El Campo families who host exchange students are pushing back after the UIL moved to block foreign students from playing varsity sports. The rule still needs state approval, but locals say it would strip visiting teens of a key way to fit into small-town Texas life. One host mom says sports help students like Belgian senior Matteo Nyssen make friends and adjust quickly. Area athletic directors argue the ban punishes genuine exchange programs, noting far bigger issues come from open-enrollment transfers, not visiting students.