Strength and Conditioning Regulations (Summer and Off-Season)

Off-Season Strength and Conditioning Instruction During School Year

Off-Season Regulations

Section 1206 (h) of the UIL C&CR

• Strength & Conditioning instruction sessions may be conducted by school coaches for students in grades 7-12 from that coach’s attendance zone starting the first day of school. This is for sports in the off-season only.
  • A strength and conditioning session shall be no more than one hour per day outside the school day, Monday through Friday, and a student shall attend no more than one session of supervised instruction per day.
  • Sport specific skill instruction is prohibited during the strength and conditioning session.
  • Sports specific equipment (balls, dummies, sleds, contact equipment) is prohibited during the strength and conditioning session.
  • School shirts, shorts and shoes may be provided by the school (local school option).
• Sport Specific Skill Instruction – During the school year, there is no sport specific skill instructions allowed for off-season sports, outside of the school day.

Off-Season Strength and Conditioning FAQs

May a coach make off-season strength and conditioning sessions mandatory for athletes who are not participating in another sport currently in season?

Yes, a school or coach may choose to make strength and conditioning sessions mandatory for athletes who are not currently participating in another sport.

May a coach make off-season strength and conditioning sessions mandatory for athletes who are in-season for another team sport?

No, a coach may not require an athlete who is in-season in another team sport attend off-season strength and conditioning workouts.

May a coach make off-season strength and conditioning sessions mandatory for athletes who are in-season for an individual sport?

Yes, but students may not attend an off-season workout on the day of an in-season competition.

May a student athlete who is in-season for a team sport attend with an off-season strength and conditioning session outside of the school day for another team sport with the approval of the in-season sport’s coach

If the in-season coach allows athletes to attend an off-season strength and conditioning session, the 60 minutes would count towards their allotted 8 hours of practice outside the school day for the school week.

 

Summer Strength and Conditioning Program and Sport Specific Skill Instruction Regulations

Summer Strength and Conditioning Program and Sport Specific Skill Instruction Regulations - Updated for Summer 2024

Section 1206 (h) of the UIL C&CR 

Limitations: Sessions for both strength & conditioning and sport specific skill instruction may be conducted by school coaches for students in grades 7-12 from that coache's attendance zone with a start and ending date set forth by the UIL calendar.

• Sessions may be conducted by school coaches only in the given time frame.
• A strength and conditioning session shall be no more than two hours per day, Monday through Friday, and a student shall attend no more than one session per day.
• Sport specific skill instruction may be conducted in addition to the strength and conditioning session(s), and a student shall attend no more than 90 minutes per day of sport specific skill instruction with no more than 60 minutes per day in a given sport, Monday through Friday.

Activities Allowed:

• Strength and conditioning sessions shall include only strength and conditioning instruction and exercises.
• No specific sports skills shall be taught and no specific sports equipment, such as balls, dummies, sleds, contact equipment, etc., shall be used.
• Sport specific skill sessions may include specific sports equipment.
• Contact equipment (restricted equipment) is not allowed.
• School shorts, shirts and shoes may be provided by the school (local school option).
• Sport specific skill instruction does not have to precede or immediately follow a strength and conditioning session.
• Sport specific skill instruction does not allow for a school coach to instruct student-athletes in his attendance zone in grades 7-12 in non-school activities.

Attendance: Attendance shall be voluntary and not required in order to try out for or participate in any UIL activity.

• Attendance records shall be kept, however, students shall not be required or allowed to make up missed days or workouts.

Fees: Fees, if any, shall be established by the superintendent and collected by the school.

• Any payment to coaches shall be from the school and from no other source.

Important dates for coaches, athletes, and parents pertaining to Section 1206 (h) of the UIL C&CR:

Beginning Date for Summer Strength/Conditioning Programs and Sport Specific Skill Instruction

• Sessions may be conducted by school coaches starting on Monday of the first week school is not in session. Sessions may be conducted only on Monday through Friday.

