IESA Announces Halt to Activities Following Governor's Announcement

The following was sent to all IESA member schools on Wednesday, November 18 by Executive Director Steve Endsley regarding junior high sports...

To All IESA Member Schools: Please share the following with your superintendent, principal, athletic director and all members of your coaching/activity staff.

I believe this is the 11th notice that I have sent to all IESA schools since the middle of March when COVID-19 changed so much. When we said that our plan was going to be fluid, I doubt any of us thought it would be this fluid. But, given the announcement yesterday by the Governor, we need to follow-up with the IESA membership to inform you as to how this impacts our activities, our schools, and our students.

The Governor has mandated that there is a pause in all team sports and training (practice). While there are no IESA sports that are currently in season, as you know, IESA schools have been allowed to hold contact days with their students since November 2 under the guidance of the All Sports Policy. With the mandate yesterday, contact days in all activities may no longer be held. Please do not hold any contact days after tomorrow (Thursday, November 19) until further notice. A coach may hold an individual training session with a student as long as face coverings are in place and there is no physical contact between the coach and the student. For example, a coach could work one-on one with a student for 15 minutes, a different student for another 15 minutes, a third student for another 15 minutes, etc.  However, there is absolutely no group practice or practice with two or more students at the same time.

Given that our boys basketball and girls volleyball seasons are not scheduled to start until January, the announcement yesterday in some ways still does not affect us too much today short of the pause in the contact days. It will affect us a great deal if we are not able to play as scheduled when January rolls around. If we are not able to play, then as I have previously mentioned to you, the IESA Board of Directors will meet to determine how we will move forward. If this pause has been lifted and basketball and volleyball have been moved to the lower risk category, then games may be played as scheduled.

I can assure you that the Governor's Office is aware we need an answer as to whether or not the IESA boys basketball and girls volleyball seasons can be held starting in January. As soon as we are made aware, you will be notified.

For additional information concerning yesterday's announcement, please click on the following link:

https://dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics

I do not have a crystal ball---we simply will have to wait to see what the next 6-7 weeks hold. I understand how incredibly frustrating this is for you and more importantly, your students. We must follow the state of Illinois mandates. By doing so, I hope our collective thought is we should all do what we can today so we can get back to the courts, mats, and tracks sooner rather than later.