If you are against the expansion of private schools being part of Texas state high school UIL extracurricular activities, now is the time to vote NO to SB 1214.

There are three things you can do...
First, you need to contact your State Legislators. We have tried to make it as easy as we can for you. AssistantCoach Systems has donated a website tool to make it easy for anyone in Texas to send emails to their State Representative. We urge you to go to this website now and spend 2 minutes to add your name to the list of those who oppose the legislation. You can get to this tool by clicking on this link: https://secure.assistantcoach.net/poe/ This website also allows you to view the bill and it's impact.

You can also act by calling your Representative and/or sending a handwritten note.You can visit the THSCA website for a complete list of Representatives and their contact information. To Find out who your State Representative is http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

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The promoters of SB 1214 continually state that they are trying “to ensure fair competition,” and will require that all schools “meet all UIL rules.” These statements seem hardly feasible, considering that private schools must recruit to exist. They operate on the premise that a prospective student must choose to attend their school over a public school. This requires that they promote themselves and encourage the transition to their school environment over another one. The idea that a private school could function solely within residency restrictions that are applied to public schools is unreasonable to assume. Private schools can be selective on their admittance and therefore do not have to accept enrollment of the learning disabled, physically disabled, behaviorally challenged or financially challenged. Private schools can adopt their own rules regarding their student population and that power can provide unlimited flexibility within the mandates enforced by the UIL, and it gives the private schools the unfair advantage of creating a select environment of first-class students and athletes.

In addition, all Texas parents have access to free and accredited public education. That is and should be guaranteed for all children in the state of Texas. If parents choose to enroll their children in a private school, they are doing so for personal reasons; they are consciously and deliberately making a choice to forego the public school system. If they want their children to participate in UIL activities, it is there and available for them in our public schools. If other factors outweigh that option, that is fine, it is their choice.

Are you scared of competing against private schools? I don't get it.

The concern is that a public high school has to limit its' players to the kids that reside inside their boundaries. A private school can recruit players from the entire region and waive the tuition....If they have the money, they can create powerhouse teams.

whyme wrote:The concern is that a public high school has to limit its' players to the kids that reside inside their boundaries. A private school can recruit players from the entire region and waive the tuition....If they have the money, they can create powerhouse teams.

I don't think too many private schools care about their soccer program except for the 1 that already is in UIL. If they give out scholarships it will be for football not soccer.

Other than soccer and golf, in which sports has Jesuit won the a 5-A state title? Do you think that Athletic Directors fear Jesuit, Prestonwood Christian, Trinity Christian, St. Marks, Bishop Lynch, and John Paul II in football, basketball, and baseball?

I could see it, maybe, making a difference in basketball, because rosters are smaller. But, this will have very little impact on football, which is all these AD's care about. .


- Jesuit Class of 93

it is an unfair advantadge and private schools have given out "needs" based scholorships to kids who have just happened to be exceptional athletes. The time to stop it is now, not after they have come in and dominated your sport of choice. Yes basketball would be the perfect one because of the small roster.

Most could not hack the academics. Athletes in private schools still have to make the grades...

go99 wrote:it is an unfair advantadge and private schools have given out "needs" based scholorships to kids who have just happened to be exceptional athletes. The time to stop it is now, not after they have come in and dominated your sport of choice. Yes basketball would be the perfect one because of the small roster.

What a idiot. Show us the way. Name 1, not a dozen, but 1 kid that was given a scholarship because of his athletic abilities. Enlighten us.

whyme wrote:The concern is that a public high school has to limit its' players to the kids that reside inside their boundaries.

You are incorrect. Any parent can petition to have their kid admitted to any school and will be let in. Happens every year. I know several who have done it. Besides, the parents can just move into the district they want their kid to play sports and get around that rule.

Rightback wrote:Most could not hack the academics. Athletes in private schools still have to make the grades...

BS plain and simple. I grew up near some of the best private schools in the northeast. The regular students(if that is what you call the privledged wealthy) all went to Ivy league colleges. BUT,,, every year they brought in 5th year seniors who needed to get their grades up to get into college. Just by coincidence these kids were easily the best in their sports. Most were dumb as a box of rocks. I am sure that in many schools here it is the same or worse. After all everything is bigger in Texas

my2cents wrote:

Rightback wrote:Most could not hack the academics. Athletes in private schools still have to make the grades...

