At Ogden International High School in Chicago, like many schools across the state, an impasse between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is leaving the school in the position of having to decide whether or not to permit winter sports.
The IHSA Board of Directors is seeking to extend an olive branch after an initial vote of defiance following Pritzker’s reclassification of high school sports – including basketball – from medium-risk to high-risk, effectively delaying the start of the season, according to the Chicago Tribune. The board has invited Pritzker to send representatives from his office to attend their next meeting and discuss a way forward.
Ogden International High School boys varsity basketball coach Jim Zigulich recently spoke with the Chicago City Wire, saying he is concerned that the myriad ways in which schools will handle the conflict between Pritzker and the IHSA is going to lead to an uneven playing field.
“It seems like if there is a season, it’s going to be in different parts, which I think is going to make for a difficult way to determine who is successful, who is any type of champion, any type of state winner, conference winner,” he said. “It seems like it’s such a muddled mess right now that it’s going to make for difficulty in having a streamlined competition.”
Whatever it takes to get there, Zigulich said he hopes the IHSA and Pritzker can reach an agreement that everyone can live with.
“My hope is that, whatever we decide to do, everyone’s able to participate, and does so in a streamlined way so that there is a real season,” he said.
Still, especially for the seniors, Zigulich said that he hopes as much as anything that they can simply get in some kind of season for those players.
"My hope is that we have a season, just for our seniors,” he added.
While the school got far enough into last season to have a senior night, the season was ended by COVID-19 before they finished the regional semifinals, he said. That meant student-athletes in their final season didn’t get to see their high school career through to its conclusion.
“We would have five seniors this year,” he said. “So I’m hopeful that we have a season in some form or fashion, just for their sake.”
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