setxsports
07-28-2007, 08:35 PM
UIL, coaches to discuss two critical topics
By Will Wright
The Herald-Zeitung
Published July 28, 2007
The Texas High School Coaches Association’s annual convention begins this weekend with two critical issues up for discussion with University Interscholastic League officials.
The first is the new anabolic steroid testing bill, which was signed into law at the end of the last legislative session and is scheduled to become operational for the 2007-08 school year. The second is the UIL proposal to realign Class 5A football schools into two separate divisions in the next biennial realignment. The UIL wants to gauge reaction from the THSCA’s 16,000 coaches this week.
Smithson Valley coach Larry Hill, the THSCA’s president, deemed both as being the top want-to-know-more topics for coaches as they head into next week’s convention in Fort Worth. The steroid testing program is the big one — simply because a lot of coaches don’t have a clue what’s going to happen when their kids start reporting for workouts in a few weeks.
UIL officials on Monday and Tuesday will address several concerns, ranging from how the UIL will implement the procedures, which company will administer the testing — all the way down to the roles individual schools and districts will play.
“It’s very vague and up in the air right now,” Hill said. “The UIL really has some tough calls to make because the legislature just dumped it into their lap. It’s a mess, it really is, and no one, me included, has any idea of how it’s going to be done. We’re starting practice in a few weeks and I have no clue.
“Who is going to be doing it? Am I going to do it? How are the names of the kids going to be selected? What about a positive test — do we decide what to do about it or are you? What if their parents dispute (the result)? What if they get a lawyer? Does the kid play while all of this is worked out or do we suspend him? What are we going to do about false-positives? Who makes all of these calls?”
Hill personally thinks testing should be delayed until these questions are worked out.
“We’re not afraid of testing, but I’d like to see the nuts and bolts laid out before we just show up and have a mess over something that was largely done as a ceremonial (measure),” he said. “Can they get it together that fast? They haven’t yet.”
New Braunfels is the only area school to have a testing program, which randomly submits students in extra-curricular activities to test for “recreational” drugs and anabolic steroids. New Braunfels coach Chuck Caniford said none of his student-athletes tested positive for steroids under the first year of the Unicorns’ program, which in part is funded by a state grant.
But Caniford has questions, such as how his program will mesh with the state’s.
“I’ve heard that if you already have a steroid testing program, then a kid that’s already been tested by us will work with the state’s testing company to get that documentation,” he said. “But that’s hearsay, and I’m anxious to see how the UIL plans to implement testing in regards to schools that already have a testing program.”
Caniford isn’t against testing, but has questions about the state’s methods.
“I think it’s a good thing, because we already do it. The issue I have is that they’ve just kind of thrown it together,” he said. “I’m sympathetic to the UIL, which has a pretty daunting task to do it within the time they’ve been given. But (lawmakers) haven’t given them the opportunity to do it right.”
Canyon coach Les Davis, whose district doesn’t have a testing program, is taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“It seems like they are still evaluating it and I’m anxious to hear what they say,” Davis said. “We need to get some direction on it. We need to hear more on the process and the procedures. But we’ll do whatever they tell us to do.”
Davis isn’t sure if all can be spelled out by the time his players begin reporting for two-a-days or even by the Cougars’ first game on Aug. 31.
“That still remains to be seen,” he said. “That’s for bigger powers than me to decide.”
By Will Wright
The Herald-Zeitung
Published July 28, 2007
The Texas High School Coaches Association’s annual convention begins this weekend with two critical issues up for discussion with University Interscholastic League officials.
The first is the new anabolic steroid testing bill, which was signed into law at the end of the last legislative session and is scheduled to become operational for the 2007-08 school year. The second is the UIL proposal to realign Class 5A football schools into two separate divisions in the next biennial realignment. The UIL wants to gauge reaction from the THSCA’s 16,000 coaches this week.
Smithson Valley coach Larry Hill, the THSCA’s president, deemed both as being the top want-to-know-more topics for coaches as they head into next week’s convention in Fort Worth. The steroid testing program is the big one — simply because a lot of coaches don’t have a clue what’s going to happen when their kids start reporting for workouts in a few weeks.
UIL officials on Monday and Tuesday will address several concerns, ranging from how the UIL will implement the procedures, which company will administer the testing — all the way down to the roles individual schools and districts will play.
“It’s very vague and up in the air right now,” Hill said. “The UIL really has some tough calls to make because the legislature just dumped it into their lap. It’s a mess, it really is, and no one, me included, has any idea of how it’s going to be done. We’re starting practice in a few weeks and I have no clue.
“Who is going to be doing it? Am I going to do it? How are the names of the kids going to be selected? What about a positive test — do we decide what to do about it or are you? What if their parents dispute (the result)? What if they get a lawyer? Does the kid play while all of this is worked out or do we suspend him? What are we going to do about false-positives? Who makes all of these calls?”
Hill personally thinks testing should be delayed until these questions are worked out.
“We’re not afraid of testing, but I’d like to see the nuts and bolts laid out before we just show up and have a mess over something that was largely done as a ceremonial (measure),” he said. “Can they get it together that fast? They haven’t yet.”
New Braunfels is the only area school to have a testing program, which randomly submits students in extra-curricular activities to test for “recreational” drugs and anabolic steroids. New Braunfels coach Chuck Caniford said none of his student-athletes tested positive for steroids under the first year of the Unicorns’ program, which in part is funded by a state grant.
But Caniford has questions, such as how his program will mesh with the state’s.
“I’ve heard that if you already have a steroid testing program, then a kid that’s already been tested by us will work with the state’s testing company to get that documentation,” he said. “But that’s hearsay, and I’m anxious to see how the UIL plans to implement testing in regards to schools that already have a testing program.”
Caniford isn’t against testing, but has questions about the state’s methods.
“I think it’s a good thing, because we already do it. The issue I have is that they’ve just kind of thrown it together,” he said. “I’m sympathetic to the UIL, which has a pretty daunting task to do it within the time they’ve been given. But (lawmakers) haven’t given them the opportunity to do it right.”
Canyon coach Les Davis, whose district doesn’t have a testing program, is taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“It seems like they are still evaluating it and I’m anxious to hear what they say,” Davis said. “We need to get some direction on it. We need to hear more on the process and the procedures. But we’ll do whatever they tell us to do.”
Davis isn’t sure if all can be spelled out by the time his players begin reporting for two-a-days or even by the Cougars’ first game on Aug. 31.
“That still remains to be seen,” he said. “That’s for bigger powers than me to decide.”