Darren Kinnard
Section618.com
CHICAGO — Just a day before the IHSA was scheduled to announce guidance for its winter sports seasons, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced changes to the All Sports Policy, putting a “hold” on the upcoming basketball and wrestling seasons.
The Governor announced the changes Tuesday afternoon. From his Facebook post, he said “As with sports in the fall, nothing is ‘cancelled,’ just put on hold until we’re through the thick of this pandemic. We adapt as we learn — that has been our mantra throughout this pandemic, as is true in every other facet of life. 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. But this virus remains dangerous and deadly to kids, parents and grandparents, and this is the best thing we can do for the health and safety of our families.”
In addition to being put on hold, the policy update includes moving basketball from the Medium to Higher Risk category–a move that would prevent not only games from being played, but would move it back to no-contact practices.
While the IDPH has moved basketball up a level of risk, it also has on the main page of its All Sports Policy that basketball could be considered low risk if the mitigation of 6-foot social distance on the bench is met. The IDPH is not consistent in the verbiage used in its update, saying the mitigation of 6-foot social distance on the bench can “lower the risk”.
There is no change in wrestling’s status, as it has been in the Higher Risk category from the start.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the IHSA released a statement from Executive Director Craig Anderson: “About 15 minutes prior to Governor Pritzker’s press conference today, we were alerted that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has elevated the sport of basketball from a medium risk level to a high risk level. We remain considerate of the recent rise in positive COVID-19 cases in our state. However, in our meeting with IDPH on Friday (October 23), we felt that we presented multiple options that would allow for basketball to be conducted safely by IHSA schools this winter, many of which are being utilized in neighboring states who plan to play high school basketball. Despite that setback, there is some positive news, as IDPH accepted the IHSA’s mitigations related to other sports, including cheerleading and dance, allowing them to move from a medium risk level to a low risk level. We will hold our special Board of Directors meeting on October 28 as scheduled, where our Board will provide direction on the other winter sports, as well as discuss the IHSA sports schedule for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.”
At last week’s Board of Directors meeting, the IHSA said it expected to get guidance from the IDPH this week and scheduled a special meeting Wednesday, October 28 to finalize the winter plans. You may remember, Governor JB Pritzker and the IDPH rolled out the All Sports Policy back in late July, just hours before the IHSA was scheduled to announce its plans for the 2020-21 school year. IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said at the time they were not made aware of the specifics of the new policy. They were also unaware the Governor was going to make an announcement, which actually came during their special Board of Directors meeting.
The lack of consistency from the IDPH isn’t limited to basketball. Volleyball, which is listed in the Medium Risk category, can be considered Low Risk if teams “maintain distance of at least 6 feet between players on each side of net and on the bench; clean and sanitize shared equipment.” The updated page says the mitigation can “lower risk the risk.”
The IDPH moved competitive cheerleading and competitive dance to the lower risk category. That being said, the guidance says the cheerleading will be low risk if “Minimize contact between participants by maintaining at least 6 feet of distancing on the floor during routines, including when changing formations, and by prohibiting lifts, stunts, pyramids, and tosses as well as shared equipment (e.g., signs, flags, poms). Dance will be low risk if “Minimize contact between dancers by maintaining at least 6 feet of distance (i.e., spacing) on the floor during routines, including when changing formations, and by prohibiting lifts and stunts and shared equipment (e.g., poms).
There is only general guidance on masks, other than the Governor’s release today which said the move to Lower Risk for cheerleading and dance could only happen “if masking and distance was enforced.: “Wearing face coverings or masks, including during competition, may further reduce the transmission of disease and is recommended for all sports below where face coverings do not unduly interfere with participation.” The question here is how and who defines what is “unduly”?
The All Sports Policy “pertains to all youth and adult recreational sports, including, but not limited to, school-based sports (high school and elementary school), travel clubs, private leagues and clubs, recreational leagues
and centers, and park district sports programs.”