Henderson Joins Athletic Staff

By Stephanie Ramirez | Wednesday, April 15, 2009 1:13 PM

The University Interscholastic League’s ebsite says that its purpose “aims to provide healthy, character building, educational activities carried out under rules providing for good sportsmanship and fair play for all participants.” 

Sheila Henderson, the newest assistant athletic director for the UIL, says her philosophy for her work goes hand in hand with this goal.

A native Texan, Henderson received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Texas at Austin, which she has used throughout her career in the Austin area. After a year of working for Taylor ISD, Henderson moved to Austin’s Bowie High School in 1988 where she remained until 2002 when she became the assistant athletic director for Austin ISD.

In February 2009, Henderson made another career change and joined the UIL staff where she is now in charge of girls’ basketball, softball, and co-coordinating track and field with Traci Neeley, a former Round Rock ISD assistant athletic director and now fellow assistant athletic director for the League.

Henderson has continued her education over the last couple years and will complete her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Concordia University in May 2009.

While at the UIL, Henderson said her goal is to make sure students continue to pursue excellence while providing the best services possible for them. She also said it was important to her to be able to continue to provide opportunities for women athletes.

“Most importantly, I want to make sure there’s an understanding that although we work in the sports department, there needs to be a strong partnership with academics, which is part of what makes the UIL so important,” Henderson said. “I want our students to excel in both athletics and academics and realize that there is a partnership available that needs to be built between the two.”