IHSA Reveals Guidelines For High School Athletes Resuming Play

BLOOMINGTON, IL — It appears high school athletes in Illinois are one step closer to getting back on the playing field. The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors approved its "Return to Play" guidelines Friday, and member schools are permitted to open for voluntary strength and conditioning sessions immediately. The guidelines were developed to follow Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois coronavirus reopening plan.

The recent spring high school sports season was completely wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Return to Play guidelines were created by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and have been approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to a release from the IHSA. Students are limited to three hours of participation per day under the plan.

"I commend the IHSA SMAC for crafting a plan that fits within the framework provided by state leadership, and refuses to compromise safety," IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in a statement. "The IHSA Return to Play Guidelines offer some important first steps in allowing student-athletes to reacclimate both physically and mentally to athletics, but more importantly, they allow each school to assess their own individual situation and determine if and when they want to proceed."

Under the guidelines, IHSA high schools need to receive approval from their local school districts to conduct workouts. The schools also must be located in a health region currently in Phase 3 or better of the Restore Illinois plan. Any school within a Phase 3 region of the state was able to begin implementation starting June 6.

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REQUIREMENTS WHEN CONDUCTING VOLUNTARY STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SESSIONS

• Maintain social distance by being 6 feet apart.
• Masks shall be worn when social distance cannot be maintained.
• Follow gathering guidelines of groups of 10 or less including the coach and medical personnel.
• Groups of 10 or less must be pre-determined.
• Once groups are determined, students may not switch from one group to another based upon sport. Students that participate in multiple sports for the year are encouraged to be grouped, for summer participation, in their fall sport.
• Interaction between groups shall be avoided.
• Sessions can only include weightlifting, running, and exercises designed to promote physical fitness.
• Sport-specific drills are not permitted, and sport-specific equipment may not be used.
• Implement diligent and effective cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched objects and surfaces following the guidance of the CDC and IDPH.
• Coaches must maintain a daily record of what athletes are participating, when, symptoms they may present.
• Athletes should be monitored at start of practice for temperature >100.4F/37C or symptoms of COVID-19 (fevers, chills, cough, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell).
• If symptoms are present they should not participate in practice and should be referred to a physician for evaluation and testing.
• Free weight exercises that require a spotter cannot be conducted while honoring social distancing norms. Safety measures in all forms must be strictly enforced in the weight room.
• Players shall bring their own water bottle, shoes, towels, and other personal equipment.
• The use of locker rooms, shared water coolers with cups, and water fountains will be prohibited during this stage.

"These guidelines fulfill the IHSA’s twin commitments to interscholastic sports and the health of the interscholastic athletes that play them," said IHSA SMAC member Dr. Preston Wolin, the surgeon/director of sports medicine at Chicago Center for Orthopedics, in the release. "The SMAC has taken into account both the most recent news about the virus, and the opinions of experts across the country. Both the SMAC and the Board will continue to monitor events and medical opinions as time moves forward."

The Return to Play guidelines are aimed at student-athlete acclimatization and general physical fitness, and will not include any skill of sport training elements, according to the release. The guidelines detail the allowable activities for student-athletes and coaches, as well as the safety precautions and social distancing that must be adhered to in order to maximize safety.

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"Our kids have been without sports and school for over two months, which has taken a toll on their physical and emotional health," said IHSA SMAC member Dr. Cynthia R. LaBella, the Medical Director at Institute for Sports Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. "We purposely designed this first phase to focus solely on strength and conditioning so that kids can gradually rebuild their fitness levels in small peer groups with coach guidance. This will get kids moving again with their peers in the safest way possible, which will have a huge positive impact on their physical and emotional well-being."

The IHSA's Return to Play Guidelines will remain in place until the IHSA or Illinois Department of Health announce new requirements. Anderson said the IHSA will continue to seek input from its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, while following continued guidance from the IDPH.