Galesburg Reporter

The Illinois Department of Public Health has given Illinois high schools overseen by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) the green light to resume sports play under IHSA's new Return to Play Guidelines.

The report said high school sports programs could resume June 6.

“I commend the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for crafting a plan that fits within the framework provided by state leadership, and refuses to compromise safety,” Craig Anderson, executive director for the IHSA said in a statement released on June 5 to the Review Atlas. “The IHSA Return to Play Guidelines offer some important first steps in allowing student-athletes to re-acclimate 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.”

The Review Atlas said schools in the Galesburg area would likely resume sports training on June 15 after working out preliminaries.

The IHSA guidelines say member schools will be allowed to resume voluntary workout sessions. School districts are requested to check with their local health departments to advise on restrictions in place before beginning contact sports.

“Local school administrations determine the permitted activities at their school,” the guidelines state.

The health and safety of the student-body and staffers to protect them from COVID-19 is the highest priority, the directives added.

Outdoor training sessions are being recommended instead of indoor workouts, to reduce the possibility of coronavirus infection.

Galesburg High School cross-country track and field coach Craig Hillier told the Review Atlas it is a joy to resume sports programs.

“We’re back,” he told the Review Atlas. “It’s exciting to hear. I’m glad. It’s truly a blessing that we get to meet with our athletes again."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on April 17 had ordered the closing of public and private schools across the state for the rest of the academic year.