As of Jan. 13, spring and former paused winter sports were announced to resume as early as Jan. 15, determined by their risk level. With only a few regions permitted to conduct low-risk sports this year, they hope sports statewide will be able to resume by February. 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement of rolling back three regions (1, 2, & 5) in the state from Tier three mitigations to Tier two mitigations on Jan.15, which enables the IHSA to give schools located in regions under Tier 2 and Tier 1 mitigations opportunity for winter sports’ practices. Click the link here to see the IHSA’s allowances prior to winter sports.

Sports that will be permitted to occur include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls bowling, cheer, and dance. If students are interested in signing up they can visit the Grayslake Central high school website. 

Practice and games will look normal with COVID precautions as exceptions. Athletic director Brian Moe described a typical day, “Athletes will have their temperature taken and show their CrisisGo certification before they are allowed into practice. Once in practice, they will be required to wear a mask at all times (unless they are getting a drink, in which case they MUST be six feet away from anyone). The rest of practice will look fairly normal, with the exception of athletes being six feet apart when not participating in drills or scrimmages.”

Due to the number of restrictions, students will not be allowed to attend games and competitions. But it is possible for only family members to spectate. According to Moe, “With the limitations on the number of spectators and distance from the floor, we will most likely only have family members in attendance.” Parents can visit the school calendar to view upcoming games and events. If interested in attending, spectators will need to acquire a ticket. “Information on where to obtain them will go out to anyone who is able to get them,” said Moe.

Moe hopes to achieve a successful and safe season for all teams, but he is not relying on the number of wins, rather on the athlete’s contribution. He explained that “a successful season this year has as many athletes participating as possible while doing our best to keep everyone safe and healthy.”