spOrts

NEWS@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

The long awaited return of high school sports has officially begun following a special board meeting of the Illinois High School Association on Jan. 27 that set a specific timetable for practice and games for the remainder of the school year.

Effective immediately, the new schedule outlines when practices will start for sports previously deemed as winter, early spring, and late spring and when those seasons will end. It also accounts for the number of practice dates required for each sport before games can begin.

In making its decision, the board adhered to its primary goal throughout the pandemic of providing an opportunity for every IHSA studentathlete to compete safely.

“Our board faced an impossible task with a litany of factors,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson, in a press release. “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.”

It has been determined that most winter sports will not include a state series, but no definitive decision on postseason competition has been made on the late spring sports. The only exceptions are dance and cheerleading, which will compete virtually.

“The board wants to do everything in their power to prevent spring sports from going two consecutive years with no postseason IHSA play,” Anderson said in the release. “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

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

in these traditional spring sports if possible.”

IHSA guidelines require all studentathletes to participate in masks – with the exception of swimming and 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,” Anderson said. “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.”

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY VICKY LONG

Continued from Previous Page of the situation and emphasized that the decisions the board made were done so with diligence, empathy, and understanding. Faced with immense obstacles including overlapping seasons for multisport athletes, equity between sports, preseason acclimatization guidelines, the prioritization of spring sports, facility conflicts, and officiating, to name a few, he said, each potential roadblock was recognized and given consideration.

“There was never going to be a one-size-fits-all solution to playing 25 sports seasons in a little over four months,” Anderson said. “What did occur was collaboration and camaraderie ... we worked together to produce a schedule and plan that we believe will work for our student-athletes.”

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY VICKY LONG

INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER

INDEPENDENT PHOTOS BY KEN FARVER