Phase 4 = high school football?

I still get the feeling that the IDPH is just jerking us around and at some point in the first two weeks of August they will say that high sports cannot be played, but they will say, "at least we let you have camps" as if that is supposed to make us and the kids feel better. The IHSA wants to see a season happen and I think they will do all they can to make it happen.
The IDPH needs to realize that we do not need to have the same guidelines for sports as we do in the classroom. School is is mandatory and sports are optional, all students take risks when they participate in sports, and COVID is just another one of those risks.

On a side note, with Trump saying schools need to open, and because no Democrat can agree with Trump, I can see Pritzker closing our schools for the foreseeable future, which will hurt all state schools financially because of the lack of federal aide, and use the need for funding as a way to pass the graduated tax. The schools, teachers, and students are just pawns in these politically driven policies that are founded upon flawed science.

So my assistants and I had an interesting conversation yesterday after our workout. Would be interested to get thoughts of others on this board.

Let’s say IHSA ends up cancelling football, but allows other sports to play, such as golf, tennis, volleyball, and cross country. We will have a majority of our kids not doing anything. Do we as coaches continue to practice and have a few scrimmages, almost like a college spring ball type situation, to at least let our seniors keep playing and try to develop our younger kids a bit? Maybe go 2-3 days / week? I think in our situation, we’d almost have to consider that, as long as we are still having in person school.

Head Idiot wrote:

center wrote:Contact days/competitions in the summer might end up costing us a season. What was wrong with just having the distanced strength and conditioning until August? 

Cuz it be grnd szn!
#NoOffszn  
#Born2Grnd  
#ChampionsRMadeNJune

In seriousness, the amount of people acting like kids were going to keel over dead without an offseason program is ridiculous. So is the notion that everyone's going to be just running dive without camps and contact days.

I feel the amount of people making money off the summer activities has something to do with it also.

I’m amazed how many high school coaches profit from the summer also.

In response to Lefty,
In order to receive our full stipends, programs need to have a plan in place to keep the kids involved for the remainder of the season. We have had the same conversation but identified two major problems
1. How can a school continue to have the kids participate in something that the state said is unsafe. If a kid gets sick, could the parents pursue legal action?
2. How many kids would be willing to participate when they are playing for nothing? Sure you will get a few of the hard workers and underclassmen to participate, but overall few kids would probably sacrifice their time for nothing. Unless you already have scholarship opportunities, kids today would see it as a total waste of time.
I still believe you are opening a can of worms if you cancel some sports and not others. Volleyball may not be a contact sport but the virus is now believed to be airborne so contact is not needed to contract the virus, so volleyball and cross country are out.

Even if the situation improves, you have to cancel Basketball and Wrestling in the winter because you cannot logically say all of a sudden it is okay to have contact. Cheer is out as well in the winter because of the airborne spread and stunts require contact.

Spring sports may be okay but once again, without an effective vaccine, the disease can still spread. You cannot change your mind and say all of a sudden it's okay.

Title IX comes into play as well because many schools do not offer tennis, x country, or golf so football may be the only option for many boys.

center wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

center wrote:Contact days/competitions in the summer might end up costing us a season. What was wrong with just having the distanced strength and conditioning until August? 

Cuz it be grnd szn!
#NoOffszn  
#Born2Grnd  
#ChampionsRMadeNJune

In seriousness, the amount of people acting like kids were going to keel over dead without an offseason program is ridiculous. So is the notion that everyone's going to be just running dive without camps and contact days.

I feel the amount of people making money off the summer activities has something to do with it also.

I’m amazed how many high school coaches profit from the summer also.

Is that really that widespread though? I've never been somewhere that paid you anything for summer stuff. Outside some free gear and maybe a cut of camp fees.

center wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

center wrote:Contact days/competitions in the summer might end up costing us a season. What was wrong with just having the distanced strength and conditioning until August? 

