On Monday, February 1st, Yellow Jackets basketball hosted Cisne for the first game of the season, as well as a WEAA Conference game. In the A-game, Cisne got off to a hot start and led after one quarter 18-7. The second quarter was a draw, as the Yellow Jackets hit some shots but were still down at halftime 30-19. The third quarter was much like the second quarter, but Cisne was up 41-28. In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets could get no closer and fell in defeat 57-44. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets were: Reed Stinson with 16 points, Kollin Kelsey with 13 points, Will Freeland with 5 points, Elliott Acree with 4 points, Chase Gher with 4 points, and Brady Porter with 2 points. The Yellow Jackets are now 0-1 on the season and in the WEAA Conference. Next game is: Thursday, February 4th at home against Grayville. B-game at 6 pm with the A-game to follow.
2021 MT. CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
2021 MT. CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
2021 Mt. Carmel High School Boys Basketball Schedule
District #348 Releases Spectator Policy For Upcoming Sports Seasons
Mt. Carmel High School, Mt. Carmel Junior High, and Mt. Carmel Grade School are excited to announce our IDPH Spectator Policy for all IHSA, IESA, and SIJHSAA extra-curricular events under current IDPH Guidelines.
IHSA Board of Directors Announces Sports Schedule For Remainder Of 2020-21
The IHSA Board of Directors met for a special board meeting on January 27, 2021, where the Board provided an updated sports schedule and other guidance for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
“We understood the high level of anticipation surrounding today’s announcement, along with the scrutiny that will accompany it,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “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. I recognize that many schools and coaches could likely offer a tweak here or there that would have, in their opinion, made it ‘better’ for their school or sport. 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.”
The Board approved the following schedule for the remainder of the school year:
Sport
IDPH Risk
Practices Start
Practice Dates
Before Games
State Series
End Date
Boys/Girls Basketball
Higher
ASAP
7 dates
No State Series
March 13
Boys Swimming & Diving
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
No State Series
March 13
Dance
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
Virtual (2/27 & 3/6)
March 13
Cheerleading
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
Virtual (3/6 & 3/12)
March 13
Boys/Girls Bowling
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
No State Series
March 13
Girls Gymnastics
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
No State Series
March 13
Badminton
Lower
ASAP
7 dates
TBD
April 3
Boys Soccer
Moderate
March 1
7 dates
No State Series
April 17
Football
Higher
March 3
1st Game March 19
No State Series
April 24
Girls Volleyball
Moderate
March 8
7 dates
No State Series
April 24
Boys Gymnastics
Lower
March 15
7 dates
TBD
May 22
Boys/Girls Water Polo
Moderate
March 15
7 dates
TBD
May 29
Baseball
Lower
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Boys/Girls Lacrosse
Higher
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Girls Soccer
Moderate
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Softball
Lower
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Boys Tennis
Lower
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Boys/Girls Track & Field
Lower
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Boys Volleyball
Moderate
April 5
7 dates
TBD
June 19
Wrestling
Higher
April 19
7 dates
No State Series
June 12
The Board wants to do everything in their power to prevent spring sports from going two consecutive years with no postseason IHSA play,” said Anderson. “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.”
With the exception of football, which requires individuals to participate in practice on 12 different days, all sports will be required to hold practice on seven different days prior to holding a contest. Holding multiple practices on a date does not impact that timeline. If student-athletes transition from basketball or boys swimming & diving into football, they will need to participate in practice on 10 different days prior to their first contest. Winter sport contests could begin as early as today, dependent on when a school’s Region reached the appropriate mitigation status and when they began practices.
The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) issued a statement reminding all student-athletes, coaches, and schools on the importance of acclimatization:
"The IHSA SMAC reminds member schools that student-athletes may need additional conditioning in order to participate in a full schedule this season. In addition to season/practice requirements, care needs to be given to each student's individual acclimation as they return to play. When building schedules, attention needs to be given to academic pressure, changes from in-person to remote learning, changes between tiers of mitigation, time spent traveling to events, appropriate time to practice/learn the sport between games, etc. to ensure the student experience truly enhances the academic day."
IHSA guidelines require all student-athletes to participate in masks (with the exception of swimming & diving, gymnasts on an apparatus and outdoor events where social distancing can occur) and for all game personnel not participating in the contest to also wear masks and adhere to social distancing.