BS plain and simple. I grew up near some of the best private schools in the northeast. The regular students(if that is what you call the privledged wealthy) all went to Ivy league colleges. BUT,,, every year they brought in 5th year seniors who needed to get their grades up to get into college. Just by coincidence these kids were easily the best in their sports. Most were dumb as a box of rocks. I am sure that in many schools here it is the same or worse. After all everything is bigger in Texas

Yeah and you knew this for a fact because you went to the private school, yes?

soccergrinder wrote:

whyme wrote:The concern is that a public high school has to limit its' players to the kids that reside inside their boundaries.

You are incorrect. Any parent can petition to have their kid admitted to any school and will be let in. Happens every year. I know several who have done it. Besides, the parents can just move into the district they want their kid to play sports and get around that rule.

Not exactly. Technically UIL has rules against moves for athletic purposes. If you choose to call BS on this then ask Southlake what happened to their QB just before the season started.

I will say that a few people do this and can get around the rule by lying but the reality is that you can't move just to have your kid playing on a school's sports team.

soccergrinder wrote:

go99 wrote:it is an unfair advantadge and private schools have given out "needs" based scholorships to kids who have just happened to be exceptional athletes. The time to stop it is now, not after they have come in and dominated your sport of choice. Yes basketball would be the perfect one because of the small roster.

What a idiot. Show us the way. Name 1, not a dozen, but 1 kid that was given a scholarship because of his athletic abilities. Enlighten us.

Sorry axegrinder I do personally know a kid that was offered a scholorship to a private school and no I am not going to name them. Also I believe a couple of kids from the original FCD academy team where on needs based scholorships to private schools and they had to leave the academy program. I am sure it was a mere coincedence that the kid who needed the scholorship also just so happened to be really good at soccer. And judging by the threads from this board or the old TM I am not the only one with stories of scholorshiping. No whether I name them or not or even if they exist or not scholorships can be given to a private school and used to attract talent the same is not true for public schools. you are on a roll, but I am sure there is a lesson in there about glass houses somewhere

txsnowman wrote:

soccergrinder wrote:

whyme wrote:The concern is that a public high school has to limit its' players to the kids that reside inside their boundaries.

You are incorrect. Any parent can petition to have their kid admitted to any school and will be let in. Happens every year. I know several who have done it. Besides, the parents can just move into the district they want their kid to play sports and get around that rule.

Not exactly. Technically UIL has rules against moves for athletic purposes. If you choose to call BS on this then ask Southlake what happened to their QB just before the season started.

I will say that a few people do this and can get around the rule by lying but the reality is that you can't move just to have your kid playing on a school's sports team.

I remeber the story. They moved from oklahoma I believe so he could play at southlake. He got caught and was not allowed to play

my2cents wrote:

Rightback wrote:Most could not hack the academics. Athletes in private schools still have to make the grades...

BS plain and simple. I grew up near some of the best private schools in the northeast. The regular students(if that is what you call the privledged wealthy) all went to Ivy league colleges. BUT,,, every year they brought in 5th year seniors who needed to get their grades up to get into college. Just by coincidence these kids were easily the best in their sports. Most were dumb as a box of rocks. I am sure that in many schools here it is the same or worse. After all everything is bigger in Texas

Your post is BS. The academics and admissions requirements are much harder in private school. You can be Michael Jordan on the basketball court, but if you don't have the grades and test scores, you aren't getting in. And once you are in, you have to be able to keep up or you aren't staying long. I have never seen a kid get into a private school based on athletics. Maybe it happens in other parts of the country but I have never seen it in this area. Unless you can give specific examples, I call BS.

Why are we assuming the "michael jordan" has to be an idiot. Just because the kid can play a sport doesn't mean he is too stupid to get in, it could just be a financial issue and cannot afford the tuition.

Ok right. It happens in an area of the country where athletic coaches get a 5 or 10 grand extra to coach football or hoops after teaching a full load of classes but it does not happen where football coaches make 100g to do nothing but coach and not teach a single class. Ok

my2cents wrote:Ok right. It happens in an area of the country where athletic coaches get a 5 or 10 grand extra to coach football or hoops after teaching a full load of classes but it does not happen where football coaches make 100g to do nothing but coach and not teach a single class. Ok

Which Dallas private school pays the coach 100k?

my2cents wrote:Ok right. It happens in an area of the country where athletic coaches get a 5 or 10 grand extra to coach football or hoops after teaching a full load of classes but it does not happen where football coaches make 100g to do nothing but coach and not teach a single class. Ok

You are talking out of your as*. Give me some specifics. Do you know the requirements to get into private school? I can tell you have no idea what you are talking about. Educate yourself on the matter before you throw out a bunch of crap that makes no sense. If you think some stud athlete with bad grades is going to magically get into private school with his bad grades, you are wrong.

