2021 Spring Golden Aces Football Schedule:
Yellow Jackets 8th Graders Honored
Yellow Jackets Boys Basketball is proud to recognize the five 8th grade boys on the team this year. They are:
Chase Gher - Son of Ashli Gher and the late Chuck Gher
Kollin Kelsey - Son of Willis and Beth Kelsey
Alex McGinnis - Son of Kevin and Amber McGinnis
Reed Stinson - Son of Bill and Gayla Stinson
Mark Vaupel - Son of Dustin and Candi Vaupel
Chase Gher - Son of Ashli Gher and the late Chuck Gher
Kollin Kelsey - Son of Willis and Beth Kelsey
Alex McGinnis - Son of Kevin and Amber McGinnis
Reed Stinson - Son of Bill and Gayla Stinson
Mark Vaupel - Son of Dustin and Candi Vaupel
Jackets Beat Red Hill On 8th Grade Night
On Thursday, February 25th, Yellow Jackets Basketball hosted Red Hill for an A-game only on 8th Grade Night. After one quarter of play, the Yellow Jackets led 10-7. At halftime, the Yellow Jackets held a 19-14 lead. After three quarters and little burst at the end of the quarter, the Yellow Jackets led 19-14. With two minutes left in the game, the Yellow Jackets held a 14-point lead and subbed out the 8th grade players. The final score on the night showed the Yellow Jackets defeating Red Hill by the the score of 38-32. After a rough beginning to the week, the Yellow Jackets played well tonight in spurts. Layups and free throws are still a thorn in our side, as the Yellow Jackets were 7-21 from the free throw line. But, a win is a win, especially on 8th grade night. The Yellow Jackets are now 2-3 on the season. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Reed Stinson with 16 points, Kollin Kelsey with 10 points, Chase Gher with 7 points, and Elliott Acree with 5 points.
Next up: Home against West Salem on Monday, March 1st. C-game begins at 5:15 pm.
Yellow Jackets Lose On Road At New Hope
On Monday, February 22nd, Yellow Jackets basketball played a game for the first time in two weeks. The Yellow Jackets traveled to New Hope and in the C-game Jordan Freeland scored two points. The C-team is 0-1 on the season. In the B-game, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 12-0 lead, but New Hope stormed back in the second quarter. The Yellow Jackets led at halftime 12-10. In the second half, New Hope outscored the Yellow Jackets by six points and the final score ended up with New Hope winning 24-20. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Brady Porter with 6 points, Elliott Acree with 5 points, Kasen Dulgar with 3 points, Brendan Bowser with 3 points, Will Freeland with 2 points, and Cameron Kolb with 1 point. The B-team is now 1-1.
In the A-game, New Hope jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Yellow Jackets just couldn't buy a basket on this night. The final score ended up with New Hope winning the game 45-24. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Elliott Acree with 7 points, Kollin Kelsey with 4 points, Brendan Bowser with 4 points, Chase Gher with 4 points, Reed Stinson with 3 points, and Will Freeland with 2 points. The A-team is now 1-2 on the season.
Next up: Yellow Jackets will play at Mt. Carmel on Tuesday, February 23rd with the B-game at 6 pm.
Yellow Jackets Fall At Mt. Carmel
On Tuesday, February 23rd, Yellow Jackets basketball played at county rival Mt. Carmel. In the B-game, the Yellow Jackets found themselves down 15-6 at halftime. But, with a big 3rd quarter, managed to get it to within four points at 20-16. Not much scoring from either ballclub in the 4th quarter and the final ended up with Mt. Carmel winning 22-17. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Will Freeland had 8 points, Brendan Bowser with 4 points, Elliott Acree with 2 points, Brady Porter with 2 points, Cameron Kolb with 1 point. The B-team is now 1-2 on the season.
In the A-game, it was nip and tuck for three quarters as Mt. Carmel led after one quarter 9-8, at halftime they led 19-16, and led after three quarters 25-22. The game was tied at 25 each early in the fourth quarter, but Mt. Carmel then went on a 9-2 run to win the game 34-27. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Kollin Kelsey with 11 points, Elliott Acree with 10 points, Reed Stinson with 2 points, Chase Gher with 2 points, and Will Freeland with 2 points. The A-team is now 1-3 on the season.
Next up: Thursday, February 25th at home against Red Hill. This will be an A-game only to start at 6:00 pm. It will also be 8th grade recognition night prior to tip-off.
Peach And Hart Named To Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall Of Fame
Two Mt. Carmel coaching legends will be inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The IHSFCA has announced that Darren Peach and John Hart will join 7 others in the Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Mt. Carmel is the only school Peach coached, where he became the Aces’ all-time wins leader. In addition to Mt. Carmel, Hart’s Illinois coaching stops included Edwards County and Huntley. He is currently the head coach at Brownsburg, IN.
WSJD File Photo: 10/19/19.
John Hart (L) and Darren Peach (R) pose with former Aces coach Larry Lockhart at the 100th anniversary celebration of Golden Aces football.
WVC bass team signs Calen Banks of Herod
Wabash Valley College's bass coach, Todd Gill, is excited to announce the signing of Calen Banks for the 2021–2022 collegiate bass season. Banks signed on Wednesday evening, Jan. 20.
