You might not have actually heard your name called, but if you have a former UIL competitor attending UT Austin who received a Texas Interscholastic League Foundation (TILF) scholarship, you could be one of the many coaches who received heartfelt thanks
for making a real difference in a student’s life. Each year we have a dinner for TILF recipients at the three universities with the largest number of scholarship students, and it’s always a pleasure to hear these young people share UIL experiences and say thanks to the donors who provide the scholarships, and quite often to the academic coaches they credit with making their success possible.
The ‘flavor’ at these dinners reflects the unique characteristics of the respective campuses and their student bodies, so what you hear from UT Austin, Texas A&M and Texas Tech students is distinctly different.
But what they say about their UIL participation is not.
Common themes are what they discovered or learned about themselves through competition, how much they enjoyed the competitive element and the rivalries with their peers, how much they appreciate the support, encouragement and friendship of adult coaches, the good times they had and the friends they made – and often still keep in touch with.
It’s a great tribute to what you do as a UIL coach or coordinator and a vivid reminder of why you do it. For the kids.
We’ve recently posted on the academic Web page a short video that includes similar testimony from former UIL competitors, so you can see for yourself what I mean.
Another video focuses on what coaches and administrators say about the benefits of UIL academic competition for students, educators and the entire school community.
These clips were developed with grant funding, and we hope you find them useful in recruiting new competitors and academic coaches or in garnering additional support for your academic program, if that’s what you need.
Be sure and read Jeanne Acton’s column in this Leaguer for important information about the TILF scholarship program you can share with your students.
Academic District Meets
You may or may not have had your district meet by the time you read this, but whenever it is scheduled, we hope your meet goes smoothly and that your students give their very best efforts. And that regardless of the final outcome, they feel successful in what they have accomplished and what they’ve learned through preparation and practice.
Coordinators, remember to do an eligibility check before both district and regional competition. When you submit your school’s district entry online, you are certifying for your administration that those students are eligible. And you’ll need to verify that all those who qualify for the regional meet are eligible at that time, as well.
If substitutions must be made, anyone not listed on the original entry, as either a contestant or alternate, must present certification, signed by an administrator, that they are eligible to compete. A substitute form is posted on the UIL academic Web page, but a letter signed by an administrator is also acceptable.
After the end of the second district week, every coordinator should go back to the Web site to check for wild card results. We will post the tentative list of advancing wildcard teams, but we won’t contact schools directly.
Updates….
Due to the changes in the 2006-07 calendar, which resulted from revisions in the original TEA schedule for TAKS tests, several regional sites have had to make significant changes in rooms and/or personnel, among other challenges. Several OAP venues have changed, and the AA- Region II meet hosted by Hardin-Simmons University has been moved to Abilene High School, including OAP and all academic events.
Those attending the AAAA-Region II meet at the University of North Texas in Denton will be in town the same weekend as the NASCAR race at the Motor Speedway, so getting hotel rooms early is essential. Gina Howell, the regional director, has done a wonderful job of contacting hotels in the vicinity, and that information is posted on our Web site under the link for regional site information. UNT also has other major activities on campus that weekend, so you’ll need to allow plenty of time for traffic delays and parking. Please plan accordingly and make sure your students are on time for roll call for their events.
Everyone should carefully read the handbook for your regional meet, which we post as we receive them, and be certain you are aware of times and locations of all events, verification and awards.
The 11th annual Capital Conference will be Friday and Saturday, July 6-7 at UT Austin. Participants must register online at http://utdirect. utexas.edu/uilconf. Cost is $50 until June 1, and $75 after June 1.
It’s a great way to get ready for the next academic year, so we hope to see you there. Presenters and workshop titles will be posted as they are finalized. We’ll have many of the state contest directors presenting, along with several long-time favorites and plenty of new faces. If you are interested in presenting or helping to present a session, please contact me.
The 2007 Student Activities Conferences dates for 2007 are now set. We’ll be hosting at Texas Tech, the University of North Texas, UT Austin and Sam Houston State University. Choose the one closest to you, and bring your students, academic coaches, theatre directors and journalism advisors for a great day of UIL preparation. The conferences are fun, free and an excellent opportunity to get ready for the competitive year.
The Academic Committee of the UIL Legislative Council will meet June 12 in Austin to consider rules change proposals for academic contests. If you would like to submit a rule change, please keep that date in mind and send us the proposal no later than June 5th, as materials are sent to committee members prior to the meeting. Items passed by the committee are then considered by the full Council in October.