Failure of Leadership Hurts Kids Of Illinois
The IHSA continues to drop the ball in #ReturnToPlay debate
(Photo Credit: NPR Illinois)
The coronavirus pandemic has taught us many things over the past six months.
For some, who have lost loved ones, it’s taught us how fragile life can be. For others, it’s been a lesson in resiliency, how almost overnight, personal freedoms vanquished, replaced by health and safety guidelines now embedded into our daily activity with a routineness reserved previously only by teeth brushing or Starbucks runs.
We’re also learning about economics and the environment (what to do with all those masks lying on the ground?) and how government and private institutions work (Boards of Educations have a lot of power in this state). As other states move forward with their virus co-existence futures, we compare their plan with that of the state of Illinois.
For those of us invested in education (almost all of you reading this) and athletics (same as education) we are learning about leadership and how glaring the gap is when missing.
There is a massive leadership gap right now in Illinois, and The Illinois High School Association is dropping the ball.
Pre-virus, the IHSA acted in a public role similar to that of an government agency.
We knew it existed, that someone had to keep the lights on and rent the facility, but best for all if it were the wallpaper at your Aunt Marge’s birthday party.
We only notice when there is a stain.
But that changed in early summer, when we were all figuring out how to get kids out of the house and back on the field. In early July, when a virus cases were falsely attributed to a Lake Zurich sports camp, the Governor Pritzker marginalized the association by seizing authority. Later that month, Pritzker saw a political opportunity and kicked the IHSA to the curb.
We fumbled the letter sequences of the various state agencies we were now forced to learn (I-D-P-H…I-S-B-E…I-R-I-P) and asked ourselves: what is the IHSA doing? Aren’t they in charge of high school sports in Illinois?
Craig Anderson, the IHSA Executive Director, went on a downstate radio show and clarified the role of the organization:
Our association is a non-for-profit, its solely at the direction of our member schools…our purpose is to help our schools organize and conduct state series programs for their students. This ancillary stuff we’ve gotten ourselves into related to guidelines and return to some activities safely this summer, it’s not a jurisdiction that we have like a state agency might have.
At the time, we gave them a pass. We understood the difficult situation the IHSA was in, trying to navigate through an unprecedented time and not desirous to butt heads with a dictatorial governor. Let it be.
But in the two months since then, times have changed. We are seeing sports played all over the country, and done safely. And more concurrent, we are seeing states reverse decisions made previously, done so with their respective state sport associations leading the charge.
How those decisions are being made is why it is appropriate to ask the question again.
What is the IHSA doing? Whey aren’t they doing more?
On August 28, Dr. Nikolai Vitti, the superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, sent a letter to a man named Mark Uyl.
Uyl is the executive director of the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
In the letter, Vitti urged Uyl and the MHSAA to allow state high schools to play football in 2020 and questioned why the MHSAA wasn’t doing more to make it happen. Vitti also questioned the leadership of the organization and it’s pass-the-buck-to-the-governor public stance:
Why are you blaming or asking the Governor (Gretchen Whitmer) to make decisions that she has given the MHSAA to make? The MHSAA abdicated its responsibility to make athletic decisions and instead deferred to the Governor in closed door conversations instead of supporting student-athletes, coaches and their families.
At the time, an executive order from Whitmer restricted youth sports. Vitti interpreted the order as not removing authority from the MHSAA to determine #ReturnToPlay guidelines.
The Governor never publicly stated that she would prevent any sports from being played if the MHSAA moved in another direction
Vitti requested the MHSAA pass a resolution to play football in the fall.
In Michigan, an academic leader (Vitti) openly questioned the leadership of the state’s sports organizing association (MHSAA).
Uyl responded to Vitti’s letter during a radio interview:
Our position and what our schools' position is and what our schools are ready to do has been made very, very clear. It's now up to downtown Lansing (the state capitol) to be able to make some decisions and give some guidance about what is going to be allowed and what isn't. This is no longer a decision that we as the MHSAA can make. We have to make sure that we're following all current executive orders of which that is what essentially right now is the issue. The governor's office is aware of that, and we're continuing to work together on the resolution
But comments made later in the interview are worth noting. Here is where Uyl steps out of character and steps up the defiance:
We are also communicating loud and clear that the clock here is ticking. Right now everybody is in limbo and this is not fair to our kids and our coaches. If the answer is no, we need to know that. We haven't gotten that answer yet and because of that we're going to continue to fight, to push and to advocate for what our kids, our coaches and our schools are telling us to do.
Wow.