“We still have regions of the state that need to make strides in order be able to play basketball this winter,” said Anderson. “That underscores the importance of our schools following all the mitigations and precautions. We need to maintain a positive trajectory not only to get winter sports going, but to make sure we do not have any regions regress before spring and summer sports have their opportunity. We can all do our part by wearing a mask and socially distancing.”
The Board also agreed to consider other participation opportunities for a given sport, like basketball, if the sport is unable to be played in a specific region.
“We have said from day one that if and when we were allowed to play again this year, the situation would be fluid,” said Anderson. “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.”
In October, the Board ruled that students who play sports (football, boys soccer, girls volleyball) that were displaced from their traditional season could participate on high school and non-school teams simultaneously. The Board affirmed this position in Wednesday’s meeting with additional sports moving out of their traditional seasons, and also ruled that girls and boys basketball players will need to cease non-school team participation within seven days of their first high school game.
All sports that are out-of-season can conduct contact days through June 4. Contact days are limited to three days per week per sport with a maximum of six hours of contact per week with no interscholastic competition.
The IHSA Board of Directors issued the following statement on the day’s events:
“Unprecedented circumstances create extraordinary decisions. The IHSA Board of Directors faced one of the most difficult decisions in the Association’s 100-plus year history today. Please know that we did so with great diligence, empathy, and understanding. There were an immense number of factors that went into today’s decisions. We knew there would be obstacles no matter what we decided. Whether those hurdles included overlapping seasons for multi-sport athletes, equity between sports, preseason acclimatization guidelines, the prioritization of spring sports, facility conflicts for schools, officiating, and that is just naming a few. Please know that each potential roadblock was recognized and given consideration. The IHSA membership, like our state, is incredibly large and diverse. Each Board member brought different concerns to the table that impacted their own school or region differently. There was never going to be a one-size fits all solution to playing 25 sports seasons in a little over four months. What did occur was collaboration and camaraderie. Each Board member may not have been able to have all of their specific concerns addressed, but we worked together to produce a schedule and plan that we believe will work for our student-athletes.”
IHSA Expected To Announce Today Status Of Sports Starting Dates
Word is expected to come down today from the Illinois High School Association on when games will begin at the high school level. Mt. Carmel athletic director Kyle Buss told the District #348 school board this week that he’s hopeful all sports at the Hilltop will be able play at least a partial schedule of games beginning next month. The IHSA has said they’ll release a calendar of when the individual sports will start and how many games will be allowed in each sport. Presently, all sports can have contact days.
Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bleyer said now’s not the time to become lax in COVID safety protocols…
Aces Start Basketball Practice Today Following Region 5 Move To Phase 4
Aces boys basketball coach Tyler Buss joined us on today’s Morning Show to talk about the IDPH moving Region 5 into Phase 4 in the Restore Illinois plan and what it means for high school sports.
WSJD File Photo:
The Aces pose with the 2020 Vienna regional championship trophy after beating Massac County last February.
IHSA Information As Regions Shift Back To Tier 2
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on January 15, 2021, that three regions in the state (1, 2, 5) are being rolled back from Tier 3 mitigations to Tier 2 mitigations.
The announcement allows further participation opportunities for IHSA schools located in Regions that are under Tier 2 mitigations.
Below are the allowances in winter sports for IHSA schools located in Regions under Tier 2 mitigations:
WINTER SPORTS FOR SCHOOLS IN TIER 2 REGIONS
Low-Risk Sports: Can begin practice immediately and will begin competition within their geographic region on a future date to be determined by the IHSA Board.
Medium-Risk Sports: There are currently no winter sports categorized as medium-risk.
High-Risk Sports: Team training with no physical contact may begin immediately.
Spring and Summer sports for schools located in regions under Tier 2 mitigations may begin to conduct contact days on Monday, January 25, 2021. All contact days must be conducted under the rules of the IDPH All Sports Policy based on their risk level.
Weight training may be conducted in regions under Tier 2 mitigations as along as social distancing and masks are utilized.
All IHSA athletic activities remain on pause for schools that are located in Regions that remain under Tier 3 or Tier 4 mitigations.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released an updated version of the All Sports Policy. To view it, click here.
