UIL REALGINMENT

Klein ISD sports will be seeing some fresh faces next year. It’s time for district realignment, which means for the next two sport seasons, many teams will be leaving the district, and many new teams will be joining them.

The full list of teams leaving includes: Memorial, Northbrook, Spring Woods, Stratford. On the other hand, our full list of new rivals comprises of College Park, Conroe, Klein Cain, Oak Ridge and The Woodlands.

“Every two years the UIL conducts a realignment. This allows them to incorporate new schools (there are five in the Greater Houston area opening next year) into districts,” varsity football coach Shane Hallmark said.

One of the benefits of the new district realignment is Klein Cain will be joining the district to play varsity sports. While some may feel its too soon for them, the Cain kids are excited for the opportunity.

“We are ready to compete even though we are younger athletes. We are just as skilled and athletic as any other varsity programs throughout KISD,” Klein Cain freshman Subhan Syed said.

One of the benefit of the teams coming into the districts is more competitiveness. The new teams coming into the district have a better combined record in every sport than the teams leaving (Memorial, Northbrook, Spring Woods, and Stratford combined to go 10-27 in football alone).

“I think it’s gonna be more competitive for every sport. Conroe [ISD] has a very good athletic reputation. They have good coaches. Their kids are gonna be prepared, so it’s gonna be tough, but they feel the same exact way about us too,” varsity baseball coach Barry Smith said.

New teams mean new rivalries to be formed, or, in some cases, existing rivalries deepen. Volleyball will too see the increased competitiveness incoming, along with one of their biggest rivals, The Woodlands.

“I think new rivalries will start. I know we’ve always had a rivalry with Oak, but we play The Woodlands, including this offseason, and it’ll be a big challenge for them,” volleyball coach Kate Zora said.

However, Coach Hallmark warned not to get too comfortable about the new teams, as he expects the teams to change in the next district realignment two years from now.

“I don’t see any real big impact issues with the new district. It will only be a two-year deal since Conroe ISD will be opening a new school that will be involved in the next realignment. This will give us each five schools and the UIL will not do a ten-team district,” Hallmark said.