Uyl said: “We’re going to continue to fight, to push, to advocate for what our kids, our coaches, and our schools are telling us to do.’ Rallies were held in Michigan, a large on on the capitol steps.”
Compare this to a comment from Anderson on a Sept. 18 town hall radio show on the RFD Radio Network:
We can only listen to where the governor is at…in press conferences he has shared his position that we are not very close. We’ve had some engagement with the IDPH and the SMAC (Sports Medicine Advisory Committee). You ask me today and the outlook is not good
Where is the line about ‘continuing to push and fight’?
Instead we get deference and hopelessness from Anderson.
On the last Friday in August, #ReturnToPlay rallies were held in Michigan, most notable in front of the state’s capitol building in Lansing.
That same day, it was leaked to reporters that the MHSAA had asked the state for permission to play football again.
A similar opportunity for the IHSA popped up last week.
Gov. Pritzker was questioned at press conferences about football and #ReturnToPlay. Coaches were finally speaking out about the silliness of the situation. #LetUsPlay rallies were being held and planned.
What did the IHSA do? They revealed a bit of news, admitting how on Sept. 11 it had sent a letter to the governor’s office requesting permission to resume control over the resumption of sports and activities:
But the second paragraph of the letter tells us all we need to know about the IHSA’s true intentions and to whom they are duty-bound:
It is important to note that, under the leadership of Governor Pritzker, Illinois has attained one of the lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. Additionally, several surrounding states have successfully conducted sports categorized as medium and high risk here in Illinois, and we believe sports and activities are safest when conducted under the IHSA safety protocols by school personnel. Those combined factors led us to issue this letter, and we will respectfully await response to it.
As for the resumption of sports?
There have been no discussions, let alone proposed timelines, for resuming any sports at this time. Should our office receive a positive response from government officials, it could result in the IHSA reexamining its previously released season schedules, as well as postseason schedules, for the 2020-21 school year.
They threw in a line about ‘protests’ and for those participating to be ‘safe, smart and respectful’.
Don’t overlook the use of the word ‘protest’ rather than ‘rally’. It’s a small but subtle tone-setter. The IHSA is afraid of the Governor’s office. It’s not a partnership, rather a relationship of dysfunction.
On the same radio show last Friday (Sept. 18), Anderson said this when asked about figuring out sports scheduling for the rest of the school year:
Everything is on the table. Dealing with this pandemic everything can change in the moment. There is no such thing as outside the box. The box is wide open
But the actions of Anderson and the IHSA don’t corroborate his ‘box is wide open’ statement. The window for football is passed. There remains no ‘all clear’ for winter sports or for the spring.
All we get is this when asked by a host why the IHSA won’t question the Governor’s wishes:
It’s dangerous territory for us to go it alone. we have public schools that have oversight by the Illinois State Board of Education that has oversight by the governor’s office. With the majority of our membership being public schools we have to acknowledge that the leadership from the Governor’s office since we’ve transitioned into this pandemic is something we need to listen to.
The Governor, the Governor, the Governor. Yada, yada, yada.
Mr. Anderson…please stop with the condescending answers. We understand you are dealing with an autocratic governor who uses youth sports like a condiment whenever he needs to add flavor to a political entree. We know he ignores messages from your office and has little interest in your organization except when there is a politician reason for him to be interested. And we know the IHSA can’t waive a magic wand and reinstate football or boys soccer, girls volleyball, and put out a basketball and wrestling schedule for the winter. You need collaboration to do your job, instead you get resistance at every turn.
But Mr. Anderson…here’s the problem. When other states find a way back to sports, when their associations openly defy their government leaders desires, when they make decisions irrespective of their governor’s views (Minnesota reinstated football Sept. 21 and we have no idea what its governor thinks about #ReturnToPlay), when their sports associations use the media not to pacify their governor’s feelings but to do what’s right for kids, you know what happens?
People get mad. They feel like the organization is more interested in remaining obligated to a politician than following its stated mission:
The IHSA governs the equitable participation in interscholastic athletics and activities that enrich the educational experience
It’s not all on Anderson and the IHSA. District superintendents are also to blame as they have failed to speak out publicly. But their silence is more explainable. They are beholden to their unions, who are obligated to Pritzker. It doesn’t make it right, but the mitigation is more linear.
On Sept. 18, last Friday, Michigan high school athletes played their first football games. Fans were present. It looked like a late summer Midwestern Friday night.
When given permission, community members were able to hold a sporting event safely and respectfully. They figured it out. They did so because public officials stepped up and led and did everything they could to fight for their kids and #ReturnToPlay.
So Mr. Anderson and the IHSA, what is your next move?
Will you lead or continue to bend the knee to a tyrant?