SIJHSAA Rules On Fall Sports Participation

Press Release From: Greg Hale, SIJHSAA Executive Director

Subject: 2020 SIJHSAA Fall Sports

The SIJHSAA Board of Control had a special meeting on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 8:30am via zoom. The BOC made final decisions concerning the fall sports of baseball, softball, girls and boys cross country. The BOC voted to approve the above mentioned sports in conjunction with the specifications set down by the Illinois High School Athletic Association and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Listed below is a brief description of major guidelines for the above mentioned sports.

Baseball/Softball

*Use IHSA Phase 4 Guidelines for practices and contests. (A more detailed document will be given to member schools early next week)

*Schools may play a maximum of 2 Varsity/8th grade contests per week and no tournaments. Of these contests, one can be a double header (against same opponent) (3 games in a given week if one of the contests is a DH)

*JV /7th grade teams have the same limitation.

*Spectator and group gatherings subject to IDPH guidelines during this time.

*State Series TBD

Cross Country

*Use IHSA Phase 4 Guidelines for practices and contests. (A more detailed document will be given to schools early next week)

*Schools limited to a maximum of 2 Varsity/8th grade meets per week.

*JV/7th grade teams have the same limitations

*Spectator and group gatherings subject to IDPH guidelines during this time.

*State Series TBD

Note: *Competitions should be within an Illinois Covid Region or within a conference (During Conference Competitions you may compete outside your Illinois Covid Region)

*If the Governor places all schools on remote learning, all SIJHSAA sports will be suspended or canceled. *Any schools in an Ilinois Covid Region that is placed in Phase 3 or lower, of the Governors Restore Illilnois Plan, all sports and or sport state series will be suspended or canceled.

*The eligibility of students that are remote learning is the decision of the member school.

IHSA's Anderson: 6-7 Game Football Season Likely Scenario; Crowning "True" State Champion Will Be Hard

During a conference call this afternoon, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson directly addressed how the Illinois football season might look now that it is being shifted to next Spring:

IHSA Board Approves Modified Schedule For 2020-21 School Year

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for a special meeting on July 29, 2020, where the Board announced its intended plans for the 2020-21 school year. The plan has been sent to the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) for final approval.

“This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. 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.”

The COVID-19 pandemic led the Board to propose unprecedented scheduling changes for the 2020-21 school year. They include playing all sports over the course of truncated fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons. As a result, several team sports will shift to new seasons, including football, boys soccer, and girls volleyball moving from the fall to the spring.

“I applaud our Board of Directors for choosing a model that allows every student-athlete the opportunity for a modified season,” said Anderson. “Based on our recent conversations, it is our expectation that today’s plan meets all of IDPH’s safety guidelines and will be approved.”

IHSA boys and girls golf, girls tennis, cross country and girls swimming & diving will remain as fall sports, and can proceed to start on August 10 as scheduled. Per Governor Pritzker’s announcement on Wednesday, fall sports will begin with competition limited to conference opponents and other schools in the same general geographical area. Schools will be provided more details in the coming week about the scheduling limits, and scheduling will continue to be assessed throughout each season. The condensed 2020-21 season dates will be as follows (see chart below to see where each sport falls):
Fall:                  August 10 to October 24
Winter:             November 16 to February 13
Spring:              February 15 to May 1
Summer:         May 3 to June 26

“The Board believes this plan offers the most realistic chance for student-athletes to participate in interscholastic sports while balancing the challenges of a new academic setting and IDPH Guidelines,” said Erie High School Principal and IHSA Board President Tim McConnell. “We are an education-based athletic association, and school has to come first. By delaying the majority of the team sports in the fall, it will allow our schools and students the chance to acclimate to what will be, for many, a totally new educational experience. We will do our best to try to give every student-athlete the opportunity for a season this school year.”

