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TAIAO stands for Texas Association of Independent Athletic Organizations.
Public schools play in UIL (University Interscholastic League) and most private schools play in TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools). Since UIL and TAPPS govern the vast majority of school sports, they set the standard for rules and regulations. Neither allows homeschool organizations to be members, but there are options. TAIAO is one of the three Texas leagues that accommodate homeschool organizations and is the largest of those. BVCHEA is a member organization of TAIAO.
TAIAO is not a homeschool league. It is a blend of smaller private schools, charter schools, and homeschool organizations.
BVCHEA joined TAIAO in 2017. Prior to that, BVCHEA was a member of TCAL. Around that time, TCAL was experiencing some turmoil and losing its members due to other leagues not allowing their teams to play TCAL opponents.
1. Postseason Play: TAIAO offers a state playoff (football) and an end-of-year state tournament (other sports). This is an exciting way to finish the season for players and coaches. 2. Legitimacy and Accountability: Being in a league such as TAIAO offers assurance to opponents that BVCHEA operates under very similar rules and policies. TAIAO organizations do not have to create and maintain their own rules.
There is a small financial cost of being in TAIAO. The fees go toward postseason events and TAIAO operational costs. TAIAO organizations are also expected to self-enforce the TAIAO rules, so there is some administrative work the coaches, volunteers, and board members have to do to meet that expectation.
TAIAO administration, along with the help of sports committees made up of volunteers from member organizations, determines how the postseason will work for each sport.
TAIAO welcomes anyone from its member organizations to be on its committees. TAIAO conducts a summer meeting, where voting takes place on rules and other agenda items. BVCHEA is typically represented on these committees and at the summer meeting, where we contribute input and work toward making TAIAO better. TAIAO is far from perfect, but if we help bring forward solutions and put in the work, we and our fellow member organizations can help TAIAO continue to grow and provide amazing opportunities for our youth.
Like public and private schools, BVCHEA is focused on local competition and league postseason (state playoffs/tournament). TAIAO postseason competitions are in-state, offer a good level of competition, and are more convenient for families.
However, BVCHEA does not rule out the option for our teams to compete in national competitions. The decision to travel out of state is highly dependent on coach and player/family interest and is not mandatory. Traveling out of state is a big ask for some of our families, so participation in these activities is optional. National tournaments also have rules that could exclude BVCHEA athletes, and the dates/travel time of such tournaments can overlap other sports/activities. Those factors must be considered as well.