CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Illinois High School Association board meets Wednesday and was supposed to spell out how winter sports, like basketball, could take place this year, but Governor Pritzker beat the IHSA to the punch.
Governor Pritzker announced Tuesday updated guidelines for youth and adult recreational sports played indoors as the state battles the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic ahead of the winter season.
The sports include, but aren’t limited to, school-based sports, travel clubs, private leagues and clubs, recreational leagues and centers, and park district sports programs.
Collegiate sports and professional leagues are not impacted by these restrictions.
“As with sports in the fall, nothing is ‘cancelled,’ just put on hold until we’re through the thick of this pandemic,” Pritzker said, adding, “we know this virus is of most concern when people are indoors with high contact, especially in vigorous situations that bring about heavy breathing – like in wrestling, hockey and basketball.”
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The youth sports guidance puts sports into three risk levels -- lower, medium, or higher -- based on the amount of contact between athletes and their proximity during play. The guidance sets four levels of play allowed based on current public health conditions. In all levels, some form of play is allowed ranging from practice and trainings in level 1 to tournaments and conference play in level 4.
• In level 1, only no-contact practices and training are allowed.
• In level 2, intra-team scrimmages are allowed with parental consent for minors, but there can be no competitive play.
• In level 3 intra-conference, intra-EMS-region or intra-league play is allowed and there may be state- or league-championship games allowed for low-risk sports only.
• In level 4, tournaments, out-of-conference/league play, and out-of-state play are allowed. Championship games would also be allowed in level 4.
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Based on current conditions, lower risk sports can be played at levels 1, 2, and 3. Medium risk sports can be played at levels 1 and 2, and higher risk sports can be played at level 1.
Illinois High School Association Executive Director Craig Anderson had been hoping some kind of option could be worked out to allow high school basketball players to have a winter season, but Governor Pritzker ordered the basketball season to be put on-hold, as the Illinois Department of Public Health moved basketball from medium-risk for spreading the coronavirus to high-risk due to the close contact of players and indoor play. That means basketball players would only be allowed to have non-contact practices, but no games.
Wrestling and hockey continue to be categorized as high risk as well. Cheer and dance will be categorized as lower risk, only if masking and distance are enforced. Low risk sports like bowling, gymnastics, swimming and diving will be permitted to play during winter.
The Illinois Department of Public Health developed the updated guidance in conjunction with public health experts from around the state and nation and reflects the high levels of risk associated with contact sports played indoors.
“The more people you are in contact with, the longer you are together, and the closer you are together, the greater your risk of getting COVID-19," IDPH head Dr. Ngozi Ezike explained. "Being face to face with another person for a basketball or football game puts players at higher risk of getting and spreading the virus. Right now, cases across Illinois and the country are increasing.”
The guidance also accounted for new research related to COVID-19 and sports, sports related outbreaks in other states, and the fact that the second wave of the pandemic is now well underway in all regions of Illinois.
“We can’t ignore what is happening around us – because without action, this could look worse than anything we saw in the spring,” Pritzker said.
Illinois first issued guidelines for youth and recreational sports in late May when every region in the state advanced to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan, marked by return to work, the reopening of retail, as well as the return of specific recreational activities.
The latest guidelines make adjustments to temporarily halt competitive play for most higher to medium-risk sports pending further health progress, as well as to provide additional clarity on capacity limits and high school sports.
The IHSA will still meet Wednesday to provide guidelines for other winter sports and the rest of the sports schedule for this school year.