Illinois High School Association and Illinois Elementary School Association leaders met with Deputy Gov. Jesse Ruiz and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike on Wednesday evening via Zoom.
The IHSA asked the IDPH to “review the risk levels of all remaining sports, with consideration for lowering some sports from their current risk levels.”
“We believe that there is both data and science that validates the idea that we can safely conduct sports,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said. “We have seen it work in other states and believe it can in Illinois if we utilize the mitigations provided by IDPH and the IHSA SMAC. Students are already leaving or participating out-of-state on weekends. We believe that competing for their high school remains the safest venue for participation.”
Sports remain on pause, but according to a source the IHSA reps were told that if any of the state’s regions move to Tier 2 COVID-19 mitigations that some practices would be allowed, including volleyball. Basketball is currently classified as high-risk sport so no practices would be allowed even if regions move down to Tier 2.
“We appreciate the dialogue with state leadership and believe it is crucial that it continue moving forward,” Anderson said. “We understand that the state faces shifting priorities as it continues to fight the pandemic, while also beginning the distribution of the vaccine. There was no expectation that a single meeting would resolve all our questions. However, we believe that collaboration with state officials is vital for the IHSA to be able to develop an informed plan for the 300,000-plus student-athletes and over 800 high schools that encompass the Association.”
Regions need to have less than 12 percent test positivity for three consecutive days and have more than 20 percent of ICU and hospital beds available to move to Tier 2. COVID-19 hospitalizations mush also have declined in seven of the last 10 days.
It’s odd that the IHSA’s leaders, including Anderson, ended up meeting with representatives from the Governor’s office and the IDPH on the same day Anderson sent an email to athletic directors around the state asking them to pressure their local representatives into asking for exactly such a meeting. But maybe the move worked.
The IHSA’s board has its regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 13.
“Our Board of Directors is going to have difficult decisions to make regarding the seasons’ for medium- and high-risk sports very soon,” Anderson said. “With no specific IDPH timeline or statistical benchmarks established for the return of sports and the calendar shrinking, putting together a puzzle that allows for all sports to be played becomes increasingly improbable. We continue to urge all residents of our state to be diligent in their efforts to adhere to safety guidelines, as a lower positivity rate remains the key to athletics returning.”
