San Marcos Academy will rejoin TAPPS for the 2016-2017 school year.
TAPPS: Enhanced Fine Arts, Academic Opportunities
For the past two years, SMA has participated in TCAL, the Texas Christian Athletic League, winning state championships during that time in girls basketball, football, tennis (two years) and swimming. However, in order to enhance the opportunities for students to participate in fine arts and academic competitions, SMA has rejoined the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
One of the benefits of TAPPS membership will be fewer long bus trips for athletes. A number of TCAL games were scheduled in Houston or Bryan, whereas the TAPPS schedule will keep our players closer to the San Marcos/Austin/San Antonio area. The larger pool of teams in TAPPS will also allow coaches to generate a more traditional district schedule for most sports as well as the potential for a district and regional playoff system prior to state.
TAPPS Alignment for Football, Volleyball
In 11-man football, SMA has been placed in TAPPS Division II, District 5 with Austin Brentwood, Boerne Geneva School, Hallettsville Sacred Heart, San Antonio St. Gerard, Shiner St. Paul Catholic and Schertz John Paul II. In volleyball, SMA falls in the TAPPS 4-A District 4 alignment with Austin Brentwood, Austin San Juan Diego, Austin TSD, Boerne Geneva, Marble Falls Faith Academy, Round Rock Concordia Academy and Schertz John Paul II. To track the district placement for other sports, visit the alignments page on the TAPPS website.
In Fine Arts/academics, TAPPS students will have opportunities to compete in categories such as cheer, dance, drumline, one-act play, vocal music band music, string music, speech, LD Debate, art, social studies, literary criticism, spelling, math and more.
TAPPS History
Chartered in 1978, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) serves to “organize, stimulate, encourage and promote the academic, athletic and fine arts programs in an effort to foster a spirit of fair play, good fellowship, true sportsmanship and wholesome competition for boys and girls,” according to their website. Twelve of the 20 charter member schools are still active in the organization, which now includes 230 Texas private schools with a combined enrollment of more than 40,000 students. SMA was one of the league’s charter members in 1978. In their mission statement, TAPPS commits to “building leadership, fellowship, fair play and sportsmanship of students enrolled in the organization’s member schools in the areas of academics, athletics and fine arts by providing wholesome competition for young men and women.”
Over the years, SMA has participated in several different leagues, including the Texas Preparatory League, Southwest Academic League, Texas Christian Athletic League, and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.