Pritzker Places Restrictions On Youth Sports, IHSA Responds
ILLINOIS — During a coronavirus update Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new restrictions on youth sports in the state — including at the high school level — that will be broken into risk levels depending on the competition. The news came as the Illinois High School Association was meeting to discuss the future of the fall sports season.
In response, the IHSA has decided to move football, boys soccer and girls volleyball from the fall season to spring 2021.
Boys and girls golf, girls tennis, cross-country and girls swimming and diving will remain as fall sports, and can proceed to start on Aug. 10 as scheduled, according to the IHSA. Per Pritzker’s announcement, the IHSA said fall sports will begin with competition limited to conference opponents and other schools in the same general geographical area.
Schools will be provided more details in the coming week about the scheduling limits, and scheduling will continue to be assessed throughout each season.
The condensed 2020-21 season dates will be as follows, according to the IHSA:
Fall (Aug. 10-Oct. 24)
Winter (Nov. 16-Feb. 13)
Spring (Feb. 15-May 1)
Summer (May 3-June 26)
"This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid," IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement. "Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year."
The guidance outlined by Pritzker pertains to all youth and adult recreational sports, including, but not limited to, school-based sports (IHSA and Illinois Elementary School Association), travel clubs, private leagues and clubs, recreational leagues and centers, and park district sports programs. This guidance does not pertain to professional sports leagues or college division level sports.
"Among the incidents that lead to higher rates of community spread, the outbreaks tied to youth sports are particularly troubling," Pritzker said.
The newly released guidance categorizes sports into three risk levels — lower, medium, or higher — based on the amount of contact between athletes and their proximity during play.
Lower risk sports include: archery, badminton, baseball, bass fishing, bowling, climbing, crew, cross-country, cycling, disc golf, scholastic golf, gymnastics, horseback riding, ice skating, ropes courses, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, sideline spirit, skateboarding, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and weightlifting.
Medium risk sports include: basketball, fencing, flag football or 7x7 football, paintball, racquetball, soccer, volleyball, water polo, and wheelchair basketball.
Higher risk sports include: boxing, competitive cheer, competitive dance, football, hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, rugby, ultimate frisbee, and wrestling.
The guidance sets four levels of play allowed based on current public health conditions.
Level 1: only no-contact practices and training are allowed.
Level 2: intra-team scrimmages are allowed with parental consent for minors but there can be no competitive play.
Level 3: intra-conference, intra-EMS-region or intra-league play is allowed and there may be state- or league-championship games allowed for low-risk sports only.
Level 4: tournaments, out-of-conference/league play, and out-of-state play are allowed. Championship games would also be allowed in level 4.
Pritzker said the guidance takes effect Aug. 15. Based on current conditions, lower risk sports can be played at levels 1, 2, and 3. Medium risk sports can be played at levels 1 and 2, and higher risk sports can be played at level 1.
"When the multi-billion dollar sports leagues with multi-million dollar athletes are struggling to protect their players it is obvious there won't be enough protection for kids on our school's playing fields," Pritzker said.
He noted coronavirus outbreaks at sports camps in Lake Zurich and in a softball league in Knox County as examples of how quickly the disease can spread. He also mentioned that the Central Illinois Youth Football League canceled its season over the past weekend.
"I know our hearts break when we hear the word 'restrictions,' especially when it comes to our children's love for their sports. Whether this year is their first time on the court or it's their senior season – this isn't the news anyone wants to hear," Pritzker said. "But with rising rates of spread of the virus, with rising positivity rates throughout Illinois and the United States, this is a situation where the toughest choice is also the safest one."
Related:
No Fall Sports: IL Elementary School Association
Petition To Save Sports Nears Signature Goal
Sports Delayed Until 2021? IHSA Considering The Possibility
Lawyer Sues IHSA On Behalf Of His Kids, Other Student-Athletes
This article originally appeared on the Across Illinois Patch
