By Bobby Narang
Late last week, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) released its guidelines for Phase 4 of Illinois’ reopening plans.
Called the Return to Play guidelines, the IHSA allowed contact days to begin Monday.
The return to play guideline is a major step for high schools throughout the State to begin practicing under a strict code of rules. The Illinois Department of Public Health approved the new guidelines, which will allow for teams to gather together with up to 50 players and coaches at a time for both practices and games, but still must maintain social distancing guidelines.
“Safety remains at the forefront of everything that the IHSA is doing as we move into Phase 4 and beyond,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a statement. “We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the SMAC and IDPH in recognizing the physical, mental, and emotional benefits for our student-athletes and coaches as they progress into training in a more traditional practice setting. Our focus now shifts to continuing to work with State leadership to determine how to provide the safest environment possible for Fall sports.”
Phase 4 is a big boost for kids looking to improve on their skills, because it allows sport-specific activities. In the last month, prior to Phase 4, athletes were limited to conditioning only in groups of 10. The new guidelines allows no groups larger than 50 inside, but groups larger than 50 can get together outdoors if 30 feet apart. IHSA coaches can conduct team workouts on 20 contact days between June 30 and August 9.
Shared equipment, such as sleds, pads and athletic balls, must be cleaned numerous times during practices and competitions. Students are limited to five hours of participation per day, while schools must maintain a daily record of what athletes are participating.
The Return to Play allows high school coaches to take a more direct daily routine with their players. Many basketball, baseball, and softball players gained a competitive advantage by plays in AAU events in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana while Illinois was in lockdown in late Spring and early Summer.