The IHSA’s low-risk winter sports include Badminton, Boys Swimming & Diving, Cheerleading, Dance, Boys & Girls Bowling, and Girls Gymnastics.
There are no medium-risk IHSA sports in the winter, while boys & girls basketball are the lone high-risk winter sports.
“This is certainly positive news for three regions of the state, but we still have a long way to go until we get all of our student-athletes back to being active,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “High school student-athletes are hurting from a mental, physical, and emotional standpoint, so we hope this is the first step toward getting that back to some normalcy.”
IDPH data on each Region and its current Tier mitigation status can be reviewed by clicking here.
The IHSA Board of Directors met on Wednesday (January 13) and are scheduled to meet again on January 27. Anderson said that he anticipates the Board will set competition start dates for low-risk winter sports prior to the January 27 meeting.
“We all need to continue to take the mitigations seriously,” said Anderson. “Wear a mask. Socially distance. We need to get these other regions to Tier 2 and cannot risk having others backslide.”
IHSA Athletics Remain On Pause, Contact Days Can Begin Pending IDPH Approval
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, where the Board announced that all IHSA sports not operating under an official IHSA season calendar may begin to conduct contact days as soon as they are allowable per Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) mitigations and local school guidance. Contact days normally exist within the IHSA as informal voluntary offseason workouts.
"The IHSA acknowledges the immense mental, emotional, and physical strain that a lack of contact with school programs is causing Illinois high school student-athletes,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “It is our intention that these contact days provide sport-specific training under the leadership of high school coaches. This is an effort to provide a viable sports option to high school athletes given the growing number of student-athletes opting for higher risk opportunities within the state and across state lines."
Additionally, the Board reviewed several options outlining a sports schedule framework for the remainder of the school year. The Board directed the IHSA staff to take feedback from today’s meeting, as well as any insight gained in the coming weeks, and bring forward viable scheduling options for a special Board meeting on January 27, 2021. The Board will provide an update following that meeting.
Once state leadership allows for low-risk winter sports (Boys & Girls Bowling, Cheerleading, Dance, Girls Gymnastics, Boys Swimming & Diving) to begin participation, those teams will be allowed to begin practice immediately and then continue their season through the season calendar established by the Board later this month.
The IHSA Board of Directors released a joint statement following today’s meeting:
“We realize there is a desire for finality on a sports schedule for 2020-21, however, we did not believe it would be prudent to lock ourselves into a schedule at a time when IHSA schools are unable to conduct any sports. Per Governor Pritzker, we have hope that low-risk sports may be permitted in certain regions of the state as early as this Friday (January 15). With that in mind, February seems like a realistic timeline to have sports resume statewide. We expect that the events of the next two weeks will go a long way toward informing our opinion on which scheduling option we decide to proceed with. We recognize that if no sports have resumed by February, season lengths could be impacted in certain sports, and that we may need to take a longer look at the likelihood of true seasons being conducted in high-risk sports this year. Our overall goal remains unchanged, as we hope to conduct all IHSA sports during the remainder of the school year calendar. Please know that we see and read many of the comments and messages from student-athletes, coaches, and parents, and that we are doing everything we can to try and bring IHSA sports back within the current parameters we are working in.”
The IHSA successfully conducted seasons in golf, girls tennis, cross country, and girls swimming & diving through Sectional competition this fall, but all IHSA sports have been paused since November 20.
“We remain collaborative in our efforts with IDPH and the Governor’s office,” said Anderson. “We are trying to do our part to fight the pandemic, while simultaneously seeking safe participation opportunities for our student-athletes. We understand the real mental toll this pause in athletics is having on Illinois high school student-athletes. We believe that school-based athletic participation is better regulated, making it the safest participation option for our students, and more data continues to emerge supporting that stance. We will continue to share that information with state leadership in hopes that we can work together to provide participation opportunities for young people in our state.”
ACTION
1. The Board approved a recommendation to approve a Return Play Procedure Policy that provides guidance to schools on a progressive action plan for student-athletes returning to athletic participation following a COVID-19 infection. The Policy was crafted by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC). To see the Policy, click here.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has shown great leadership throughout the pandemic in developing plans and procedures to help protect our student-athletes. This latest Return To Play Policy creates an acclimatization plan for student-athletes returning from positive infections, providing much-needed guidance to our schools.”