State Series tournament decisions will be made on a sport-by-sport basis as each season progresses, but providing postseason opportunities remains a priority of the Board. This could potentially include culminating State Series Tournaments after Regional or Sectional rounds, or seeking other non-traditional means to conduct events.

“I understand that today’s announcement will be met with mixed emotions,” said Anderson. “Our staff and Board have heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks with ideas, opinions, and proposals on how we should proceed. We respect and understand their passion, because we share in it. It is a great reminder that if we want high school sports to return to normal, we all need to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The Board also extended the current Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, which will allow sports slated to be played in the winter, spring and summer seasons to allow an additional 20 days of contact for schools between September 7 and October 31 following IDPH Phase 4 Guidelines.

The Board also verified that IHSA by-laws do not prevent schools who are conducting remote learning from participating in IHSA sports and activities.  Participation will remain a local school and district decision, regardless of the learning plan a high school is utilizing.

The Board discussed IHSA activities for the 2020-21 school year but did not take any action. The IHSA’s activity offerings include Bass Fishing, Chess, Debate, Drama & Group Interpretation, Individual Events, Journalism, Music & 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.”

Further details on items such as sport season and practice limitations will be released to IHSA schools following IDPH approval of the plan.

Three IHSA Board members (Hasson, McMahan, Rogers) were present at the IHSA office for the meeting, while the other eight Board members attended electronically.

Details On "Sports Guidance" Issued Today By Governor

Details On "Sports Guidance" Issued Today By Illinois Governor

Tyra Buss Joins U of E Womens' Basketball Staff

From UE Athletics….

EVANSVILLE – The University of Evansville athletic department announced its new staff and coach hires on Tuesday morning including two members of the University of Evansville women's basketball coaching staff.
 
Joining the Aces as an assistant coach is Tyra Buss and coming on as Evansville's director of basketball operations is Tanaeya BoClair
 
After an illustrious playing career, Tri-State native Tyra Buss joins the Aces as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 season.
 
Buss returns to the tri-state after an honor-laden playing career at Indiana University, where the four-year starter became the Hoosiers' all-time leading scorer with 2,364 career points and led the Hoosiers to a 2019 WNIT title, being named the Postseason WNIT Most Valuable Player in the process. The two-time WBCA honorable mention all-American finished in the top 25 in the nation in scoring average as a senior, amassing 20.6 points per contest.
 
A two-time Ms. Basketball honoree for the state of Illinois in high school, Buss starred for Mt. Carmel High School. Buss helped lead Mt. Carmel to a 112-16 (.875) record, while being named Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, a Parade High School All-American and the National High School Coaches Association Girls' Basketball Player of the Year in 2014.
 
Tanaeya BoClair enters her first season as Director of Basketball Operations for the Aces women's basketball program following an impressive playing career.
 
BoClair comes to Evansville after spending the past two seasons on the bench for the University of Utah, her alma mater.
 
The San Antonio native spent last season as the Utes Director of Player Personnel after spending the 2018-19 season as a graduate assistant.

BoClair graduated from Utah in the spring of 2018. BoClair was a mainstay for the Utes, playing in 125 career games with 98 starts. She became the 28th player in program history to reach 1,000-career points and ranks 25th all-time in program history with 1,030 points.

She was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection during her time with the Utes and was also named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team in 2015. She averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game during her time in Salt Lake City, only missing one game her entire career.
 

Illinois Elementary School Association Cancels Fall Sports

NOTE: The IESA is the Illinois Elementary School Association and covers junior high schools around Illinois. Wabash County schools are not members of the IESA. They are members of the SIJHSAA, which has said they will make a decision on fall sports on August 3rd.

