UIL season is a year-round event for many of the Lindale teams competing. The various UIL teams of the high school spend this time in preparation for district, which takes place in February, through various practices and activities.

“The more students practice on their own and the more after-school practices students attend, the better they perform at meets,” Amanda English, computer applications and science coach, said. “It definitely takes hard work and dedication to advance past district.”

The computer applications and science teams began meeting every Thursday starting at the beginning of October. Some teams practice several times a week, like the literary criticism team, which practices Tuesday and Wednesday after school and Friday morning.

“We start in August reading a novel, a play and a selected poet’s work,” literary criticism coach Penny Snow said. “The hardest part is memorizing all the names, dates and works of the Pulitzer Prize winners for drama, fiction, and poetry, plus the Nobel Prize winners for literature. It is amazing that students can analyze literature and poems on a college level, even though most of the team is only tenth graders.”

One of the most important aspects of preparing for UIL is attending regular practice meets. These take place most Saturdays at schools around the district. At these events, students prepare for their various competitions by taking practice tests like those they will see at competition.

“I went to the Lindale tournament,” sophomore and ready writing competitor Haley Bass said. “It was very good practice because, in ready writing, you have to learn how to write about anything. When competing in Ready Writing, we have two hours to type an expository essay using one of the two quotes were given as a springboard.”