Ending Date for Summer Strength/Conditioning Programs and Sport Specific Skill Instruction

• Junior High (incoming 7th and 8th grade) – Programs may run up to the day prior to the first day of school.
• High School (incoming 9th grade through 12th grade) – Programs may run up to the day prior to the first day of school or the first day of the sports season, whichever is earlier. For athletes that participate in a sport that may start prior to the first day of school (football, volleyball, tennis, & cross country), those athletes may not attend a summer strength/conditioning program or sport specific skill session in any sport once their sport season has begun.

Dead Dates – There are NO Dead Dates for 2024

Summer Strength/Conditioning Programs FAQs

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In what activities are school coaches allowed to give instruction during these summer strength and conditioning sessions?

Weight training, including a specific workout plan for each individual, agility, running programs, plyometrics, running bleachers and other conditioning exercises. Note: all Covid-19 guidelines concerning social distancing must be followed.

May a school allow outside groups to conduct strength and conditioning sessions?

Yes, outside groups may conduct summer strength & conditioning.

May outside groups or individuals hire school coaches to conduct strength and conditioning programs for students from the coaches' attendance zone?

Yes, provided they comply with the limits on time, equipment, fees, payment, etc.

May school coaches be paid for conducting these summer strength and conditioning sessions?

Yes, if payment is provided by the school and no other source.

May school booster clubs pay coaches for conducting summer strength and conditioning?

No. However, school booster clubs may provide funds to the school to offset expenses associated with school sponsored strength and conditioning programs.

May school booster clubs pay fees for an individual athlete to participate in a school sponsored summer strength and conditioning program?

No. However, a school booster club could provide funds to the local school to help offset the cost of the program for the school. Funds are not to be specified for any particular athlete or group of athletes.

May schools waive or reduce fees for strength and conditioning programs sponsored by the school?

Yes, The Texas Education Code requires school districts to adopt procedures for waiving fees charged for participation if a student is unable to pay the fee, and the procedures must be made known to the public. Fees for all other students shall be paid by the students and/or their parents.

Who determines what fees, if any, are to be charged to the student?

The school superintendent.

Are students required to have a physical on file with the school district in order to participate in the summer strength and conditioning program?

Yes, students are required to have a current physical on file.

Are schools allowed to use school district transportation to transport students to summer strength and conditioning?

Yes, students who are currently enrolled may be transported.

Sport Specific Instruction FAQs

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May the sport specific skill instruction session be conducted in addition to the strength and conditioning session.

Yes

May school equipment be used during the sport specific skill sessions?

Yes. NOTE: For football, restricted equipment (contact equipment) is prohibited, and all COVID-19 guidelines must be followed. Restricted and Non-Restricted Football Equipment

Are schools allowed to use school district transportation to transport students to sport specific instrution?

Yes, students who are currently enrolled may be transported.

May school coaches be paid for conducting sport specific sessions?

Yes, if payment is provided by the school and no other source.

Are students required to have a physical on file with the school district in order to participate in the sport specific instrution?

Yes, students are required to have a current physical on file.

Can the football coach conduct a session with an athlete for 30 minutes and the basketball coach conduct a session for another 30 minutes?

Yes, an athlete may attend up to 90 minutes of sport specific skill instruction per day in addition to the strength and conditioning session. However, A student-athlete shall only attend a maximum of 60 minutes per day of sport specific training in a given sport.

May a student receive 60 minutes of instruction from the basketball coach, and an additional 60 minutes of instruction from the volleyball coach in the same day?

No, each student is allowed a maximum of 90 minutes per day of sport specific skill instruction.

Is a school coach limited to 90 minutes of sport specific instruction per day?

No, a school coach is not limited to 90 minutes of instruction per day, however each student is limited to 90 minutes of sport specific instruction per day with a maximum of one hour in any given sport.

Does the sport specific skill instruction session have to immediately follow the strength and conditioning session?

No, the sport specific skill session may be held at a time determined by the school coach.

Can a school coach instruct a student in grades 7-12 in his attendance zone during a summer league basketball game, 7 on 7 game, etc?

No, school coaches may not give instruction at non-school events.

May incoming 7th graders (students who just finished 6th grade) participate in sport specific skill training?

Yes, incoming 7th grade through 12th grade students may participate.