The IHSA recently announced they were moving to “Phase 4” in the Return to Play Guidelines. The move was approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The move was welcomed by many coaches and student-athletes but still contained many restrictions and protocols. A daily record of athlete’s temperatures, gatherings of 50 with social distancing whenever possible, no sharing of towels or water bottles and proper cleaning of all equipment are just a few of the requirements. Monmouth-Roseville girls basketball coach Scott Weber says that although he is happy to see his team in-person again, it comes with a price. He says the IHSA is in a no-win situation when it comes to making decisions regarding the safety of everyone concerned.
Since the movement to the next stage by the IHSA, two members of the Quincy Notre Dame football team and several athletes from Lake Zurich High School in the Chicago-area and Du Quoin High School in the Southern part of the state have tested positive for the coronavirus.
