IHSA allows basketball, football among other sports to finally commence
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (BVM) — The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on all levels of sports over the past year. High school sports in particular have felt the brunt, and athletes, coaches and families in the state of Illinois are all too familiar.
Last March, the IHSA was forced to cancel its boys basketball state tournament. But that was just the start. A month later, all state tournaments in spring sports would be canceled as well. In July, football, girls volleyball and boys soccer were all postponed to the spring 2021 season.
Although girls swimming and tennis, boys and girls cross country, and boys and girls golf went on this fall, there were no state tournaments and Covid created a bit of a limited feel to competition. However, it still gave athletes the chance to compete. Thankfully, it appears athletes in all sports will have that chance as we head through the remainder of winter and spring.
Last month, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced changes to its COVID-19 guidelines regarding IHSA sports. Most notably, any state regions that reached Phase 4 of Illinois’ COVID-19 mitigations were allowed to play any sport, even those regarded as high-risk.
This means that in those regions, sports such as football, basketball, lacrosse and wrestling can commence.
To be in Phase 4, regions must have a less than 6.5% positive test rate for three days consecutively, hospital and ICU beds need to have a greater than 20% availability for three days in a row, and there can not be an increase in Covid patients in the hospital for seven to 10 days.
While not all regions within the state were at this point during last month’s announcement, all have made it to Phase 4 since, meaning sports can begin anywhere in the state.
For those who have been in Phase 4 prior to this week, basketball can and has begun, with the IHSA requiring seven days of practice before official games are played. The same is required for other winter sports that will be played in Illinois, including boys swimming and diving, dance, cheerleading, boys and girls bowling, girls gymnastics, and badminton.
The downside of the newly released IHSA schedule is that state tournaments will not be held for winter sports outside of dance and cheerleading which will have virtual competitions. Winter sports are also scheduled to already end by March 13.
Meanwhile, boys soccer and football can begin practice at the beginning of March, with football’s first week slated for March 19. No state competition is planned for these sports or girls volleyball as well. But state tournaments for other spring sports — including boys gymnastics, boys and girls water polo, baseball, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, softball, boys tennis, boys and girls track and field, and boys volleyball — are still to be determined.
“The Board wants to do everything in their power to prevent spring sports from going two consecutive years with no postseason IHSA play,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement on Jan. 27. “There are obviously no guarantees, as risk levels by sport and local region mitigation statuses will factor significantly. Postseason could mean being limited to a regional or sectional level of competition, but we have not ruled out the idea of playing a full state tournament in these traditional spring sports if possible. The overwhelming feedback we have heard from athletic directors and coaches was that returning to play in all sports should be the main goal.”
Wrestling, which was moved to a summer sport last year, will begin on April 19, also finishing without a state series.
The IHSA will require all student-athletes to wear masks during competition, outside of scenarios such as swimming and diving, or competing outside with social distancing enforced.
While things still aren’t perfect during a circumstance that has made it impossible to be, Anderson believes the IHSA and state have done the best job they could to keep everyone safe, and thinks the recent announcement is a step in the right direction.
“We understood the high level of anticipation surrounding today’s announcement, along with the scrutiny that will accompany it,” Anderson continued in his statement. “Ultimately, the Board adhered to its stated goals throughout the pandemic: providing an opportunity for every IHSA student-athlete to compete safely this year and maximizing opportunities for traditional IHSA spring sports after they lost their entire season a year ago … Our Board faced an impossible task with a litany of factors. They were conscientious in considering every possibility and I believe their decisions today are a positive step for the mental, emotional and physical well-being of our students. We are excited to channel our energy into creating as many positive experiences for Illinois high school students as we can between now and the end of this extraordinary school year.”
Of course, with the fluidity of the pandemic, there is a chance some schools may end up not being able to compete during certain times of the year, which is something Anderson also addressed.
“We have said from day one that if and when we were allowed to play again this year, the situation would be fluid,” Anderson continued. “We don’t feel great about the notion of some schools falling behind based on their region’s status, but also recognize that we are running out of time and can’t afford to hold back the regions that can play.”
It’s a difficult situation for the state and the IHSA alike, as the ultimate goal is to keep everyone safe. Things still won’t be how they used to — and likely won’t be for a bit yet — but high school athletes in Illinois now have something to look forward to as the state and IHSA continue to move in a positive direction.
