By Jason Maholy
High school athletics in Illinois are set to return this fall, with modifications to the sports calendar and notice from the IHSA’s executive director that the matter as it relates to COVID-19 remains uncertain moving forward.
The IHSA on July 29 announced its plan for the 2020-21 high school athletics schedule, which features four official seasons, condensed schedules and shuffling some sports out of season. Several sports that usually compete in spring will play a summer schedule that will conclude a week before Independence Day.
Fall sports competitions will be limited to those between conference opponents and teams in the “same general geographic location,” in line with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement on July 29.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said he expects the Illinois Department of Health to approve the plan, but cautioned that all matters of high school sports remain fluid.
“Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first,” Anderson said. “It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year.”
Boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, girls tennis, and girls swimming and diving will proceed in the fall, as they normally do. The other fall sports — football, girls volleyball and boys soccer — will move to spring. The IDPH has classified football as “higher risk” and girls volleyball and boys soccer as “medium risk.” The other fall sports are “lower risk.”
Practices can officially begin Aug. 10 and the fall season will conclude Oct. 24, roughly one month sooner than it typically ends.
The winter sports will be unchanged, with boys and girls basketball, boys and girls bowling, wrestling, girls gymnastics, cheer and dance in session from Nov. 16 to Feb. 13.
Spring will go from Feb. 15 to May 1 and will feature the three fall sports along with boys and girls water polo, badminton and boys gymnastics.
Baseball, softball, boys and girls track and field, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, boys volleyball and boys tennis will play on a summer schedule from May 3 to June 26. The plan provides at least a template for getting high school athletics going again amid a pandemic that has shut them down since March.
The IHSA Board also discussed activities for the 2020-21 school year but did not take any action. The IHSA’s activity offerings include bass fishing, chess, debate, drama and group Interpretation, individual events, journalism, music and Scholastic Bowl.
“We believe we can still offer many of our activities via virtual contests,” said Anderson. “The board has asked our staff to investigate those possibilities, and we will report back soon on if and how each can be held.”
“We believe we can still offer many of our activities via virtual contests,” said Anderson. “The board has asked our staff to investigate those possibilities, and we will report back soon on if and how each can be held.”
Sandburg girls cross country coach Tony Pena said his team is excited about getting the IHSA’s go-ahead. He and his coaching staff had “very blunt conversations” with their runners about the possibility the season could be moved to spring or canceled, he added.
“ The girls understood that fall sports were in a very precarious situation,” Pena said. “The IHSA scheduled their decision to be made the afternoon before our final day of camp; a number of girls had planned to wear black the last day of camp for a symbolic funeral to our season. Now that we have the green light to start, we will stay optimistic that we can complete the season in its entirety.”
Pena said he felt a sense of relief for his seniors.
“ We have a great group of seniors that have spent the previous three years establishing a team culture of consistency, hard work and relationships,” he said. “The seniors deserve this opportunity.”
Among the most notable changes is that football — a harbinger of autumn and a sport that progresses parallel to the season’s passage into winter — will be played as leaves are sprouting on trees. Moving fall sports to spring will necessitate that coaches and players adjust to some degree to accommodate and acclimate to the change, but bumping those sports forward two seasons is better than the alternative.
“ Everyone was concerned about whether or not there would be a season, but at the end of the day, it's more about the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” said Stagg football coach Colt Nero. “Spring has to be the best alternative right now because it's the safest option given the uncertainty of COVID.
“ It won't necessarily change our approach as our players have already changed their mindset to the spring and are motivated. We will continue to work on the mental side of football and work on getting our guys back into the weight room to build their bodies up in preparation for the spring.”
Nero said his players expressed some disappointment about football moving to spring, but that they’ve moved forward and are excited about eventually playing.
“They are itching to get back into the weight room to get their bodies ready for the spring season,” he said.
Chicago Christian football coach Nick Cook said he expected the season to be delayed.
“ The spring plan that the IHSA came up with, I do feel was as close to a best-case scenario for football considering all factors,” Cook said. “Hopefully, our governor has out-smarted the majority of those around us who have a different interpretation of the science available; only time will tell. No matter how the fall experiment turns out, I'm confident our kids will respond with the same resilience they have shown all along as we get ready for the spring season.”
Brother Rice football coach Brian Badke said his team will use the additional time they’ll have to prepare for a spring season to their advantage.
“ The players have worked so hard and they are frustrated like all of us to not be able to play right now.” He said. “This past year has been unprecedented, still a lot of unknowns; but control what you can control and take this an opportunity to get better and to be around each during the off-season could be a special time for all of us to improve and get better as team.”