Club and School Teams
High school athletes could be double-dipping this year after the IHSA announced this week they’ll allow student athletes to compete on both school and club teams simultaneously for spring and summer sports.
Sports whose seasons were shifted due to COVID-19 – football, boys soccer, and girls volleyball – will be able to play for both teams as well. Summer sports include baseball, softball, track and field, girls soccer, boys volleyball, lacrosse and boys tennis.
Does Not Apply to Winter Sports
The one-year policy does not apply to winter sports. Basketball, wrestling, boys swimming & diving, cheerleading, dance, bowling, and girls gymnastics athletes will need to decide between a school team and a club team because their seasons have not been shifted.
“The Board determined it was prudent to make modifications to the independent team by-law for the sports that were displaced from their traditional high school season,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson.
Winter Sport Decisions
At the same meeting where the IHSA Board made that decision, they also gave an update on a timetable for making decisions about winter sports. The board will hold an additional meeting on October 28 to make that announcement.
“We understand that student-athletes, coaches, parents, officials, and fans are anxious to learn more details about the plans for IHSA winter sports,” said Anderson. “We feel like we are making positive strides in our discussions with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to be allowed to conduct IHSA winter sports as scheduled. We believe we have a plan to do so safely and want to provide IDPH with ample time to review the winter sports plans, and supportive data, we have provided them. We expect to have a response from IDPH with final recommendations for winter sport plans, including any accommodations and postseason plans, by October 26. We will then reconvene our Board to officially vote and announce that information shortly thereafter.”
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
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