Hefner Discusses Rallies in Support of Opening Up High School Sports

There is growing support for opening up high school sports in Illinois beyond what is currently offered in these COVID-19 days.

The Illinois High School Association earlier moved fall sports including football and volleyball to the spring and has altered the length of seasons in some cases, although action by the IHSA Board on Monday has amended some of those decisions.

Rallies are scheduled this Saturday in Chicago and Springfield in support of returning the fall sports to the fall, as well as other extra-curricular activities that have been relocated.

Effingham High School football coach Brett Hefner said more is known about COVID and how to deal with it than when Governor J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike assigned certain risk levels to various sports and other activities. That has led to the belief that those sports and activities can now be conducted. 

One rally will take place in Chicago from 10am to 11am at the Thompson Center, while the other will take place at the Lincoln Statue at the State Capitol from 1pm to 2pm.

Hefner Monday said once Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer changed her stance and said the fall sports could be played in the fall, "there was a little bit of hope" that Pritzker might change his mind. He said there is much support for playing in the suburban schools. A rally was held in Wheaton but the turnout was small, but another was held since that was better attended. That led to the scheduling of the rallies this weekend.

Athletes interested in attending the rallies are encouraged to wear their jerseys or spirit wear and adults to wear school colors and take along signs showing their support. Everyone is asked to wear a mask.

Hefner said many other states have begun fall sports. He said there is irony in that, noting that students in Terre Haute are engaged in fall activities while students in Marshall, less than 20 miles away, are not.

Hefner also noted that this is not just about football; he hopes that there will be supporters of volleyball, marching band, and other activities impacted by the Governor's decision to be supportive.

A reminder of our broadcast on Friday night from 7:07pm to 9pm on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. The program will be hosted by RFD Illinois' Jim Taylor, a longtime sports broadcaster in Aledo. IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson and Assistant Executive Directors Sam Knox and Matt Troha are to be the guests, along with DeLoss Jahnke of the RFD Radio Network. In a letter sent to the governor and Dr. Ezike, Anderson has asked that the decision-making regarding sports and when they should be played should be returned to the IHSA.