Cuz it be grnd szn!
#NoOffszn  
#Born2Grnd  
#ChampionsRMadeNJune

In seriousness, the amount of people acting like kids were going to keel over dead without an offseason program is ridiculous. So is the notion that everyone's going to be just running dive without camps and contact days.

I feel the amount of people making money off the summer activities has something to do with it also.

I’m amazed how many high school coaches profit from the summer also.

In 20 years I’ve spent every cent from camp on our kids. It’s crazy to me that this happens. The two schools I’ve worked at required us to have our activity accounts on campus anyway, which honestly, in this day and age, is a good idea I think.

dusty7 wrote:You cannot change your mind and say all of a sudden it's okay.

Depending on how Nov 4th goes, I think you'll see just that.

IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating summer practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

dusty7 wrote:In response to Lefty,
In order to receive our full stipends, programs need to have a plan in place to keep the kids involved for the remainder of the season.  We have had the same conversation but identified two major problems
1. How can a school continue to have the kids participate in something that the state said is unsafe.   If a kid gets sick, could the parents pursue legal action?
2. How many kids would be willing to participate when they are playing for nothing?  Sure you will get a few of the hard workers and underclassmen to participate, but overall few kids would probably sacrifice their time for nothing.  Unless you already have scholarship opportunities, kids today would see it as a total waste of time.  
I still believe you are opening a can of worms if you cancel some sports and not others.  Volleyball may not be a contact sport but the virus is now believed to be airborne so contact is not needed to contract the virus, so volleyball and cross country are out.  

Even if the situation improves, you have to cancel Basketball and Wrestling in the winter because you cannot logically say all of a sudden it is okay to have contact.  Cheer is out as well in the winter because of the airborne spread and stunts require contact.  

Spring sports may be okay but once again, without an effective vaccine, the disease can still spread.  You cannot change your mind and say all of a sudden it's okay.

Title IX comes into play as well because many schools do not offer tennis, x country, or golf so football may be the only option for many boys.  

All good points. I think you might have a shot to do it if you’re not exposing your kids to other schools. I also think if you find a sweet spot as far as not requiring to much time and making things fun, I think we’d get 3/4 of our kids. We have some decent lower level kids who are very invested. I wouldn't want them going a whole year without some sort of coaching and honestly, neither would them or their parents.

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

Yeah, that’s sobering. I’m on our re-opening committee, and we met Tuesday for the first time. I had to have a beer at 4:30 when I got home it was so depressing.

left120 wrote:Yeah, that’s sobering. I’m on our re-opening committee, and we met Tuesday for the first time. I had to have a beer at 4:30 when I got home it was so depressing.

I have to admit having the summer off has been ok, little boring yes, but not bad. As we get closer to fall though it is getting very depressing.

Funny how Travel teams are playing across the state but due to being a state entity IHSA schools cannot participate in any activities. I can see Club Football starting up soon. Schools can donate their equipment and fields to allow teams to participate. Kids still get to play and it has no involvement with the school. I bet PeeWee football is played across the state this year.

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating summer practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

I just read it. Feels like a nail in the coffin. This sucks big time.

dusty7 wrote:Funny how Travel teams are playing across the state but due to being a state entity IHSA schools cannot participate in any activities.  I can see Club Football starting up soon.  Schools can donate their equipment and fields to allow teams to participate.  Kids still get to play and it has no involvement with the school.  I bet PeeWee football is played across the state this year.

Our junior tackle is very close to cancelling...

Am I reading this right? Athletes have to wear masks?

lefty120 wrote:

center wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

center wrote:Contact days/competitions in the summer might end up costing us a season. What was wrong with just having the distanced strength and conditioning until August? 

Cuz it be grnd szn!
#NoOffszn  
#Born2Grnd  
#ChampionsRMadeNJune

In seriousness, the amount of people acting like kids were going to keel over dead without an offseason program is ridiculous. So is the notion that everyone's going to be just running dive without camps and contact days.

