The University Interscholastic League had meetings this past Tuesday at the Austin Marriott North in Round Rock.
One of the discussions was between the UIL and the Texas High School Coaches Association, centering on coaching 7-on-7 football.
Currently, high school football coaches are not allowed to mentor their own teams during state qualifying tournaments.
On Memorial Day weekend, Bowie participated in a 7-on-7 tournament at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.
Many of Bowie’s coaches were present, but they had to sit in an area beyond the end zone of one of the practice fields.
The UIL’s Legislative Council’s athletic committee formed a subcommittee to study whether it would be feasible or not for high school coaches to instruct their own athletes during the offseason in some form.
Seven-on-seven football is growing. Travel teams are the latest fad, and some of them are even trekking to other states for 7-on-7 competitions.
Both the UIL and coaches’ association are on the same page in one aspect. There are so-called “street agents” taking over, and college coaches are turning to them – rather than the high school coach – for information.
It’s another sign, to me, that recruiting is getting out of control.
There are questions about whether this would work or not, and UIL athletic director Susan Elza offered her opinion in a Houston Chronicle June 13 edition.
“You open those types of things up,” she said. “How will it affect basketball? How will it affect baseball, softball, soccer, etc.?”
High school coaches are currently not allowed to instruct their teams in offseason events, such as two weeks ago when Bowie traveled to a summer festival in Cache, Okla.
This week at Bowie’s girls’ summer league, Brady Fenoglio – Trystin Fenoglio’s father – coached the Nocona girls.
Meanwhile, Kamryn Cantwell coached the Lady Rabbits, and the team went over plays amongst themselves.
Brad Breeze, whose son Cade plays on the team, has been summer league coach for Nocona’s boys for several years. Read more from this column in the June 17 Bowie News.

Editor’s Note: The Storm Center column is the expressed written views of sports editor Eric Viccaro and not The Bowie News.

Brady Fenoglio, father of Trystin Fenoglio, instructs the Nocona High School varsity girls’ basketball team during Bowie Summer League on Tuesday. High school coaches currently are not allowed to coach their own teams in the off-season, and parents have traditionally stepped in to that role. (News photo by Eric Viccaro)