Western Big Six to DELAY the start of the basketball season.

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Illinois has yet to play high school sports at all in the start of the school year, and at least locally basketball wont be starting anytime soon either.

Quincy Superintendent Roy Webb posted a long Facebook message earlier today stating that the Western Big Six would be delaying their basketball season. In the Facebook post he said...

"The Western Big Six superintendents came to the consensus to delay the start of the basketball seasons. The decision was based on student safety, the growth in COVID cases in all our communities, The lack of tort immunity for the district, and the ISBE and the IDPH strong stance. We felt we did not have an option at this time...Our hands are a bit tied, since the Illinois Department of Health moved basketball to a high-risk sport. To follow their guidelines, we must avoid physical contact, wear masks indoors, and not have groups over certain numbers. If we do not follow these guidelines, we risk our tort capabilities, which puts the district at great risk...There was a unanimous decision of our WB6 member districts to delay the start of this year’s boys’ and girls’ basketball season. We support our student athletes, and understand the value provided by high school sports and activities. As a result, we want them to play basketball. Once the Illinois Department of Public Health provides school guidance for our student athletes to safely play basketball, we will fully support that endeavor."

To read the COMPLETE statement from Webb click here! 

This decision comes as no surprise to me, the Governor of Illinois has been extremely strong on his stance against high school sports and large gatherings starting until the positivity rates of COVID-19 drop significantly and or there is a vaccine. With the IHSA also stepping away from trying to shoulder the blame, it has put the risk on the districts and its too great a risk to take.

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