2017 State Meeting

[ZebraBear]

Looking to facilitate a general state meeting discussion here. Houston 2017. Thoughts. Comments. Constructive evaluation. Etc. Interested in hearing from those who attended. If you couldn't attend why not?


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[HoustonRef]

The meeting is finally being held in the city with the most playoff experience!!!

[ElvisLives]

Houston also has the most fatal auto accidents, by far, than any other city in Texas.  All either statistic means is that Houston is a big-hiney place.  Not worse or better than anywhere else - just huge and densely populated.  Lots of people love Houston.  Lots of people love communities with just a few hundred people.  There are officials in Odessa, El Paso, Amarillo, Nacogdoches, Tyler, San Antonio, Corpus Christi - you name the town - fully capable of working any level of UIL football - regular season, playoffs, and championship games.  I'm sure it will be a great meeting.  But that could be said of Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, etc.  Wichita Falls had a very good meeting some years ago.  Don't know what playoffs has to do with having the Annual Meeting in Houston (or anywhere else).
Robert

[ZebraBear]

Houston also has the most fatal auto accidents, by far, than any other city in Texas.  All either statistic means is that Houston is a big-hiney place.  Not worse or better than anywhere else - just huge and densely populated.  Lots of people love Houston.  Lots of people love communities with just a few hundred people.  There are officials in Odessa, El Paso, Amarillo, Nacogdoches, Tyler, San Antonio, Corpus Christi - you name the town - fully capable of working any level of UIL football - regular season, playoffs, and championship games.  I'm sure it will be a great meeting.  But that could be said of Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, etc.  Wichita Falls had a very good meeting some years ago.  Don't know what playoffs has to do with having the Annual Meeting in Houston (or anywhere else).
Robert

Amen


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[nvfoa70]

As a member from Houston who attended, a few reflections..

1. I wonder whether holding the meeting in downtown Houston is the most effective approach.  For most Houston members, this entailed driving downtown, paying ($10/$20/more??) for parking each day.  We were located in a small corner of the Convention Center, and virtually nothing else was happening in downtown (no Astros, etc.).  Downtown hotel rates are much higher than in the burbs.  Wouldn't it make much more sense to hold the meeting at a hotel on the west side or north side, closer to opportunities for practice fields/outdoor training venues?

2. The scheduled 2+ hour final session on the rules changes was basically ten minutes of content surrounded by an interminable presentation from Allen (we're close to Dallas!) and a (too) lengthy presentation on Gridiron Heroes.  Admitting that there were very few rules changes, how about touching on last year's rules changes OR most commonly missed TASO test questions OR penalty enforcement (a subject that more than half of TASO members could stand to review!)

3.  I was pleased that we didn't spend money to bring Rogers Redding in for the 10-minute presentation OR to hear his canned previous presentations on replay, 10-second runoffs and other subjects having nothing to do with Texas HS football.

4. Breakout sessions were of mixed quality, often plagued by technical/video problems and delays and poor sound quality.  Anyone hear of a "dry run" before the sessions??

[JasonTX]

I concur with the technical issues with the.  I think every breakout I went to had issues with microphones.  For a venue like that I would have though microphones would have been very seamless.  Then walking downtown we were hit on just about every corner from people begging for spare change.  Sorry man, I got to save my spare change to pay for the high price to park.  Other than that getting away from my neck of the woods and visiting we got the much needed break.  I do add that being in downtown Houston felt like I was in a different country and being a country boy and looking up at the tall buildings was pretty cool.

[first_year_guy]

Many technical issues. Also not sure how the GRB doesn't have wifi.  Presentations were good I guess.  One over the "passing game" was a very broad topic and elementary. 

[HoustonRef]

As a member from Houston who attended, a few reflections..

1. I wonder whether holding the meeting in downtown Houston is the most effective approach.  For most Houston members, this entailed driving downtown, paying ($10/$20/more??) for parking each day.  We were located in a small corner of the Convention Center, and virtually nothing else was happening in downtown (no Astros, etc.).  Downtown hotel rates are much higher than in the burbs.  Wouldn't it make much more sense to hold the meeting at a hotel on the west side or north side, closer to opportunities for practice

People will find anything to complain about. You would probably whine if you lived in Sugar Land and they held it in The Woodlands. The money you spent on parking would have been spent on fuel, unless you're a hybrid kinda guy. It's 10 bucks.

[ETXZebra]

I realize the mechanics changes were minor, but not addressed n the general session. I'm guessing it was covered in 5 & 7 man breakouts?

[ElvisLives]

If you couldn't attend why not?

Didn't attend, but thought about it.  The distance was a big factor this year, along with some family issues.

