General News
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UIL Announces Sponsor Excellence Award Winners
By Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator | Thursday, January 24, 2013 1:35 PM
The University Interscholastic League is proud to recognize 16 of the top UIL sponsors in Texas as the 2012 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winners.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges in the areas of music, athletics and academics from nominations submitted by school principals and superintendents across the state.
The award, now in its 22nd year, was created to identify and recognize outstanding sponsors who enable students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the educational system.
Lone Star Cup race heats up after fall season
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Thursday, January 24, 2013 12:45 PM
The latest update to the UIL Lone Star Cup standings was posted on January 11 and after points from the fall season of events have been tabulated the race for the cup in each conference is heating up. The current standings include State and Area Marching Band, Team Tennis, Cross Country, Volleyball and Football.
The UIL Lone Star Cup is awarded annually to five high schools, one in each of the five UIL classifications (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A), based on their team performance in district and state championships. The winning schools in each classification will receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship, also presented by the UIL.
Dr. Poole of Barber’s Hill ISD Elected as Chair of Legislative Council
By Kate Y. Hector, Media Coordinator | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 10:47 AM
Dr. Greg Poole, the newly elected Legislative Council Chair, drapes medals on winners at the Cross Country State Championship
Photo by Kate Y. Hector
At the October 2012 University Interscholastic League Legislative Council Meeting, Dr. Greg Poole, superintendent at Barbers Hill ISD, was elected as the new chair.
“I am more proud of the position that has been entrusted to me than any other accomplishment I have been blessed to receive,” Poole said.
Dr. Charles Breithaupt, UIL executive director, said Poole’s greatest attribute is his leadership. Poole served on the teacher retirement board for six years and has been a progressive leader during his time at Barbers Hill ISD.
“He is a champion for young people,” Breithaupt said of Poole. “He is a champion for coaches and directors, and he is one who pursues excellence. I think he will have a great year as Legislative Council chair.”
Ad Hoc Committee to Study Cardiac Screening for UIL Participants
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, November 20, 2012 10:34 AM
UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt wants parents, students, coaches and teachers to know that “the safety of our students is a primary concern” of the UIL and has been for a long time.
In 2001, UIL created the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) —comprised of distinguished physicians, an athletic trainer and two executive directors of statewide coaches associations— to make recommendations to the League on what Breithaupt calls the 4 Hs – Head, Heart, Heat and Medical History.
And the committee has done just that.
“We have leaned heavily on the Medical Advisory Committee over the past 10 years,” Breithaupt said.
The committee has made recommendations on Automated External Defibrillators, physical forms, practice limitations, concussions and other medical issues . In fact, every recommendation the MAC has made to the Legislative Council has been unanimously adopted.
And now, select members from that committee will join members from the Legislative Council and the State Executive Committee to form an Ad Hoc Committee to study the issue of cardiac screening for UIL participants.
Kate Hector Hired as Media Coordinator
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:23 AM
In September, Kate Hector joined the UIL staff as the new media coordinator.
Photo by Chris Schmid
Kate Hector joined the UIL media department in September as the new media coordinator for the League. She will play an integral communications role with the UIL writing press releases, attending official meetings and facilitating media at state championship events.
“I am really excited to work with high school athletes and competitors and also be a part of an organization that serves so many high school students who are just figuring out what they want to do, and what they like and what they are good at,” Hector said.
Though she is not a native Texan, Hector has lived in the Lone Star State since 2006 when her family moved to Killeen from Lawton, Oklahoma. Upon enrolling at Killeen Harker Heights High School, she joined the UIL informative speaking team and experienced first-hand the positive effects UIL events can have on student participants.
Beasley Inducted into Beeville Hall of Fame
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 9:05 AM
Assistant Athletic Director Darryl Beasley accepted his award in his hometown Beeville.
Darryl Beasley has lived sports all his life. He played high school and college basketball. He coached at both the high school and college level. And for the past eight years, Beasley has been an assistant athletic director at the League.
So it probably wouldn’t be a shock to anyone that his hometown, Beeville, inducted him into its Hall of Fame this month.
But it was to Beasley.
“The call came out of the blue,” he said. “I didn’t expect it.”
Opportunities for Student Participation May Expand After Council Meeting
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Tuesday, October 02, 2012 8:41 AM
Each year on the third Sunday in October, the full Legislative Council meets. This year the Council will meet on Sunday, Oct. 21 and Monday, Oct. 22.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
After the UIL Legislative Council meets Oct. 21-22, Texas students may have a few more options for participating in League events in the future.
The academic department is proposing a new pilot — Student Congress, for the 2013-14 school year. Student Congress is a mock legislative assembly competition, where students propose laws and position statements that the assembly debates and votes on to pass into law under the structure of parliamentary procedure.
Speech and Debate Director Jana Riggins said she first introduced the idea of a Student Congress event several years ago, and each year support for the contest has grown.
Backpack Drive Gives Back to Community
By Kim Carmichael, Chief of Staff | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:54 PM
Central Texas area students choose backpacks from the donation site in Austin. UIL staff donated 72 backpacks to the non-profit.
Photo by Kim Carmichael
Back to school means a fresh start to a new school year.
For some children it also means worrying about having the supplies they need for a successful school year. For the second year in a row, the UIL staff wanted to erase that worry for local school children grades Pre-K through fifth grade by hosting a backpack collection drive.
This July, UIL staff partnered with an Austin-based non-profit organization to provide the tools that students need for a productive school year. The back-to-school initiative is an important community program that provides children living in poverty with one backpack, a set of school supplies, books, and two new sets of clothing. The program helps children to feel confident and creates positive experiences at the beginning of school to promote academic success.
The 2012 UIL backpack drive resulted in 72 new backpacks donated by UIL staff members to help some of the 2,000 students who benefitted from this year’s program.
We wish all students, teachers and coaches and school administrators a successful 2012-13!
Former UIL Athletes Compete in London Olympics
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:45 PM
When Brigetta Barrett was at Duncanville High School she brought home the 5A high jump state championship in both 2008 and 2009. At the London Olympics, she won the silver for the same event.
Photo by Photo courtesy of Duncanville High School
Olympic competitors are some of the most talented and well-trained athletes in the world so it’s no surprise that many of them were successful high school student-athletes. Several former UIL state champions made waves representing Team USA during the 2012 London Olympics. Several even medaled at the games.
The following is a rundown of how former UIL state medal winners fared at the 2012 Olympic Games.
League Promotes 4, Hires 4 Over Summer
By Jeanne Acton, Journalism Director | Monday, August 27, 2012 5:35 PM
Like most school districts, the summer is a time for new hires and shuffling of staff. UIL is no different. This summer, the League had a variety of staff changes and new hires for the upcoming school year.
Heather Bollinger
Last year, UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt started a new mission at the League — archiving the League’s history and preserving it for generations to come. This year, Breithaupt is continuing that initiative and hired archivist Heather Bollinger in July.
“I am working on documenting the history of the UIL,” Bollinger said. “This includes organizing and preserving photographs, audio-visual materials, manuscript records, department records, fielding research requests, etc. I am currently working on digitizing the Leaguer and the Constitution and Contest Rules.”