Sports lookback: how soccer got its start in UIL and in Dripping

Dripping Springs, like most public schools, falls under the auspices of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) for extracurricular activities including sports. Presently, Dripping Springs is participating in 26 UIL-sponsored sports and several outside. Track was the first UIL sport in 1911 and tennis was next in 1914. The process for each sport and school has been about the same. To institute a sport, schools would petition to have the sport included. The UIL would then have to vote to accept. It could be limited to the size of the school or all schools depending on the sport. Generally, it works the same way for individual schools. A group of interested patrons push to have the school install the sport into the curriculum. The school board and the athletic department has to look into the particulars such as interest, cost, facilities and feasibility at the time. If it works out then the sport is added to the curriculum.

Soccer was one of those sports that went through the process. The UIL did not start sponsoring soccer until 1983 and then it was only for Class 5A schools (the highest classification at the time). If any classes below that wanted to have a team they had to join a 5A district. Few teams made that jump. Dripping Springs actually got a jump on the UIL. In 1979-80, the district got a new superintendent, Jeffrey K. Lindsey. He was a soccer enthusiast and talked up soccer. So much so that a team was formed and a teacher, Larry LeCompte, served as their coach. They joined a league in Austin that played at Zilker Park. First year was a learning curve as they went 0-7. The next year they improved to 6-2. However, 1981 was the year of the split with Lake Travis and when the superintendent left, so did soccer. In 1987- 89, a group of outsiders thought soccer would be a good off-season sport for football and formed a soccer team that faded after two years.

There was interest in having a soccer team but the school was not interested in jumping classifications to play. Finally the opportunity took place when it became known that Dripping Springs was moving up to 4A in 1998-99 and the UIL was installing soccer for 4A. DS prepared for the onset by forming an intramuraltype program headed up by Steve Krupp. They played games among themselves as well as matching up with other schools. However, when it came time to name the first ever coach, George Hamilton, the volleyball coach, was chosen. There was no girls team in that first year but girls did play on the boys team.

It took a few years before DSISD started hiring soccer intense coaches to handle the teams. Brandon McCallum (girls) and Brian Ormande (boys) gave the programs stability and they have never had to look back. McCallum took the girls to state in 2008 and Ormande did likewise with the boys in 2010. For the past four years, Bailee Perrine and Josh Hill have been in charge. Perrine took the girls to the pinnacle, winning state this year and Hill was within an eyelash of making it to state as well.

In the 22 years the soccer program has been established the girls have captured 11 district championships and made the playoffs another five times. Their overall record is 327-142-42. The boys had 8 district championships and 10 other playoffs. Their overall record is 328-144-61.

If you are interested in more information concerning stats, scores and records for soccer or any of the other sports that Dripping Springs plays, you can access them by looking up the DSISD school website, clicking on Athletics icon and then clicking on DSHS Athletic Records. You are there and have fun.