Back in the 80s-90s, I used to go every year.  Back then, there were only two or three regional clinics, so the Annual Meeting had more value, perhaps, than now.  And it seemed like there was always some 'entertainment' attraction available in the area.  I recall going to a Willie Nelson concert in Austin.  A Rangers game when the meeting was in Fort Worth.  And, there is always the River Walk in San Antonio.
With so many regional clinics now, with one either in everybody's own 'back yard' or in the immediate neighborhood, it can be hard to justify a (one way) 500+ mile trip (driving or flying).
Robert       

[TexDoc]

Aside from the fact my spousal unit had a laundry list of honey get-it-done-or-else, I just didn't want to drive to downtown Houston.  I'm only a couple of hours away, but seeing that it was downtown, I'd rather skip it.  But, the same can be said of many locations around the state, not easy to get to and expensive to park.  Conventions are money generators and the expectation is that people are there to spend money.  We aren't exactly wealthy drug salesmen, so keeping it on the cheaper side sure is nice when it can happen.  Some cities, like San Antonio, are really not good options because they are so expensive on the weekends downtown.  I think TASO has said they are doing away with chapter held rules clinics.  Does anyone have more information as to why or what we will get as a replacement?  Regional state meetings are better idea, just because we have a huge state.  DFW, Austin/SA, Houston, Waco/Temple/Centex, El Paso, Big Country/Panhandle, they could all have a regional meeting.  Several can even be on the same date if we use this thing called the interwebs to project a presenter from a given site. 

State meetings used to be a big deal, but they just don't seem to be that way any longer.  A lot of why a lot of guys went was to visit vendors, but with the web now, you can order what you want and it will be there the next day at a much better price than you find at clinic vendors.  Also, I think there are so many D1 officials now, we just don't chase the points like we used to because we don't need them.

San Marcos has a really nice new convention center with a huge hotel.  There is no cost for parking - in fact not much is within walking distance because it is in a newly developed and sparsely built up area.  There is plenty to do in the area, San Marcos, New Braunfels, Austin if you are brave.  I'd sure like to see a regional clinic held there. 

http://www.toursanmarcos.com/meet/conference-center/the-city-of-san-marcos-conference-center.html

[JasonTX]

... Conventions are money generators and the expectation is that people are there to spend money.  We aren't exactly wealthy drug salesmen, so keeping it on the cheaper side sure is nice when it can happen.  Some cities, like San Antonio, are really not good options because they are so expensive on the weekends downtown.

You could have did some panhandling while there.  I was watching some work the traffic lights and seeing all the people giving them some money.  In just a couple of hours they would be walking away with $200 tax free. 

[Rulesman]

Panhandling is not limited to conventions and large cities. You see it at traffic lights and street corners everywhere, everyday. What's your point?

[JasonTX]

Panhandling is not limited to conventions and large cities. You see it at traffic lights and street corners everywhere, everyday. What's your point?

I was ribbing Doc by giving him a way to recoup some of the expense.  Suggesting that he do some panhandling.

[fencewire]

Chapter type regional rules clinics are still viable in 2018, there was a push to get rid of them but that was tabled.

[TexDoc]

I was ribbing Doc by giving him a way to recoup some of the expense.  Suggesting that he do some panhandling.

There's a fair share of that in Austin on just about every corner with a stop light.  Some get pretty creative with their signs.

[hefnerjm]

There's a fair share of that in Austin on just about every corner with a stop light.  Some get pretty creative with their signs.

The real question for study is whether the witty signs manage to pull in more $ than the bleeding heart signs.

[Archie]

TXDoc hit the nail on the head when he said that State meetings used to be a big deal, but they just don't seem to be that way any longer.

When I first started officiating in 1988, I attended every year ... Arlington, Dallas, Houston, Wichita Falls, El Paso...The presenters were experienced and well-spoken and the sessions really helped me visit with officials from around the state and pick up on good things to add to my game. I specifically remember learning great stuff from Jim Blackwood back when he was participating in the old SFOA meetings. Dick Honig had just worked the prior year's national championship bowl game when he gave a great talk at the El Paso meeting.

Maybe the State meeting importance has been watered down in recent years because of the availability of video and training materials online, and maybe - like Elvis suggests - the regional clinics are easier to attend.  I also get the sense that our more serious "up-and-comers" have decided to spend their time and money attending the onfield clinics put on by Walt Anderson, Harold Mitchell and the guys with the El Paso Camp (where they might get a chance to move up to the collegiate ranks), rather than going to TASO.

[Etref]

I seem to remember a few years ago the mention of doing away with the,State meeting and doing a video presentation along with the regional clinics

[TXMike]

Houston Chapter and TASO Executive office did a great job pulling this year's event together.  The numbers I have heard were really good. Obviously the easily availability for the Houston guys helped the numbers but was still a good showing from most all areas. 

Some great comments above that help explain why the meeting is not as critical as maybe it was in the past.  I am sure they will make their way to the BOD and may help guide the future  direction. 

[psv]

The main reasons I didnt attend:

1) I got the educational requirements from my local regional clinic.

2) Didnt feel that there would be the "bang for the buck" being downtown and dealing with the expenses of being downtown (that holds true for downtown SA/Austin/DFW as well).

[hefnerjm]

The main reasons I didnt attend:

2) Didnt feel that there would be the "bang for the buck" being downtown and dealing with the expenses of being downtown (that holds true for downtown SA/Austin/DFW as well).

If it hadnt been my daughter's birthday weekend, I would probably only have gone if I drove there and back on the same day.  I really liked something I saw from DFW on the chapter arranging a charter bus to go/return on the same day.  That is a huge value add, and certainly helps to defray much of the costs associated with attending.