From IESA Website:

The IESA Board of Directors held a special meeting on Thursday, July 23. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss fall sports and whether those activities could be held in accordance with the current limitations placed on schools and activities by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

After much discussion, the Board unanimously approved to cancel the regular season and IESA state series in the sports of boys and girls golf, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls cross-country for the 2020-21 school year. There are no plans to try and re-schedule the activities or conduct them later in the school year in part due to if and when high schools in Illinois play their contests. Girls softball practice was scheduled to start July 27. The baseball and cross-country seasons were scheduled to start August 3. The Board delayed any decision on girls basketball. The first day of girls basketball practice is scheduled for August 31. The Board will meet again in late August to make a decision regarding girls basketball. The Board did review and approve a plan submitted by the Speech Advisory Committee that allows schools to hold their own speech contest during the upcoming school year. Schools that participate in speech will receive information at a later date. No decisions regarding any other activities were made.

We know that there will be many people within the school system who will applaud this decision and there will be many who will be strongly opposed. At the forefront of the Board decision is that the activities must be conducted within the current limitations that have been placed on the schools by the IDPH. In particular, the mandate that there can be no physical contact between athletes and that students must be socially distanced (6 ft. of separation) makes the administration and conduct of games and contests very difficult and in some cases impossible to adhere to the mandates. While there are plenty of youth league baseball and softball teams playing games and tournaments this summer, many are not adhering to the same stringent guidelines. Because summer leagues and travel ball are taking place, this may make the decision of the IESA Board of Directors seem odd. The difference is that schools will be held to the IDPH mandates and the youth summer contests are not. It would make little sense for IESA to move forward with these activities that would require schools to be in direct conflict with mandates by state agencies that have regulatory control over the schools.

COVID-19 has changed the world. However, this decision is not the end of the world. It is not the news that most students and parents want. At the end of the day, we work with junior high and middle school students. They are not professional athletes; they are not college athletes; they are not even high school athletes. They will not be missing out on any college scholarships. These are mainly 12-14 year old kids who will have many more opportunities to participate (perhaps even later this school year in other activities). We recognize that athletics play a huge role in the lives of students. Activities, despite their importance in the development of students, can never take precedence over the health and safety of those same students as well as the health and safety of contest officials, game management, and parents/fans who attend contests. The IESA Board of Directors made a difficult decision but in the end they simply felt that there are too many unknowns to proceed safely at this level of play.

Scheidecker returns to lead Lady Warriors

A familiar face will be guiding the Lady Warrior Basketball Team as Wabash Valley Athletic Director Mike Carpenter announced the hiring of Luke Scheidecker on Tuesday night, July 21, following Scheidecker’s unanimous approval at the IECC Board of Trustees meeting.

Scheidecker was the Head Coach at Wabash Valley College from 2016 to 2018 and produced incredible results. His teams went a combined 61-5, including a GRAC record of 35-1. WVC won back-to-back GRAC titles and District P championships, while making back-to-back appearances at the NJCAA National Tournament during his tenure.

Scheidecker’s 2018 team carried a Team GPA of 3.02, which was recognized by the NJCAA as one of the top team GPA’s in the nation.

Reached for comment, Scheidecker said, “I cannot express the excitement we have to return to Wabash Valley. WVC and Mount Carmel is a special place, filled with great people, outstanding support and a tremendous culture. I appreciate the opportunity from Dr. Fowler, Coach Carpenter and the IECC Board of Trustees.”

WVC Athletic Director Mike Carpenter said of Scheidecker, “We were blown away by the number of applicants for this position, but more importantly, the quality of coaches who showed interest in the job. Coach Scheidecker has a proven track record, on and off the court, and we couldn’t be happier with his decision to return to WVC.”

Scheidecker spent the last two seasons as the Assistant Coach at Indiana State University.In his second season at WVC, Scheidecker led the Warriors to a 30-3 record, while leading the nation in scoring (93.8 ppg), field goal percentage (50.6) and assists (23.5 per game). In his first season as Lady Warrior coach, Scheidecker inherited a team that won 14 games the previous season and led them to a 31-2 record.

Coach Scheidecker replaces Lacey Shalenko, who resigned in April to pursue another opportunity in Florida.