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the January 13, 2021, agenda:
1. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director Beth Sauser members on the recent NFHS Winter Meeting and Lets Connect Meeting that were conducted virtually in early January.
2. The Board discussed a letter from the East Suburban Catholic Conference regarding eligibility exemptions for student-athletes who transfer out-of-state and then return to their school.
IHSA: Playing All Sports "Increasingly improbable"
Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Executive Director Craig Anderson, members of the IHSA staff, and Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) staff members met virtually with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz, and IDPH Chief of Staff Justin DeWitt on the evening of January 6, 2021.
“We appreciate the dialogue with state leadership and believe it is crucial that it continue moving forward,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “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.”
IHSA and IESA leadership used the meeting to reintroduce recommended mitigations from the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), as well as to seek understanding on any preliminary insight IDPH may have related to the return of interscholastic sports. The IHSA also asked IDPH leadership 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,” said Anderson. “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.”
All IHSA sports remain on pause at the moment. Low risk sports may not begin until the state returns to Phase 4 in the All Sports Policy. The IHSA Board of Directors are scheduled to meet again on January 13.
“Our Board of Directors is going to have difficult decisions to make regarding the seasons’ for medium- and high-risk sports very soon,” said Anderson. “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.”
IHSA Executive Director Statement on the IHSA Board Discussion Update:
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson released the following statement on the IHSA Board of Directors December 2 Discussion Update:
"The IHSA Board of Directors met virtually this morning for an update session, where they discussed several topics, including the timeline of winter sports.
Given Governor Pritzker’s current mitigations, the Board has no expectation of starting low risk winter sports prior to January. The Board and IHSA staff will continue to monitor the Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigation in effect currently. When there is a timeline for the state to emerge from these restrictions, the Board is prepared to restart lower risk winter sports quickly. In addition, the Board hopes to reestablish contact days in January for any winter sports that cannot begin, as well as spring and summer sports. The introduction of the contact days will be based on mitigations from the Governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health at that time. Further guidance on contact days limits will be established at a future Board meeting.
Given its status as a low risk sport, the Board also discussed the possibility of moving the girls badminton season from the spring to the winter. Schools should begin preparing for this possibility as action on this could be decided at the December 14, 2020 Board of Directors meeting.
The Board reiterated that they remain committed to creating as much opportunity as possible for all sports that remain to be played this school year. They intend to evaluate the equity of each season as a potential resumption date in January begins to materialize. The Board appreciates the flexibility displayed by our schools throughout the pandemic, and although they recognize the challenges each modification creates, they continue to ask that schools be adaptable in the New Year. The Board continues to evaluate season start and ending dates depending on when the winter season resumes.
The Board is scheduled to meet again on December 14 at their regularly scheduled December board meeting. The Board will be discussing sports/activities state series, possible adjustments to IHSA By-law 3.022 and 4.022 for semester academic eligibility and the latest information regarding Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigation limits.
The Board and staff have received questions from schools regarding the interpretation of the Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations and the application in use of the weight room and open gyms before and after school. The Board believes that local schools and their districts may interpret the application of this and whether or not their facilities are made available to community members in their district according to the guidance for public health and fitness centers.
To reiterate, the Board has no expectation to begin any winter sports seasons until 2021, but will remain agile in their preparation and willingness to adapt should a window present itself sooner."
IHSA Temporarily Pauses Sports & Activities Under New State Mitigations
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for a special virtual meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2020, where the Board provided an update on winter sports.
To maintain compliance with the most recent mitigations issued by Governor Pritzker that take effect on November 20, the IHSA Board issued guidance to pause all IHSA winter sports and activities by November 20.
“All IHSA sports and activities will cease by November 20 for what we hope is a short-term pause,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Given the rising COVID-19 cases in our state and region, we support the Governor’s mitigations and believe it is imperative for everyone in the state to do their part in following them so that we can return to high school sports participation as soon as possible.”
The Board will revisit the status of winter sports at their update discussion on December 2, and again at their regularly scheduled meeting on December 14 if necessary.