I feel the amount of people making money off the summer activities has something to do with it also.

I’m amazed how many high school coaches profit from the summer also.

In 20 years I’ve spent every cent from camp on our kids. It’s crazy to me that this happens. The two schools I’ve worked at required us to have our activity accounts on campus anyway, which honestly, in this day and age, is a good idea I think.

I was shocked also. There is a certain part of the state (not to mention any directions but north and east) that has this goes on a lot more than you think.

They charge for their summer programs (even weight room) and coaches that work the program are paid. It is their summer job.

lefty120 wrote:

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

Yeah, that’s sobering.  I’m on our re-opening committee, and we met Tuesday for the first time. I had to have a beer at 4:30 when I got home it was so depressing.

Lefty what is your reopening committee looking at?

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating summer practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

eliminating?  or modifying?

or are you referring specifically to football?

Head Idiot wrote:

OSUBucks wrote:Today's Ivy League decision won't affect what the Power 5 Conferences decide as per having football. However there is a lot of pessimism today about whether the football season will start on time.

I strongly doubt there's college football.

I'll put HS football at about a 10% chance.

I'm adjusting my prediction to .10%. About the same chance you have of dying from the disease.

ging wrote:

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating summer practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

eliminating?  or modifying?

or are you referring specifically to football?

No contact drills/physical contact among athletes, applies to football and basketball. As for wearing masks I'm not sure if that includes outside while practicing social distancing. It does say always in the statement. That's pretty brutal if outside during this hot weather.

center wrote:

lefty120 wrote:

newcom wrote:IHSA just sent an updated mandate to the Principal's on eliminating practices and scrimmages going forward.  Fall sports now look very very bleek,

Yeah, that’s sobering.  I’m on our re-opening committee, and we met Tuesday for the first time. I had to have a beer at 4:30 when I got home it was so depressing.

Lefty what is your reopening committee looking at?  

Plan with the most steam seems to be a schedule that includes 7 periods, 35 min each, 4 min passing...students leave at 12:40, grab a sack lunch if they need it, busses run at 1:00. That would be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday taking an E Learning day with teachers in the building but no students on Wednesday's. Give custodial staff a chance to clean building thoroughly. I’m not hopeful that we even make it to Labor Day. The ISBE guidelines will severely stress our sub roster...which isn’t good to begin with.

Head Idiot wrote:

Head Idiot wrote:

OSUBucks wrote:Today's Ivy League decision won't affect what the Power 5 Conferences decide as per having football. However there is a lot of pessimism today about whether the football season will start on time.

I strongly doubt there's college football.

I'll put HS football at about a 10% chance.

I'm adjusting my prediction to .10%. About the same chance you have of dying from the disease.

That’s well said. And I’m afraid you’re right.

OldTitan wrote:Am I reading this right? Athletes have to wear masks?

yes.

i follow hoover and about 7 or 8 out of state teams we've played over the years in 7on7. hoover has been wearing full cloth face masks under their helmets since they started up. i'll see if i can find some video.

Head Idiot wrote:

center wrote:Contact days/competitions in the summer might end up costing us a season. What was wrong with just having the distanced strength and conditioning until August? 

Cuz it be grnd szn!
#NoOffszn  
#Born2Grnd  
#ChampionsRMadeNJune

In seriousness, the amount of people acting like kids were going to keel over dead without an offseason program is ridiculous. So is the notion that everyone's going to be just running dive without camps and contact days.

some of us do more than 'rtfb'. or whatever your slogan was.

as well as playing m/m coverage every snap.

Looks like no masks need to be worn outside while social distancing. This is good for us as we have been going this week with drills, installs, and walkthroughs, all on air with massive splits, it looks like the double wing lonesome polecat.

I have seen many coaches on Twitter canceling Basketball camps because indoors, masks are mandatory.

I still do not forsee a season happening but I hear the Big Ten doing a 100% in conference schedule so that gives me a little bit of hope.