The Lady Warriors are in the midst of a 70 game Conference win streak, a streak that was started by Scheidecker’s 2016 WVC team. The Lady Warriors will begin play in January 2021 due to delays caused by COVID-19.

PHOTO: gosycamores.com

Downstate AD Offers Return To Play Proposals

A downstate athletic director puts pen to paper and prepares “return to play” proposals for high school sports in Illinois. The calendar would look different and some seasons would switch. Mark Briggs from Roxana High School admits his plans may not be perfect, but says they serve as a good starting point for discussions.

One of Briggs’ proposals would have baseball and softball played in the fall with football played from April through July and high school wrestling from February through April.

Governor asked about high school sports in the fall

Will there be high school sports competitions this fall in Illinois?

The Illinois High School Association says they are going to defer to the IDPH and Governor’s office when it comes to the determination on getting back to competition. Governor JB Pritzker says he has tracked a study in Europe where there is concern about young athletes taking COVID-19 back to their families.

A few states have already moved contact sports, including football to the spring.

SIJHSAA To Make Call On Fall Sports August 3rd

From SIJHSAA Website: The SIJHSAA Board of Control met on Monday, July 20, 2020.  The main subject matter was decisions dealing with fall sports.  Due to a lack of guidelines from the Governor's Office and the Illinois Department of Public Health, no action was taken.  A decision of this magnitude needs the most current information to make a decision that is best for all involved.

The SIJHSAA will tentatively make an official decision on the Fall Sport State Series of Baseball, Softball, Girls Cross Country and Boys Cross Country on Monday, August 3, 2020

COVID-19 Rise In Teens Could Doom Fall Sports In Illinois

(IRN) Fourth of July parties may have hurt the chances for high school football and other contact sports this fall. After the Independence Day holiday, a few schools reported an uptick in COVID-19 cases among students. 

“It had nothing to do with football and the activities that our schools were doing. It was what they were doing when they were away from our schools that have caused a few new cases,” said Craig Anderson, executive director of the Illinois High School Association. 

The rise in cases among Illinois high school students got the attention of the Illinois Department of Public Health. As a result, the department changed its guidelines for school sports practices. Contact drills that had been approved on July 1, were once again prohibited. 

Not a good sign for Anderson and many Illinois parents who had been hoping to see school sports on the calendar as usual this fall.

Anderson played football in high school and college himself. One of his sons is a junior on the high school football team. Both of them want football this fall "in the very worst way," he said. 

“I support the idea and the mission, because I know it benefits so many kids on so many levels,” Anderson said. 

Another indicator makes sports that involve physical contact, such as football, soccer, volleyball, and cross country uncertain for fall 2020. Some Illinois teacher organizations are advocating for starting the new school year with "all remote" learning instead of in-person classes. If fall classes are all virtual, and students are home all day, having them get to school in the afternoons for practices and other activities is a difficult proposition that sends the wrong message, Anderson said. 

Gov. J.B. Prtizker recently divided Illinois into 11 regions during the COVID-19 crisis. 

One option that is being discussed is having schools in central and southern Illinois and other regions where there are fewer COVID-19 cases, reopen for in-person classes and sports this fall. 

Larger schools in regions where there are more cases and more problems with safety could cancel fall sports and continue with virtual learning.

Some parents and sports fans are angry at the Illinois High School Association for not lobbying harder for a full fall sports calendar. Anderson says his organization is a non-profit with a membership of schools throughout the state. 

“Our governance is strictly independent,” Anderson said. 

IHSA takes no money from the state. It raises its funding from ticket sales at state series events. The Department of Education oversees Illinois schools, but it does not involve itself in sports policy. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety of students, coaches and spectators has been the No. 1 concern. Anderson said the IHSA is "leaning on IDPH, the governor's office and medical experts to guide them." 

