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IHSA doctor “misspoke or was misconstrued”

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The senior member of the Illinois High School Association’s sports medicine advisory committee said Thursday that high school basketball might be possible this year if all players wear masks.

Dr. Preston Wolin said that idea is being considered by the Illinois Department of Public Health, whose COVID-19 guidelines place restrictions on high school and youth sports. As of now, basketball is considered a medium risk for virus transmission, meaning athletes can scrimmage but not compete against other schools. […]

Wolin said recent communication between the IHSA and the state has included “a draft considering allowing a basketball season to proceed with everybody being masked. As to whether there is actually an IDPH policy that has been promulgated describing this, that I don’t think I can answer.”

Asked for comment, an IDPH spokeswoman responded: “There are no updates to the guidance planned at this time.”

* IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson to his membership…

There was a report yesterday that Dr. Wolin, a valued member of the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), stated that IDPH is considering an IHSA proposal to play basketball in masks. I wasn’t on that call, so I can’t speak to exactly to what was said, but I believe that Dr. Wolin misspoke or was misconstrued. Internally, the IHSA is exploring every positive angle to gain acceptance from IDPH to play sports, including basketball. One of the ideas in basketball includes the possibility of wearing masks. We have passed that proposal along to our SMAC to review and provide medical feedback on. If they support that position, there is a possibility that we would ask IDPH to approve it. However, if we believe basketball can be done safely without masks, our preference remains to begin basketball in November with masks as a player option, as opposed to being mandatory.

* But then Anderson threw the Pritzker administration under the bus, perhaps because he’s getting so much heat from parents and coaches…

Craig Anderson wishes to dispel the notion he and others within the Illinois High School Association don’t want certain sports to take place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Same with the idea that the IHSA executive director and those around him aren’t willing to fight for as normal a fall athletic season as possible.

Just listen to what Anderson has to say about fall football — or a lack thereof in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My perspective is we could’ve done it safely this fall,” Anderson told The News-Gazette this week. “I do believe we could put in place the protocols that would mitigate the spread of the virus and let our students compete.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his health officials don’t seem to agree, and so high school football will join volleyball and boys’ soccer in a spring format during the 2020-21 school year.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 12:13 pm

Comments

Is the IHSA offering to pay for a college-like testing and medical protocol for all IHSA sports statewide?

Comment by Leigh John-Ella Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 12:22 pm
Sounds more like he just put the responsibility where it belongs.

Comment by Captain Obvious Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 12:24 pm
I guess these parents are not paying attention to MLB, the NFL, or college football. All of which are or have suffered major Covid-19 disruptions. The NFL is fining people 100,000 dollars for mask violations and is now requiring masks during practice.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 12:34 pm
It would be interesting to see the statistical overlay if people who think it’s their divine right to belly up to a crowded bar, maskless, and having their kid bunch up in training and playing team sports.

Comment by VerySmallRocks Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 12:47 pm
=== “My perspective is we could’ve done it safely this fall,” Anderson told The News-Gazette this week. “I do believe we could put in place the protocols that would mitigate the spread of the virus and let our students compete.”===

“Good luck with that”

- Notre Dame Football

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 1:23 pm
Instead of lamenting over the sports that have been sidelined by covid, IHSA and should expanding the sports that are safe to play. There is a girls softball league on the north side of Chicago. Normally about 325 girls play fall ball. This year 550 played. They did not add more girls to the teams. They kept is safe and added more teams and game slots. It is a safe activity and keeps the kids active. The extra 200 girls probably would have played volleyball or basketball.

Comment by Groucho Friday, Oct 9, 20 @ 1:32 pm