“Taking into account the current state mitigations, the Board believes that early to mid-December will be the most reasonable target to review the status of winter IHSA sports and activities,” said Anderson. “The Board is sensitive to the scheduling difficulties these delays create for athletic directors and coaches. However, our experiences this summer and fall lead us to believe that setting arbitrary start dates hinders the process even more. We realize it may seem redundant, but we have to preach patience as we await more data and direction from the state. Despite the obstacles this unprecedented school year has presented, the Board’s vision to provide participation opportunities in all IHSA sports has not wavered.”
The Board was steadfast in their desire to remind all athletes and athletic programs that adhering to the mitigations is vital to the hopes of safely playing high school sports in Illinois as soon as possible.
“I believe there is a misconception that IHSA and non-school athletic programs have an adversarial relationship,” said Anderson. “In my time at the IHSA, I have not found that to be the case at all. More so, I think there is a mutual respect for the opportunities that each provide for athletes. IHSA schools have been exemplary in adhering to state regulations throughout this pandemic and we are calling upon non-school programs to hold themselves to that same standard. As school and non-school sports temporarily cease in Illinois, and throughout the Midwest, it is a great reminder that putting the health and safety of our fellow citizens at the forefront in the short-term will allow all levels of athletics to thrive in the long-term.”
The Board provided the following participation clarifications to member schools:
Winter Season Start Date: Given the timing of the Governor’s new mitigations, November 16 will not be recognized as the start date of the winter season, regardless of whether winter sport teams conducted any official tryouts or practices. A new start date will be established for each sport once winter sports can be conducted again.
Conditioning & Weight Training: Conditioning and weight training before and after school are paused. Local schools will decide if conditioning and weight training programs that are a part of their academic curriculums continue or are ceased.
Open Gyms: Are paused and cannot be conducted at this time.
Outdoor Workouts: Outdoor workouts may be conducted in any sport in groups of 10 or less with masks and social distancing. Coaches are counted toward the 10. Use of sport-specific equipment is allowable with proper sanitizing practices.
One-on-One Skill Work: Per Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations and with school approval, one-on-one skill work between a coach and student-athlete is permitted for winter sports only, but is limited to one coach and one student-athlete per facility.
Activities: Practices and competitions may only be conducted virtually.
Non-School Participation: All sports organizations in the state, school or non-school, have been directed to abide by the Governor’s mitigations. IHSA coaches cannot organize non-school participation in any fashion. IHSA by-law 3.100 will be in effect once winter sport seasons begin following this pause.
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to modify IHSA By-laws 5.343 and 5.353 for this school year, removing the requirement that dancers and cheerleaders be required to participate on their school’s winter sideline team in order to be eligible to compete in the IHSA State Series.
2. The Board approved a recommendation to dissolve a boys swimming & diving cooperative agreement between Yorkville (HS) and Aurora (IMSA). IMSA is not currently in session.
APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
1. The Board modified the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Lombard (Montini). The student was initially ruled ineligible for not meeting compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections. The student is now eligible immediately after providing new information.
DISCUSSION
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the November 19, 2020, agenda:
1. The Board discussed IHSA eligibility by-laws 3.022 and 4.022. A recent survey of IHSA member schools did not support waiving the by-laws during the second semester of the 2020-21 school year. No further action is expected regarding these by-laws.
2. The Board discussed contact days, voicing support for continuing contact days once the state is out of Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations. This will be reviewed at the December Board meeting.
3. The Board discussed seeking feedback from advisory committees on winter, spring and summer sport season lengths should winter sport seasons be delayed beyond December. This will be reviewed at the December Board meeting.
4. The Board discussed State Series plans for winter sports and activities, as well as winter sport spectator guidelines. Both will be reviewed at the December Board meeting.
IHSA Statement on Governor Pritzker's November 17 Update
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) recognizes that today’s announcement by Governor Pritzker will temporarily pause the IHSA’s winter sports season. We remain optimistic that these new mitigations, coupled with the emergence of a vaccine, will aid in creating participation opportunities in the New Year for IHSA student-athletes in winter, spring, and summer sports. The IHSA Board of Directors will meet as scheduled on November 19, 2020, to continue plotting out potential paths for IHSA sport and activity participation through the remainder of the school year. Although representatives from the Governor’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health will be unable to attend the meeting, today’s updated guidance from Governor Pritzker will aid the Board’s decision-making. We have asked Deputy Governor Ruiz and Dr. Ezike to engage with us in the near future, so that we can collaborate on developing a plan to safely conduct IHSA sports and activities as soon as possible. IHSA schools have been exemplary in adhering to state regulations throughout this pandemic and we hope that non-school programs will hold themselves to the same standard as we all put the long-term health and safety of our fellow citizens ahead of short-term athletic competition.”