IHSA Decision On Fall Sports Not Expected Now Until Next Week

From IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson on the IHSA’s plans for this week…

 “The Illinois High School Association will take part in a roundtable discussion with leaders from IDPH & ISBE on Friday, July 24. We expect this meeting will provide important guidance on how the IHSA will proceed with fall sports. As a result, we have postponed the IHSA Board Meeting scheduled for July 22 until July 29.”

Two Mt. Carmel Girls Part Of Championship Team

Two Mt. Carmel girls and their teammates won the 18U Indiana USSSA Great Lakes Nationals in Evansville this weekend. Mackenzie Sisson and Stormie Devine play for Indiana Fusion Elite-Marx and brought home the gold. The team scored 51 runs while only allowing 13 in nine games. IFE Marx is traveling to Chattanooga this week in hopes to keep the streak going at the USA Softball National Championship. Good Luck!

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA DITTERLINE

IHSA To Defer To IDPH, ISBE & Governor's Office On All Return To Play Guidelines Moving Forward

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced on July 14, 2020 that it will defer to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and the Governor’s Office on all of its Return To Play Guidelines moving forward.

“There is an unprecedented level of planning for this school year due to COVID-19, and we have come to understand that there needs to be a greater consistency between the guidelines for returning to learn and returning to interscholastic athletics,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Some of the recommendations by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and directives from IDPH have come into direct conflict with each other, especially as it relates to the use of masks by student-athletes. As a result, we feel it is important to let IDPH and ISBE provide a consistent direction for our membership moving forward. We will wait on direction from these organizations for further guidance on Return to Play plans for the 2020-21 school year.”

The IHSA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee had previously developed its own Return To Play Guidelines, which were then collaboratively amended, and then approved, by IDPH. The Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines were then amended at IDPH’s request to include a greater emphasis on masks, and also eliminated scrimmages in sports that require physical contact. IHSA teams can currently conduct limited summer contact workouts within the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines as directed by IDPH and ISBE. Final approval on the revised Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines from IDPH are forthcoming.

“We still believe there is a path to conducting high school athletics in the fall, like the majority of states surrounding Illinois plan to do,” said Anderson. “To make that happen, it’s important that we allow IDPH, ISBE and the Governor’s Office to take the lead on ensuring the safest and most consistent protocols.”

NJCAA announces updated plan of action

Charlotte, NC – Following the recommendations from the NJCAA Presidential Advisory Council and the NJCAA Board of Regents, the NJCAA has announced its adjusted plan of action for the upcoming 2020-21 academic year. Following the Board of Regents' vote on Monday, a majority of competition will be moved to the spring semester.

"Our greatest focus is and always has been providing the best opportunities for our student-athletes," stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO. "Through a unified effort from our Presidential Advisory Council, the Board of Regents, and leadership staff, our most recent plan of action provides a path that keeps our student-athletes competing at the highest level with proper safety measures in place. As we move forward as an association, we will continue to provide opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches, and all those involved with the NJCAA to be safe and successful."

The most recent plan of action shifts all close-contact fall sports to the spring semester. These sports include football, men's and women's soccer, and court volleyball. The NJCAA cross country championships for all three divisions and half marathon championships will remain as their originally scheduled dates in the fall as well as Division III women's tennis. 

All winter sports competition will begin in January with a majority of championship seasons moved from March to April. These sports include men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and swimming and diving. Men's and women's bowling and men's and women's indoor track and field will be held at the beginning of March.

Spring sports competition remains intact with minor adjustments to dates. These sports include baseball, softball, beach volleyball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, track and field, and men's and women's tennis.

Along with the adjustments to competition season and championship dates, the NJCAA has provided information as it relates to scrimmage and practice dates and allowances in the fall.

Championship dates are subject to change based on championship facility availability.

IHSA Pumps Brakes On Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines

Due to an increase in positive cases of COVID-19 among high school teams around the state, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) are jointly collaborating to modify the IHSA’s Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines.

