate reporting into our heads.
“You don’t do a story to shock,” she used to tell us. “It must have purpose.”
So with every story idea, we discussed the purpose, the reason and need for doing the story. Would it help someone? Would it offer important information? Would it give voice to someone who had no voice?
Big Changes on Horizons for OAP
By Luis Muñoz, Theatre Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 1:35 PM
There are moments in time where we experience a quantum leap in the status quo. That type of catalyst for change in the One-Act Play Contest was provided at last month’s Legislative Council meeting. There were five amendments to the Constitution and Contest Rules and one pilot program that were unanimously approved. Each of them will impact OAP in its own way.
Conference 6A
Say goodbye to five conferences and welcome a sixth. This amendment creates a six conference alignment by renaming the current Conference A Division II (Six Man schools) to Conference A, current Conference A Division I (11 Man schools) into Conference AA, current conference AA schools into Conference AAA, etc. This change takes place beginning in August 2014. This will have at tremendous impact on our overcrowded 1A districts. In 2012, 1A had 309 schools enrolled in the contest. The change would split that total into two conferences. This would reduce the size of most 1A districts to 7 or 8 schools rather than 11 to 16.
Decision to Change Golf Tournament Venue Not Taken Lightly
By Peter Contreras, Assistant Athletic Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:39 AM
Last week’s decision to change two golf courses for the 2013 UIL State Golf Championships caught a lot of coaches by surprise. However, the decision was made only after a great deal of discussion.
While two golf courses have changed, UIL’s intent has not. The first priority of the League is to provide the best possible opportunity and experience for our student-athletes and schools, and it will remain so.
The decision to move Conference 5A from Jimmy Clay Golf Course to Morris Williams Golf Course and Conference 1A from Morris Williams to Lion’s Golf Course was done with this intent in mind.
Suggestions for Coaching UIL Academic Events
By Dr. David Stevens, Academic Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:33 AM
Sponsoring or coaching UIL academic contests is both challenging and rewarding. Here are some suggestions that have proven successful for coaches of academic events.
One of the initial objectives is to recruit team members for your activity. Although entries are limited to a maximum number in district competition, recruit more team members for several reasons.
It is inevitable that someone will get too busy, lose interest or not show up the day of the meet. It is important to have back-ups who can fill in.
Healthy competition for positions on the team is normally a good thing. Use competition to encourage each student to push harder to earn a spot on the team.
Practice Really Does Make the Difference
By Jana Riggins, Speech and Debate Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:30 AM
“Practice makes perfect.” It’s a cliché we have all heard, but I’ve often wondered who coined this phrase. Whoever wrote it, my mother seemed to have the market on it when she’d wake me up super early on mornings to practice the piano while my two older brothers snuggled underneath the covers much longer than me. One piano. Three kids. Often, I drew the short straw. That’s what happens when you’re the baby of the family and your older siblings are boys.
I didn’t like hearing it then, but I grew to understand the truth in the saying as I began to compete in UIL and later, as I coached. It didn’t take long to recognize that my students who broke to the final rounds were those who asked for extra practice sessions with me during lunch and after school when all their squad team members had long since called it a day.
It was also the kids who took advantage of every invitational tournament we scheduled. There they were, on the bus, ready and prepared for another challenge to compete against opponents who also had made speech and debate a priority in their busy schedule.
Writing Must Grab the Reader and Make Them Feel
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:19 AM
I cried this weekend.
No, not terribly shocking news. I do cry sometimes. But these tears didn’t come from some sappy Lifetime movie or frustration with my kids, husband, family or any other slice of my life.
I cried during a presentation — reading some of my own writing.
Not exactly the best way to present — especially since I don’t own waterproof mascara.
But I didn’t apologize. In fact, I told the audience that my tears were good. It meant I felt something. And we should feel when we read.
The presentation was at the JEA National Convention in San Antonio and was called ‘Make Average Writing Great’ or something like that.
Contest Evaluations Should be Both Postive and Instructive
By Bill Duggan, President of TMAA | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 11:00 AM
Greetings from TMAA! I hope you are having a productive fall.
Most of you are well into a new school year and I hope your experiences thus far have met or exceeded your goals and expectations. I also hope our retired members are fishing, hunting, birding, traveling or whatever makes them happy.
I suppose many of you had the pleasure of judging marching contests throughout the state this fall. I know you were impressed as I was with the quality of our marching bands and how they continue to raise the bar year after year. I’m certain the performances of our choirs, orchestras, and concert bands in the spring will be equally impressive. Congratulations to the UIL State Marching Band winners: in 3A, Argyle High School directed by Kathy Johnson and in 5A, Marcus High School directed by Amanda Drinkwater. All of the bands at the State UIL Marching Contest were outstanding, and these two were particularly special.