COVID-19 Pauses Basketball Season For Yorkville High School

YORKVILLE, IL — Yorkville High School, along with the other schools in the Southwest Prairie Conference, will not begin full basketball practices or competitions on Nov. 16, as proposed by the Illinois High School Association, according to the Yorkville Community Unit School District 115.

The school district made the announcement on Twitter on Friday. Basketball activities will follow the mitigations laid out by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the governor's office, district officials said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health have currently designated basketball as a "high risk" sport rather than a "medium risk" sport. As a result, the state state has taken the position that schools not play basketball this winter.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA), however, has presently made the decision to hold a winter basketball season starting Nov. 16.

In consideration of these different positions and the potential ramifications, the Southwest Prairie Conference districts have made the following decision:

• The SPC will abide by the state recommendations regarding basketball competition and will not beginning the basketball season on Monday, Nov. 16 as proposed by the Illinois High School Association.
• The SPC will continue to advocate for designating basketball as a "medium risk" sport and delay the start of basketball competition rather than cancel play for the entire winter season.
• According to the SPC, basketball practice will begin two weeks prior to any scheduled contests, whether before a delayed winter start or a start date later in the school year.

"Health and safety are the top priority of the SPC Conference Schools and we look forward to a potential future season for our high school basketball athletes," the SPC said in a statement.

Yorkville High School, along with the other schools in the Southwest Prairie Conference, will not begin full basketball practices or competitions on Nov. 16 as proposed by IHSA. Basketball activities will follow the mitigations laid out by the IDPH and the Governor's office. pic.twitter.com/lJoQmNFibK
— Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 (@Yorkville115) November 13, 2020