The modifications place greater restrictions on coaches and student-athletes in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Important changes include limiting physical contact and an increased usage of masks. The former restricts schools from conducting contests against other schools in most sports, including 7-on-7 in football.

The IHSA is working with IDPH to update the guidelines, and will send to its membership, the media, and post on the web as soon as they are approved.

IHSA's Anderson: Moving Football Season To Next Spring "Extremely Difficult"

Some state high school associations are contemplating “flipping seasons”, where football would be moved to the spring due to ongoing concerns from the coronavirus pandemic. The IHSA’s Craig Anderson was asked about that issue.

Currently, the first day of high school football practice in Illinois is set for Aug 10.

IHSA Releases 2020 Football Schedules

Mt. Carmel

Nickname: Golden Aces

Head Coach: Michael Brewer

2020 Classification Enrollment: 488.50

Aug 28 6:30    H Washington, IN 

Sep 5 2:00    H Decatur (St. Teresa)

Sep 11 7:00    A Harrisburg

Sep 18 7:00    A Olney (Richland County)

Sep 25 7:00    A Alton (Marquette)

Oct 3 2:00    H Wood River (East Alton-W.R.)

Oct 9 7:00    H Breese (Mater Dei)

Oct 16 6:30    A Bicknell (North Knox), IN

Oct 23 7:00    H Mt. Vernon (H.S.)

 All Illinois football schedules can be found here:

https://www.ihsa.org/Sports-Activities/Boys-Football/Conference-Schedules-Standings-Results

IHSA & IDPH Announce Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines For IHSA Teams That May Begin July 5

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced on Friday, July 3, 2020 that its Stage 2 Return To Play Guidelines have been approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), and can be instituted by IHSA schools on July 5. The IHSA also announced that it will no longer reference the guidelines as the Stage 2 Return To Play Guidelines, and will instead will refer to them as the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, matching the verbiage used by the state in its Restore Illinois plan. The IHSA Stage 1 Return To Play Guidelines, which were implemented on June 5, will now be referred to as the Phase 3 Return To Play Guidelines for the same reason.

“Safety remains at the forefront of everything that the IHSA is doing as we move into Phase 4 and beyond,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the SMAC and IDPH in recognizing the physical, mental, and emotional benefits for our student-athletes and coaches as they progress into training in a more traditional practice setting. Our focus now shifts to continuing to work with state leadership to determine how to provide the safest environment possible for fall sports.”

A draft of the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, which were developed by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, was sent to IHSA member schools for preparatory purposes following approval by the IHSA Board of Directors on June 15. The IHSA then worked with IDPH to get approval on the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines. The Phase 4 Guidelines optimize safety while allowing IHSA teams to gather in groups of 50 coaches and students or less to conduct practices or contests. IHSA coaches can conduct team activities on 20 contact days between June 30 and August 9. An IHSA member high school may not conduct team activities under the Phase 4 Return to Play Guidelines unless they have local school district approval, and are located in a Health Region that is currently in Phase 4 (or better) under the Governor’s Restore Illinois plan. Fans do not traditionally attend contests conducted under the summer contact day format, however, if a host school allows fans to attend, they will be limited to 20% capacity of their facility or less, based on the policy of the host school.

To read the IHSA Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, click here.

IHSA Readies Move To Stage 2 For "Return To Play"

It's all about a numbers game when discussing IHSA "return to play" guidelines. The state is expected to move to Phase 4 under the governor's Restore Illinois plan on Friday and that will mean Stage 2 for the IHSA outline, which is pending approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health. IHSA Stage 1 "return to play" started earlier this month and the policy allows for strength, conditioning and speed workouts for groups of ten or less. Stage 2 would allow for team related activities says the IHSA's Sam Knox.

Stage 2 for IHSA "return to play" would mean outdoor and indoor gatherings of 50 or fewer players, coaches and officials. It would also allow for athletic contests and practices, again all pending IDPH approval.