BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — There’s a rise in a new competitive sport and it doesn’t involve any athletic equipment. Competitive barbeque has taken our community by storm, as coaches and students say they’ve seen the sport continue to grow.
- A few schools in our community, including La Vega, Connally and Chilton, have competitive barbecue teams.
- La Vega High School Barbecue Club has seen more students interested in joining the team.
- High school barbecue got its start in Texas at Burnet High School 12 years ago.
- It's grown to seven states and plans to add California and Virginia in the future.
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“It's my senior year, so it's my last year, and I wanted to do some fun and I'm like, I want to learn how to cook," La Vega high school senior Aloria Shaw said.
Shaw is new to barbecue.
"I'm really not good, and this is teaching me," she said. "I like working with other people too, so it's fun, and then it's different grades too.”
She's one of nearly a dozen La Vega students who joined the team this season.
"High school barbecue has grown, probably doubled and tripled every year," Mike Erickson, with the National High School BBQ Association, said.
On Saturday, La Vega High and more than 30 other teams from across the state came out to the Texas BBQ regional qualifier hosted in our community.
It’s La Vega’s second year hosting the competition, and they say this is nearly double the number of teams that came last year.
Another growing team in our area, our neighbors at Chilton High and Junior High, are brand new this season.
"It is a lifelong skill that they can use at any time," Erickson said.
Erickson tells 25 News that high school barbecue got its start in Texas at Burnet High School 12 years ago.
Now, it's grown to seven states and plans to add California and Virginia in the future.
"I think missing today in education is kids need to get outside in fresh air and be kids and have fun," Mike said. "And granted, they're learning all kinds of career and technical skills. They're learning soft skills. They're learning how to adapt and overcome and research and a lot of things about life."