Calen is the son of Bradley and Loni Banks of Herod, Ill. He is a senior at Hardin County High School and will be competing on the U.S.A. Bassin Circuit this coming season with Drew Fromm of Harrisburg, Ill. Banks' most notable finish was a high school tournament on the Ohio River where he finished third out of 43 boats. Banks and Fromm have also recorded several other top-10 finishes. Calen plans to study ag business in college and is excited about his opportunity to be a part of the Wabash Valley College bass team.
Those interested in learning more about WVC’s bass team can visit www.wvcwarriorathletics.com, click on Club Teams and select Bass Fishing. High school juniors and seniors interested in a campus visit can fill out the recruiting questionnaire and Coach Gill will contact them to discuss the team and schedule a campus visit.
You can also keep up with WVC bass team news by following them on Facebook @WVC Bass Team and on Instagram @wvcbassteam.
WVC introduces Asst. Women's Soccer Coach Savannah Stoughton
Wabash Valley College would like to introduce the newest member of its athletics team— Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach Savannah Stoughton.
Born and raised in Rohnert Park, CA, Stoughton attended High Point University in High Point, NC, where she majored in French and Francophone Studies and double minored in Computer Science and Business Administration.
She has played soccer since age 3 and started playing competitively at age 9 for Santa Rosa United, where she played in the Elite Clubs National League until college. In college, she played 4 years of NCAA Division 1 soccer at High Point, where her team won a Big South Conference tournament and earned an appearance at the NCAA tournament. Post-grad, Stoughton played a short stint for Bergerac Perigord FC in Bergerac, France when she was living there to teach English.
Stoughton learned about the position at Wabash while playing in a co-ed soccer tournament where she met girls who play for the team currently. When those students returned to campus, they connected her with Coach Harris as he was actively looking for an assistant coach.
“Coming to WVC, it was easy to picture myself here. Coach Harris and I have the same philosophy when it comes to building a strong program culture, and he has brought a great group of girls to Mt. Carmel,” said Stoughton. “I had always wanted to go into coaching, and it felt like the perfect opportunity had fallen into my lap. It was an easy yes.”
WVC wishes Coach Stoughton the best of luck this season!
WVC bass team signs Laindree Richardson of Benton
Wabash Valley College's bass coach, Todd Gill, is excited to announce the signing of Laindree Richardson for the 2022 – 2023 collegiate bass season. Richardson signed on Friday afternoon, Feb. 5.
Laindree is the daughter of Jeremy and Janee Richardson of Benton, Ill. She is a junior at Benton High School and will be competing this coming spring with the Benton Bass Fishing Team for the fifth straight season. Laindree has an admirable resume both on and off the water. In 2020, she posted two wins, three top-5 finishes and another four top-20 finishes. One of her top-5 finishes was this past summer in the WVC High School Bass Invitational at East Fork Lake.
Off the water, Laindree has made and donated over 3,000 masks to hospitals, nursing homes, businesses, prison guards, a Navy squadron and to a youth detention center since the onset of COVID-19. She has been recognized as “one of the most influential women of Franklin County” and was selected for the Bassmaster All-State Team for Illinois in 2020.
Outside of fishing, Laindree enjoys photography, hunting, and competing in high school track. Richardson plans to study communications in college and is excited about her opportunity to be a part of the Wabash Valley College bass team.
Those interested in learning more about the Wabash Valley College bass team can visit www.wvcwarriorathletics.com, click on Club Teams and select Bass Fishing. High school juniors and seniors that are interested in a campus visit can fill out the recruiting questionnaire and Coach Gill will contact them to discuss the team and schedule a campus visit. You can also keep up with WVC bass team news by following them on Facebook @WVC Bass Team and on Instagram @wvcbassteam.
Pictured at the signing: Dailus Richardson, Janee Richardson, Laindree Richardson, Jeremy Richardson and Coach Todd Gill
Jackets Sweep Grayville
On Thursday, February 4, Yellow Jackets basketball hosted Grayville in WEAA Conference action. In the B-game, the Yellow Jackets took the lead in the first quarter, 12-4, and never looked back. A big fourth quarter pushed the victory to the final score of 39-12. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets B-team was: Brady Porter with 11 points, Brendan Bowser with 10 points, Will Freeland had 8 points, Tim Harness with 7 points, Kasen Dulgar with 2 points, and Elliott Acree with 1 point. The B-team is now 1-0 on the season.
In the A-game, the Yellow Jackets finished the first quarter with the lead at 12-6. At halftime, the Yellow Jackets were still on top 22-18. The third quarter was the absolute best quarter of basketball this team has put together in the very young season. After three quarters, the Yellow Jackets were up 39-26. In the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets struggled with layups, but scratched and clawed to win the game with good ball handling with a final score of 40-31. Scoring for the Yellow Jackets was: Reed Stinson with 19 points, Chase Gher with 6 points, Brendan Bowser with 5 points, Kollin Kelsey had 3 points, Elliott Acree had 3 points, Kasen Dulgar with 2 points, and Will Freeland with 2 points. The Yellow Jackets made 6 of 7 free throws on the night, which is awesome. The A-team is now 1-1 overall and in WEAA Conference play.
Next up: Tuesday, February 9th at Clay City. B-game at 6 pm, with the A-game to follow.
Tyler Buss Previews Season Opener
We caught up with Aces coach Tyler Buss on today’s Morning Show to preview the season opener tonight at the Hilltop against Mt. Vernon….
Jackets Fall In Season Opener To Cisne
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.