Txdrummer2

A little history if you will into the contest vs football game situation in CISD. I’ll preface by saying I’m an alum of both TWHS and TWCP (I was part of the split). I’m also a current HS band director in TX, so I can give a bit of perspective on that side of things as well. It’s been 12 years so some details may not be 100%. I believe it was 2006, but it may have been 2007. TWHS was still in the old cycle of going to the State UIL marching contest on Tuesday, getting home at 2-3 AM on Wednesday, then getting on a plane and flying to Indy for Grand Nationals that afternoon. In 2007 they again went to GN in order to separate the State year from a GN year (but that is besides the point). So in 2006, I want to say that the band missed 3 football games, and if not 3, then it was for sure 2. I can not remember what games it were and all, but I remember that they missed for at least Area (since Region marching in Region 9 is held on a Tuesday) and then they missed for another contest (likely the Houston regional which was at Pearland before the days of Woodforest). I want to say that that year GN fell on the last week of UIL FB games in Texas (or at the very least it was playoffs) so they missed that game as well. All the CISD schools had at least 2 (sometimes 3) Saturday games because there were 5 teams playing at one stadium, and all the teams sans Caney Creek were in the same FB district. Anyways. After marching and FB season were over Conroe ISD instituted a new Policy (School Districts love policies) that said a schools marching band could only miss a game if they were attending a UIL activity. At the time TWHS FB program was a powerhouse (three years prior they lost to North Shore in the State game) so I’m sure booster and community members complained. This policy has been in place ever since and many schools, not just TWHS, have missed finals at various contest because of it. I think it was changed to allow a band to miss a game excluding UIL contest, but only with permission from the Superintendent, hence the reason they were able to miss a game every year for GN and such. Interestingly enough, both TWCP and TWHS missed a Saturday game the following year when they played each other and both bands were at the Super Regional. I’m thinking now that they policy was put in place in 2007. Again, was a long time ago. Anyways, regardless of what year it was the outcome was the same CISD admin decided that the Bands were missing too many games and put in a new policy to limit that. At the end of the day, directors have to follow what they admin says, and as much as all of us here like to think that band is the top priority, FB is still king. I’m glad that TWHS was able to convince their admin to let them attend the contest, but look for this to keep happening more and more. CISD has 4 teams in one stadium again and Kline has multiple schools using the same stadiums as well. With those districts splitting a FB district be prepared to see this again.