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* Self-selected responses from non-experts quoted in a story written by a local sports reporter, but sure…
The Illinois High School Association plan to deal with COVID proved to be a successful one, based on a survey that drew over 1,400 responses from membership after its winter sports season was finished.
The survey, which examined data gathered from 1,483 respondents in 10 different sports, indicated coaches and athletes from Illinois high school sports programs successfully mitigated pandemic risks while playing.
That was an important contention the IHSA made while battling with state health officials to allow sports to be played last fall.
“Early on in the process, we tried to communicate to Illinois Department of Public Health our confidence in the protocols we were going to put into place,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said. “We had no doubt our mitigations would be followed by our schools.”
The survey reported only 3% of athlete positive COVID cases were traced to a sports practice or competition. The rest were from an outside close contact.
* Governor’s office…
Throughout this pandemic the most effective mitigation has been physical distancing and masking. Unfortunately this non-scientific survey is in direct contrast to the multiple scientific studies on coronavirus and youth sports. More than a year after the start of this pandemic the science is clear and youth sports have been studied and proven to contribute to spread, along with a long list of other activities that are done in close proximity indoors. Thanks to effective mitigation strategies and effective vaccines, Illinois is well on its way back to normalcy and we look forward to vaccinating more youth and safely allowing a return to regular sports competition.
Background…
Here is a sampling of some of the sports related outbreaks reported in Illinois after March 9th, 2021:
College/University sports
• 3 sports related outbreaks across the state
o Involving 16 cases
o 2 volleyball and one basketballHigh school sports
• 5 sports related outbreaks across the state involving 31 persons
o 2 volleyball, 2 basketball, one pending Investigation
Youth sports (non-school)-but students from school(s) go to an outside rink
o 3 sports related outbreaks across the state involving 24 people (all hockey teams)• The CDC has studied outbreaks related to sports and its effect on spread in a community: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7004e4.htm?s_cid=mm7004e4_w
• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/13/us/covid-youth-sports.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/youth-sports-faq.html
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:21 am
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Don’t really know how scientific the study was but that is amazingly few cases- at least reported.
Comment by Unconventionalwisdom Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:29 am
they clamped down on outdoor sports as much as indoor…
Comment by indoor v outdoor sports Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:35 am
=== written by a local sports reporter ===
But I’m sure he works cheap.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:50 am
Would be a shame if the GA decided to look into the IHSA a bit more…
A real shame.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:54 am
It’s unfortunate that the Governor’s Office can’t admit that they failed our youth in shutting down youth sports. All it did was force kids to go outside the state to continue to compete.
Comment by Magic Dragon Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:55 am
Rich rightly called bs on this from the get go. I just read the story and given how little I trust the IHSA (as an independent thinking superintendent) I think this has the same value as reports issued by China, Russia, and North Korea.
Athletic Directors did much of the reporting, there was very little chance this was going to reported with any reliability.
My informed response…pull this leg and it plays jingle bells.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 11:55 am
Seconding @Oswego Willy. IHSA has behaved in an underhanded, meat-headed manner this entire pandemic.
Crisis reveals character and that organization’s leadership has been sorely lacking.
Makes one wonder about other aspects of its operations. It deserves further legislatively scrutiny given the role it plays in the lives of many Illinois children.
Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:12 pm
=It’s unfortunate that the Governor’s Office can’t admit that they failed our youth in shutting down youth sports=
They didn’t, but parents did fail their children.
No one was forced to go out of state. It was a choice. Act like a grown up.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:16 pm
=== It’s unfortunate that the Governor’s Office can’t admit that they failed our youth in shutting down youth sports. All it did was force kids to go outside the state to continue to compete.===
Narrator: Fall sports were played in the spring.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:19 pm
===Makes one wonder about other aspects of its operations. It deserves further legislatively scrutiny given the role it plays in the lives of many Illinois children.===
Dollars over kids?
Appreciate it - Moe Berg -… would be a real shame if the GA looked into the IHSA…
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:20 pm
You rarely find what you are not looking for.
Comment by Jibba Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:20 pm
I’m also sure the IHSA… is looking into things for…
Theatre
Band
Art
Speech
I mean… I’m sure they are… aren’t they?
Or do those things not have “for profit” travel leagues, tournaments and “coaches/trainers”?
Real shame if the GA looked into the IHSA
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:24 pm
=Or do those things not have “for profit” travel leagues, tournaments and “coaches/trainers”?=
And their state tournaments don’t have Country Companies and State Farm as sponsors either.
You are on it OW. I have wanted them to be investigated for 20 years.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:32 pm
Maybe they should double check the numbers that came out of the wrestling season that is still on going. I have heard of several teams that had to cancel matches because of Covid cases among the team.
Comment by Anonish Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:33 pm
The GA tried to get involved with the IHSA in April 2014 by calling for it to be incorporated into ISBE. With Chapa La Via of all people sponsoring that resolution:
https://capitolfax.com/2014/04/08/a-bitter-battle-is-about-to-really-get-started/
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:36 pm
I hate it when people act like outdoor sports are perfectly safe. Do those athletes shower and dress outside? Are they using indoor bathrooms?
Comment by Soccermom Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:37 pm
=== The GA tried===
Yep. “Before Covid”
Lots happened in seven years, unabated
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:39 pm
==Narrator: Fall sports were played in the spring==
I don’t think they should have even done that either. At least not until most kids are vaccinated–including those 12 and under that are not eligible for the vaccine yet.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 12:46 pm
Interesting that all known outbreaks were from indoor sports, including 2 that could conceivably have been pushed outside. Nothing from football, soccer, track and field, cross country.
Comment by RWC Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:24 pm
===Interesting that all known outbreaks===
Yep. Known is doing a lot of work there.
This too…
===sampling of some of the sports related===
Maybe the IHSA should testify in front of GA committeeS, and discuss other interesting things relating to IHSA. I can think of a bunch of things.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:28 pm
Any IHSA report on increased injuries due to pushing sports into a jam-packed several months? My local HS has had at least 6 ACL injuries since there was little, if any, training done earlier.
Comment by Interim Retiree Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 1:58 pm
==Illinois is well on its way back to normalcy==
OK, but relative to the rest of the country, Illinois has done poorly since entering Phase 4 in early February.
https://capitolfax.com/2021/05/25/covid-numbers-are-looking-good-but-not-for-the-unvaccinated/
That’s rarely mentioned.
Comment by Anonanonsir Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:02 pm
As a high school coach, I took the survey. Transmission levels while participating were very low as the data suggests in Illinois and are comparable to other more aggressive states too.
Everything worked out in the end. Every sport was played. The only thing that was a bit of head scratcher was starting winter sports immediately in late January when cases and rates were higher than when the postponement of sports began.
Comment by Mr. Hand Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:10 pm
The IHSA should go about the rest of this season quietly.
Athletes were grateful for the season they had, parents seemed happy, and baseball, softball, track are still ongoing.
Why even bother with this.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 2:48 pm
==Why even bother with this.==
Agreed. We’re having arguments that aren’t relevant anymore.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:20 pm
Nebraska did not play at least one game in baseball due to Northwestern having only some pitchers available because of covid. That is at least one instance of a team not listed in the data above so the IHSA data is incomplete at best
Comment by DTown Resident Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:25 pm
===so the IHSA data is incomplete at best ===
lol
IHSA is high school.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:25 pm
===Why even bother with this===
Because IHSA is NEVER WRONG. lol
The arrogance of that organization never ceases to amaze me. They’re almost as bad as Exelon.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, May 27, 21 @ 3:28 pm