Gov. won't be participating in Thursday IHSA meeting
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker was asked Monday if he would be participating in Thursday's meeting with the IHSA. He said "no" and that they've "been pretty clear" about where they stand in regard to winter sports.
As it stands now, those schools choosing to participate in an IHSA basketball season can only have "no-contact practices and trainings." The IHSA is expected to provide further direction Thursday. The Governor says he wants schools to play basketball in the spring.
IHSA Tells Schools To Delay Basketball Practice Until At Least November 19th
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors held a virtual update session on November 11, 2020, to review recent developments related to the IHSA basketball season ahead of the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting on November 19, 2020.
The Board announced that they are formally inviting representatives from Governor Pritzker’s Office and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to attend the IHSA Board meeting on November 19. Additionally, the IHSA will also seek representation at the meeting from the Illinois Principals Association (IPA), the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and a coalition of nearly 200 school superintendents who recently contacted the Governor regarding school sports during the 2020-21 school year.
“The Board hopes to create a dialogue and build a more collaborative relationship with all the entities involved with developing sports policy in our state as everyone tries to navigate the myriad issues caused by the pandemic,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The Board’s decision to move forward with the IHSA basketball season was not meant to be adversarial. It was rooted in a desire to receive more direct communication and data from our state partners. They hope all the groups will see the mutual benefit of increased discourse and be represented at the meeting on November 19.”
The Board also announced that schools who plan to begin basketball practice on November 16 should adhere to the Level 1 mitigations from the IDPH All Sports Policy until at least November 19. The Board cited rising COVID-19 cases in the state and a recent membership survey for this recommendation. The Board plans to provide more direction on basketball practice and games following the meeting on November 19.
The Board revealed that among the 546 schools who responded to the survey (IHSA has 813 member schools), nearly 300 IHSA schools do not plan to start basketball on November 16, and another 212 schools remain unsure of their status.
“The Board recognizes the difficult decisions they have placed on member schools regarding basketball,” said Anderson. “With a limited number of schools set to begin their season on November 16, they believe it is prudent to adhere to IDPH guidance as they work with state officials to gain greater clarity on the metrics and mitigations required to conduct certain high school sports throughout the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.”
Morning Show Interview With Aces Boys Basketball Coach Tyler Buss
Aces boys basketball coach Tyler Buss was our guest on today’s Morning Show to talk about getting the go ahead from the school board last night to start practicing next week….
SIJHSAA Postpones Winter Sports
The SIJHSAA Board of Control held a special meeting Thursday, mainly dealing with the girls and boys basketball situation. As you know the IDPH has moved basketball to a higher risk sport in the Governor's All Sports Policy. This change by the IDPH will not enable schools to participate in this sport at the present time. Governor Pritzker has stated that basketball isn't canceled, its postponed and moved to the spring. In turn the Illinois High School Association has basically stated that the IDPH has ignored the SMAC-IHSA Sport Medicine Committee's Return To Play Guidelines for basketball.
The IHSA has announced that they will follow the SMAC Basktball Guidelines and will not follow the recommendation of the Governor, IDPH, and ISBE. With this situation that is going on between the IHSA and the governor-IDPH-ISBE, the SIJHSAA Board of Control met to give some guidance to its member schools on where we are going with basketball and upcoming winter sports.
A motion was made to postpone all SIJHSAA sports until approved IDPH Return To Play Guidelines are in place. The main concern of the SIJHSAA Board of Control was liability issues that could occur dealing with association insurance and liability issues that could arise for member schools, if participating in violation of IDPH guidelines.
Thus, at this point girls and boys basketball practices set to start on November 16 and contests slated to start on November 30 are presently postponed. If circumstances change, the SIJHSAA will notify member schools of updated information for basketball and other winter sports.
The SIJHSAA will monitor what is occuring concerning basketball and other winter sport activities. The Board of Control will meet again on November 19, 2020 to review these issues.