I disagree vote YES, it's about time UIL opens play to Private schools like most other states do. I attended Cental Catholic in San Antonio, Texas. That year we beat New Braunfels ranked #3 (USA) and lost to 15-13 Austin McCallen ranked 7 in the country;(Darrell Royal son was playing on this team....and we put the ball four times in the endzone with interference each play, but no call from the Refs as time ran out.)in Austin of course.

Dallas Jusuit and Houston Strake decide to play in UIL and they are doing fine....so it about time other join the wagon.

FCdad wrote:

my2cents wrote:Ok right. It happens in an area of the country where athletic coaches get a 5 or 10 grand extra to coach football or hoops after teaching a full load of classes but it does not happen where football coaches make 100g to do nothing but coach and not teach a single class. Ok

You are talking out of your as*. Give me some specifics. Do you know the requirements to get into private school? I can tell you have no idea what you are talking about. Educate yourself on the matter before you throw out a bunch of crap that makes no sense. If you think some stud athlete with bad grades is going to magically get into private school with his bad grades, you are wrong.

Not all stud athletes have bad grades

go99 wrote:
Sorry axegrinder I do personally know a kid that was offered a scholorship to a private school and no I am not going to name them. Also I believe a couple of kids from the original FCD academy team where on needs based scholorships to private schools and they had to leave the academy program. I am sure it was a mere coincedence that the kid who needed the scholorship also just so happened to be really good at soccer. And judging by the threads from this board or the old TM I am not the only one with stories of scholorshiping. No whether I name them or not or even if they exist or not scholorships can be given to a private school and used to attract talent the same is not true for public schools. you are on a roll, but I am sure there is a lesson in there about glass houses somewhere

This is fact!

To answer the original question , no they should not be allowed in. It will just cause more inequity in th UIL. You already have where afluent districts such as 5A Carroll and 4A Aledo are perienial powerhouses in many sports because of the ability of upper middle class incomes allow people to move there for the sports program. I suppose that does not happen either and I need to prove that too . And Jesuit does not attract the best of the affluent club players either. Yeah OK The ability to have players from any district makes for 2 different set of rules thus is inherently unfair.

my2cents wrote:To answer the original question , no they should not be allowed in. It will just cause more inequity in th UIL. You already have where afluent districts such as 5A Carroll and 4A Aledo are perienial powerhouses in many sports because of the ability of upper middle class incomes allow people to move there for the sports program. I suppose that does not happen either and I need to prove that too . And Jesuit does not attract the best of the affluent club players either. Yeah OK The ability to have players from any district makes for 2 different set of rules thus is inherently unfair.

Southlake Carroll is a public school. They are good because those kids focus on sports and their parents can send them to the best camps and get private training for them. Is it fair? no but thats life.
Some of those south Dallas basketball teams have had kids play for them that didn't live in their district. You don't have to be a rich school to cheat.
Your chance of getting a full athletic scholarship is much greater by playing at a 5A school rather than a small private school.
I detect a lot of bitterness from you toward private schools. Keep in mind, that some of these private schools are also religious schools.
If a kid and their family don't live a christian lifestyle, they will not get in.

go99 wrote:

FCdad wrote:

my2cents wrote:Ok right. It happens in an area of the country where athletic coaches get a 5 or 10 grand extra to coach football or hoops after teaching a full load of classes but it does not happen where football coaches make 100g to do nothing but coach and not teach a single class. Ok

You are talking out of your as*. Give me some specifics. Do you know the requirements to get into private school? I can tell you have no idea what you are talking about. Educate yourself on the matter before you throw out a bunch of crap that makes no sense. If you think some stud athlete with bad grades is going to magically get into private school with his bad grades, you are wrong.

Not all stud athletes have bad grades

Of course not. Show me right now where I said that.
The other poster is implying that they can just take any stud athlete and put them into a private school. That's only possible if their grades and test scores are very high. 80% of public school students don't have the grades or academic ability to keep up in private school, therefore you can eliminate at least 80% of the stud athletes.

In my high school, we had a stud football player who got his high school degree and he literally couldn't read. That would never happen in a private school.

ontherightside wrote:Whoa, FCDad. That was completely out of line.

What is out of line?

ontherightside wrote:Making insinuations/accusations about 2cents religious faith or lack thereof - "you and your family"

Are you kidding me? When I said "You and your family" I was talking about the general public, not anyone specifically. I could care less about 2cents religious beliefs.
My point was that when you apply to a private christian school, they check your background, they interview your family, they talk to your pastor, you have to provide references, and you have to study the bible at school. This is in addition to the testing requirements required at the non-religious private schools.
I just think it's ridiculous when people say that private schools will start recruiting all of the stud athletes if they become part of UIL.