NW Illinois News

When the Illinois high school basketball season starts Nov. 16, Newman Central Catholic High School in Sterling, Ill. won’t be playing.

“Rockford Diocese sent a letter to the schools of the diocese saying that we will not be participating in the season that starts Nov. 16,” Ray Sharp, the boy’s head basketball coach at Newman, told NW Illinois News.

The decision followed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s moved to classify the sport in the “high risk” category because of COVID-19. However, the Illinois High School Association board of directors voted to continue the season as scheduled, from November to February.

Pritzker | Wikipedia commons

Sharp’s players are disappointed with their season has been cancelled by the Diocese.

“Obviously it was heartbreaking for our seniors,” said Sharp, “We have a lot of seniors on our team this year.”

However, the coach said players understand, 

“This is the right thing to do given the COVID positivity rates in our communities. We have to take the bigger picture of community health into play here. Basketball is really important but it pales in comparison to community health," said Sharp. 

“I don’t think it’s the right move from a community health standpoint to have basketball games,” said the coach. He further explained that basketball games would not be the best idea for the community until positivity rates drop.

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors voted in August  to schedule basketball from Nov. to Feb., based on the Illinois Department of Public Heath’s classification at that time  of the sport as "medium risk".

It decided stick to that schedule even after Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s moved the sport to the “high risk” category.

“The Board remains considerate of rising COVID-19 cases in Illinois and understand the importance of adhering to safety guidelines for the good of all citizens,” said the organization in a statement,“However, the Board has not been presented any causal evidence that rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play.”

According to Patch.com, Pritzker responded to the IHSA's decision by saying it's better to be safe than sorry.

“We're listening to is the guidance from national orgs, physicians that treat kids, the experts in sports medicine," said the Gov. Pritzker. 

"What I would suggest is that if there's a difference of opinion, I prefer to err on the side of health and safety. And I think that's where we have intended for all of our guidance to fall," said Pritzker.