Greg Hale
Executiver Director
SIJHSAA
Jones Runs Season Best Time At Cross Country Sectional
The Mt. Carmel High School Cross Country season concluded Saturday at the Decatur-St. Teresa Sectional held at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, Illinois. Mt. Carmel was represented by Junior, Gehrig Jones, who was the Aces lone qualifier at the Chrisman Regional. Jones finished 28th in the field of 118 runners, with a season best time of 17:05 over the three mile course.
Due to COVID restrictions no Illinois State Championship will be held, with the Illinois state series concluding with sectional meets.
KALEB APPLEBEY SIGNING NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT
Kaleb Applebey, Senior at Mount Carmel High School, will sign a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for Wabash Valley College. His signing will take place on Wednesday, November 4 at 6:00pm in the Gymnasium at Mount Carmel High School.
Photo Credit: Twitter @applebey7
IHSA Board Acts on Winter Sports at Special Board Meeting
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for a special board meeting on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, where the Board provided the latest information on the IHSA’s winter sports season.
The Board voted to move the sport of wrestling from the winter season to the summer season, which will run from April 19 to June 26, 2021.
The Board approved the IHSA ‘s winter sport guidance for all low risk sports, which includes Boys Swimming & Diving, Cheerleading, Dance, Boys & Girls Bowling, and Girls Gymnastics. These sports will be conducted from November 16, 2020, to February 13, 2021. The mitigating guidance for each sport will be posted on the IHSA’s COVID-19 Resource page on October 29. The IHSA Board will review spectator and group gatherings for all winter sports at a future meeting in November.
In addition, the Board took action to follow the guidance of the IHSA Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and will allow Boys and Girls Basketball to begin practices, per IHSA Return to Activities 2.0, on November 16. Contests can begin on November 30th within an Illinois COIVD Region or within a conference. As a part of the mitigation plan, masks will be worn by all players, coaches, and officials during play. Boys and Girls Basketball teams will follow team limitations allowing a maximum of 31 games. It will become a local school decision to determine if a school will allow their basketball teams to participate following the guidelines developed by the SMAC.
The Board released the following statement regarding the basketball action:
“The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors made the decision today to continue with the IHSA basketball season as scheduled in 2020-21. In August, the Board slated basketball to take place from November to February based on the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) assigning a medium risk level to the sport. The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) offered additional mitigations, such as masks during play and social distancing on benches, that the SMAC believed would allow basketball to be played safely.
The high school basketball season was potentially put on hold on October 27, when Governor Pritzker announced that IDPH had changed basketball’s risk level from medium risk to high risk.
After diligent discussion, the Board has made the decision today to follow the recommendation of the IHSA SMAC as it relates to basketball. The Board remains considerate of rising COVID-19 cases in Illinois and understand the importance of adhering to safety guidelines for the good of all citizens. However, the Board has not been presented any causal evidence that rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play by the IDPH or any other health organization nationally or internationally. On the contrary, the IHSA has been looking to bordering states who have sponsored both medium risk and high risk sports in the fall that have noted a low incident rate of COVID-19 spread.
Instead, we will require all IHSA basketball teams to adhere to those SMAC mitigations, and allow local school officials to make decisions related to participation.
Mounting challenges, from increased mental health issues among our students to a shrinking calendar that limits our ability to move sport seasons this school year, were instrumental in this decision to move forward with basketball as scheduled. We see our students regularly leaving the state to play sports, or covertly continuing to play locally. Students can be better protected in the high school setting, and the Board remains steadfast that playing under IHSA rules and SMAC mitigation is the safest way to conduct athletics at this juncture.
Illinois is a large and diverse state, and the IHSA membership is reflective of that. We understand that this decision will impact each high school and district differently. Some schools who remain in remote learning may not be able to start winter sports on time, and we feel for those in that situation. However, we have also learned that we cannot continue to look down the road to a season that may never come.
Contact days for our teams this fall have been an incredible boon to our students’ well-being. We fear for the mental health of students who attempt to traverse a long winter with no athletic outlet available. So much about dealing with this virus has been learned in the past eight months, and this decision will grant the membership the opportunity to apply that knowledge during their basketball season.
Each member of the IHSA Board volunteered for this position because they are passionate about high school sports and activities, and the positive impact they have on our students’ physical and mental health.”