General News
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UIL Lone Star Cup Race Reaches Halfway Point
By Chris Schmidt, Communications Officer | Friday, March 30, 2012 11:49 AM
The latest update to the UIL Lone Star Cup standings was posted on March 16 and at the midway point in the season only a few points separate the leaders in each conference. The current standings include State and Area Marching Band, Team Tennis, Cross Country, Volleyball, Football, Swimming & Diving, Wrestling and Basketball.
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.
UIL Staff Participates in 2 Community Service Projects
By Kim Carmichael, Chief of Staff | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 11:09 AM
UIL staffers Chris Schmidt, Jessica Lane, Phyllis Broz, Susan Doherty and Stephanie Ramirez volunteer at the Coats for Kids drive.
Photo by Kim Carmichael
Through area-wide community service programs, the UIL staff has joined in initiatives to better the lives of underprivileged youth in Central Texas.
In August, the UIL connected with an Austin non-profit organization for their 2011 Back-to-School initiative. “Back-to-School” 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 feel confident and creates positive experiences at the beginning of school to promote academic success.
Rules Changes for 2012-13
By | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:55 AM
All amendments are effective for the 2012-13 school year, unless otherwise noted.
Constitution
• Section 1208 (z) – Alters the UIL Concussion Management Protocol regulations to be in compliance with state law.
• Section 301 (d) – Changes the notice requirements for proposed rules by requiring the notice to include a statement of potential fiscal impact of a proposed rule to member schools.
15 Coaches Named UIL Sponsor Excellence Award Winners
By Chris Schmidt, Communications Officer | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:47 AM
UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winner Kelly Martin of Stamford High School works with a student during class.
The University Interscholastic League is proud to recognize 15 of the top UIL sponsors in Texas as the 2011 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 21st 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.
R&R Adds New Feature — Interactive Maps
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:21 AM
After the release of the 2012-14 Reclassification and Realignment, Dr. Mark Cousins, the athletic director, gives an interview to a local cable news station. The maps that the staff creates for each district within a conference stand in the background.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
For Athletic Director Mark Cousins, the 2012-14 Football and Basketball Reclassification and Realignment process was much the same as previous years.
He and his colleagues spent many long days and late nights working with enrollment figures trying to get the most equitable conferences and districts for 1,300 plus high schools in a state that spans more than 265,000 square miles. And while some still don’t believe it, he still used more than 1300 blue push pins and more than 250 orange rubber bands to paint the visual picture of each district.
“It’s a difficult balancing act,” Dr. Cousins said. “We try to limit travel and keep the most equity in the districts that we can.”
But not everything was the same as years past. Dr. Cousins and his staff added a new feature this year to R&R — interactive maps of each district and conference. The maps will help the public see what the districts actually look like.
Breithaupt Co-authors Book on Buna Basketball Legend, Cotton Robinson
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, December 06, 2011 7:25 AM
A draft of the cover of the book.
King Cotton: Coach Cotton Robinson and the Buna Boys’ Basketball Legacy, 1948-1963.
“I’ve been writing this book in my head for the past 20 years,” said UIL Executive Director and co-author of the book, Charles Breithaupt.
It makes sense.
Breithaupt grew up in Buna during the era of Coach Cotton Robinson.
“Since elementary school, I idolized him,” he said. “Anyone who grew up in the town did.”
Katy Superintendent Named New Legislative Council Chair
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Monday, December 05, 2011 8:57 AM
At the October Legislative Council meeting, the council thanked and congratulated Mesquite Superintendent Linda Henrie for her service as the 2010-2011 Council Chair.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
At the October 2011 Legislative Council Meeting, Alton Frailey, the superintendent at Katy ISD who served as first vice chair in 2011, was elected as the new chair.
UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt said Frailey is a “tremendous leader and innovative thinker.”
“He is a huge supporter of the UIL,” he said. “I am looking forward to working with him.”
Frailey will replace Dr. Linda Henrie, the superintendent from Mesquite ISD.
Leaguer Moves to Issue-based Format
By Stephanie Ramirez, Communications Officer | Monday, November 07, 2011 3:02 PM
The Leaguer has had many makeovers during its time at the League. It's gone from a broadsheet to a tabloid to finally an online publication. Starting in December, the online Leaguer will return to an issue-based format and will continue to be published online.
In an effort to improve the online Leaguer and increase readership, the publication will return to an issue-based format published online.
The first issue will post Tuesday, Dec. 6. New content, including articles, columns, photos and media packages, will appear in each issue.
“This change should make it easier for our readers to know when they should visit the Leaguer online,” managing editor Jeanne Acton said. “Because we don’t have a full-time Leaguer staff to generate new articles every week, it is hard for our readers to know when new material is posted.”
The League will continue to use social media, like Facebook and Twitter, to give updates on breaking news, and it will move the weekly blog to the homepage of the website. Individual departments also will utilize their homepages to post time-sensitive articles.
Former Teacher and Biggest Loser Contestant Shares Her Journey with UIL
By Jeanne Acton, UIL Journalism Director | Tuesday, September 06, 2011 1:48 PM
Abby Rike,a former UIL State Champion academic coach, talks about her journey of tragedy and triumph with the UIL staff.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
When former Texas speech, debate and theater teacher Abby Rike shares her story about joining the cast of the Biggest Loser in 2009, she draws more than a few laughs.
“As ya’ll can tell by my accent, I am a nice Southern girl,” she said. “Southern girls don’t stand in their nekkid clothes and tell people their weight.”
For seven weeks, clad in only a sports bra and spandex, Abby swallowed that Southern pride and stood on a huge scale with a five-foot display screen in front of America.
She knew she didn’t have a choice. She desperately wanted her life back.
“I thought if I could get healthy, I could start living again,” she said.
‘Best in Class’ Magazine Highlights Impact of UIL
By Julianne Coyne, Intern | Thursday, September 01, 2011 3:15 PM
When Texas School Business Magazine decided to publish a special summer issue, Editor-in-Chief Jim Walsh knew the issue needed to emphasize the importance of extracurricular activities in students’ lives.
“We wanted to illustrate how artistic expression and athletic achievement often bring out the very best in students — and educators,” editor Katie Ford said.
And the editors knew who to tap to write the articles — Bobby Hawthorne, freelance writer and former UIL academic director.