Summer Strength and Conditioning Program Regulations

For years now, select schools have opted out of using school coaches to run their summer strength and conditioning program. Instead, these schools choose to have fitness companies, such as Performance Course, run their summer strength and conditioning program for them. Schools that have a tradition of winning championships, such as Southlake Carroll, Aledo, and Stephenville, have begun to choose this method of summer strength and conditioning camps.1 This blog will discuss the rules and regulations set forth in The UIL Constitution and Contest Rules regarding summer strength programs and the regulations on use of fitness companies such as Performance Course.

The UIL Constitution and Contest Rules

Summer Strength and Conditioning Programs Regulations

 Dave Ryan/The Enterprise Photo: http://tinyurl.com/q2kkllj

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is the governing organization of interschool competition in Texas. The UIL Constitution and Contest Rules (CCR) are the official rules that govern all UIL-sponsored activities. The Constitution and Contest Rules spell out all rules applying to summer strength and conditioning camps in Chapter 2, Subchapter C, Section 1206, Subsection h. This part of the constitution provides the rules and regulations under which summer strength and conditioning are to be subject to. All school districts, superintendents, principals, and coaches are to abide by the UIL CCR.

Rules and Regulations

Under the CCR, school coaches are allowed to provide their students and athletes with a summer strength and conditioning program. This is the traditional way most schools and districts provide summer strength and conditioning programs. Summer strength and conditioning programs that are conducted by school coaches are restricted by many rules. According to the UIL CRR Summer strength and conditioning programs may be conducted by school coaches under the following conditions:

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  Sessions may be conducted by school coaches only on Monday through Thursday for six weeks during summer vacation until the second Monday in August and shall be no more than two consecutive hours per day.2
• A student shall attend only one two hour school coach workout session per day. Sessions conducted by school coaches shall include only students who are incoming seventh graders or above.2
• Sessions shall include only strength and conditioning instruction and exercises. No sport specific skill instruction is allowed.2
• Sports specific equipment such as balls, dummies, spacer dummies, sleds, and contact equipment is not allowed.2
• Specific groupings of athletes by sport or position is also not allowed.2
• Attendance shall be voluntary, not mandatory. Attendance records shall be kept, however students shall not be required or allowed to make up missed days.2
• Fees, if any, shall be established and approved by the superintendent and collected by the school.  Fees shall be paid by the students and/or their parents. Any payment for conducting strength and conditioning sessions to school coaches who instruct students from their attendance zone shall be from the school and no other source.2
• The penalties for violating the summer conditioning and fitness program set of rules and regulations could include: reprimand; public reprimand; forfeiture of contest; disqualification from germane activity; and suspension.2

Fitness Company Regulations

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There were no sections in the CCR that specifically targeted outside fitness companies conducting a summer strength and conditioning program at a school's facilities. There was however, a small section on the UIL website under the Summer Strength and Conditioning FAQs page where it did mention outside groups. Within this section it states that a school may allow outside groups to conduct strength and conditioning sessions.3 This section also states that outside groups or individuals may hire school coaches to conduct strength and conditioning programs for students from the coaches' attendance zone provided they comply with the guidelines regarding limits on time, equipment, fees, and payment. The most interesting part that this section stated was that an outside organization that does not utilize school coaches in any manner, with the exception of facility supervision, could continue to provide their program past the second Monday in August.3 This section also states that if a school coach at any point is involved in working with the students from their own attendance zone as part of this program, the program must end on the second Monday and follow the established guidelines of the Legislative Council.3

References

1 Performance Course Production (n.d.). Performance Course. Retrieved June 26, 2014, from performancecourse.com: www.performancecourse.com

2 University Interscholastic League. (2015). Constitution and Contest Rules (105th ed.). Austin, Tx

3 UIL. (2015, July 24). Summer Strength and Conditioning FAQS. Retrieved from UIL: http://www.uiltexas.org/athletics/summer-strength-conditioning/faq