Chambana Sun

Every parent group, coach, referee and others involved in student athletics are outraged over Gov. J.B. Pritzker's limiting high school, youth and adult recreational sports, according to State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Springfield).

Just as the Illinois High School Association board of directors prepared to issue a high school sports schedule, Pritzker announced a set of COVID-19 restrictions, according to a July 29, 2020 Chicago Sun-Times article.

Football, boxing, wrestling, competitive cheerleading and dance are limited to no-contact practice and training, according to state COVID-19 guidelines.

Activities are classified into either higher risk, medium risk or lower risk and Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4.

For example, high-risk sports can play at Level 1 while medium risk sports can play at Level 1 and 2. Medium risk sports include basketball, soccer, water polo, flag football, wheelchair basketball and volleyball.

“There's no science to what he's doing, absolutely no science, and it's another punitive effort by this governor to rule over the whole state of Illinois like we’re Chicago,” Caulkins told the Chambana Sun. “If they have a problem in Cook County or Will County or wherever, then deal with it. We don't have these problems in downstate Illinois. But if the governor only locks down these three or four counties while everybody else can have sports with social distancing, what do you think will happen in those other counties? How do you think those parents will feel? So, in order to try and tamp down the virus, which is impossible scientifically but in order to appear to be doing that, he has to apply this one-size-fits-all to the state. Outdoor sports is great. I think it's good for kids. It keeps them in school. It keeps them interested. It gives them an outlet. It builds character and creates lifelong friendships and its shortsighted and malicious. In any event, it's wrong.”

As of Aug. 11, there are 195,388 cases and 7,637 fatalities of COVID-19 in the state.

“This is exactly what this administration has done every step of the way,” Caulkins said. “They have ignored the professionals who know the most on this particular subject and I don't know who or where Gov. Pritzker is getting his advice or marching orders, but it just never seems to jive with what the experts in the field are talking about. He’s done this with parks, fishing, golf and restaurants. They’ve overruled the restaurant association and the professionals to come up with their own arbitrary and capricious rules. It makes no sense.”