IHSA Updates Mask Policy For Athletes

The IHSA released some new guidelines after their April Board of Directors Meeting.

The biggest news from the board meeting is that athletes participating in low-risk outside sports do NOT have to wear masks while competing.

Prior to the April board meeting, everyone attending a sporting event, from fans to personnel, to coaches, to players, everyone was masked at a competition.

The sports affected by this new rule include:

• Bass Fishing
• Baseball
• Softball
• Tennis
• Track & Field

Students participating in these events that are not actively competing must still wear masks while "on the bench", whatever "the bench" is for that particular sport.

Wrestling, soccer, and volleyball will still be operating under the previous guidelines of participants wearing masks.

The other big news out of the meeting of the April Board of Directors was the reduction in contact days for summer sports.

IHSA Director Craig Thomas explained the board's reasoning in Monday's press release:

Given the unusual nature of the school year, the IHSA Board and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee felt like a modest reduction in contact days would be in the best interest of the student-athletes' and coaches' mental, physical, and emotional well-being. With so many sports seasons being moved to the spring and summer this year, and with several overlapping, SMAC believes it is vital that we attempt to reduce the wear and tear on our athletes to reduce overuse injuries and allow them more time to recover...The Board discussed further limitations suggested by the SMAC, but felt that each school could better assess its own programs and circumstances to determine their summer contact day schedule.

It sounds like a middle ground was reached by the IHSA and its medical advisors. Something to think about if you feel your child is being overexerted by these compact sports schedules.