One day before the IHSA board will meet to discuss the fate of winter sports, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) elevated the sport of basketball from a medium risk level to a high-risk level.
Basketball practices were scheduled to start on Nov. 16 and games on Nov. 30. There is now no target date for either to begin.
“As with sports in the fall, nothing is ‘canceled,’ just put on hold until we’re through the thick of this pandemic,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.
“Basketball is played indoors with frequent close contacts to other players, which includes 10 on the court and often just as many on both benches, a single piece of shared equipment that is difficult to clean during the game, and an intensity level that makes masking more difficult,” an IDPH said in a press release.
“This isn’t the news anyone wants to hear,” Pritzker said. “And it is not news that I want to deliver but this virus remains dangerous and deadly to kids and parents and especially grandparents and this is the best thing we can do for the health and safety of families under the current circumstances. Life in a pandemic is hard for everyone.”
Wrestling and hockey continue to be categorized as high risk as well.
Cheer and dance moved from a medium risk to 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.
An IHSA statement released late Tuesday afternoon said, “in our meeting with IDPH on Friday (October 23), we felt that we presented multiple options that would allow for basketball to be conducted safely by IHSA schools this winter, many of which are being utilized in neighboring states who plan to play high school basketball.”
Tuesday, Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health announced updated guidance for youth and adult recreational sports, including, but not 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.
Guidelines from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity puts youth sports into three risk levels, lower, medium, or higher, based on the amount of contact between athletes and their proximity during play.
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.
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.
The guidance accounts 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.
IHSA Board of Directors will meet on October 28 as scheduled, where the Board will provide direction on the other winter sports, as well as discuss the IHSA sports schedule for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.
