Despite a lack of female participation in the sport, FWISD opted to add Powerlifting to its roster of varsity sports for the 2017-2018 academic year. As the data table below illustrates the addition of Powerlifting disportionately benefited male students in the District and further increased disparities at schools (except DHJ HS) with considerable gaps (>10%) between female student enrollment and athletic participation.
| fwisd_powerlifting_-_participation_data__thspa_thswpa_.pdf |
| 2017-2018_fwisd_salary_handbook_-_athletic_stipends_-_powerlifting.pdf |
Excerpt from UIL Football Manual 18-19
Power and/or Weight Lifting. Off-season athletes whose schools have an athletic period during the school day may not participate on power lifting teams unless weight training is provided for off-season athletes during the in-school-day athletic period. It would also make it a violation for power lifting teams to be limited to athletes or to be required as part of an athlete’s off-season program.
Power and/or Weight Lifting. Off-season athletes whose schools have an athletic period during the school day may not participate on power lifting teams unless weight training is provided for off-season athletes during the in-school-day athletic period. It would also make it a violation for power lifting teams to be limited to athletes or to be required as part of an athlete’s off-season program.
- A number of member schools have power lifting or weight lifting clubs. These clubs are involved in weight lifting tournaments or contests throughout the academic year. These guidelines are intended to control a problem that now exists as opposed to encouraging or requiring year-round workouts. It is the intent to insure that the use of summer weight rooms is a strictly voluntary activity on the part of any athlete.
- Schools may open weight training facilities for general student body use. Schools may NOT open weight training facilities for members of athletic teams only.
- Supervision of the facility by faculty members is permitted for safety and security purposes. Supervisors may NOT provide specific sport team skills instruction for members of school athletic teams.
- A schedule of when the weight training facility will be open should be publicized. Schools may NOT set a schedule for members of athletic teams to appear at the facility at a particular time or have a sign-in sheet or check-in list for athletes.
- It is permissible to have a supervisor of the facility provide instruction for proper lifting, spotting, care of and placement of weight apparatuses. The supervisor of a facility may NOT require athletes to lift specified amounts of weight or require that they complete prescribed sets.
- Schools may hire a coach or another faculty member to supervise the facility as outlined in #2. This hiring or appointment must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee. Schools may have more than one school employee in a supervisory capacity at any one time.
- Schools may provide a general weight schedule for students but may NOT provide athletes individual workout schedules which require activities to be at specified hours, specify a number of workouts, or designate specified groups of students to be involved at a certain time.
- Weight training schedules provided to students may be sequential. Schedules may NOT be provided that include calendar designations requiring specific days for certain sequential activities such as July 1 upper body, July 2 lower body, etc.
- Students may keep progress charts but shall NOT be required to turn them in to coaches.
- If there is a report of a violation, the burden of proof to the contrary rests with the school or school employee.
- If a large majority of a team is working out together, it could be considered strong evidence that it is a team workout and a possible violation.
- All weight training facility use and policies must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee.