The IHSA has officially announced the cancellation of all state tournaments for the 2020 spring sports season. The decision comes after the April 17th announcement from Governor Prtizker and the Illinois State Board of Education that all Illinois schools will finish the school year through e-learning.
The IHSA offers state tournaments in the following sports and activities in the spring: Girls Badminton, Boys Gymnastics, Bass Fishing, Boys & Girls Track & Field, Boys & Girls Water Polo, Girls Soccer, Boys Tennis, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball.
In the latest statement, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson stated, “We support the decision by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education, and given the logistics, we simply felt we could not conduct state tournaments that meet the expectations of our member schools this spring. As disappointing as it may be for students, it is the right decision for their health and safety, as well as for the health and safety of the general public, as we cope with this unprecedented pandemic.”
While there will be no state tournaments or competitions of any kind, the IHSA stated that if state government & medical leaders indicate such gatherings are safe, some limited spring sport games may be allowed, and summer contact guidelines will be posted.
“The possibility of playing a spring sport game this summer is about closure,” said Anderson. “If we are able to offer this opportunity, no student-athlete would be restricted by having already practiced or competed with a non-school team.”
The IHSA has also put summer contact days for all sports on indefinite hiatus until further decisions have been made by the state of Illinois.
The full statement from the IHSA can be viewed HERE.
For stories about Naperville area athletes dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly homepage.
