Chicago City Wire

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) can now resume winter sports like basketball on Thursday after the rest of the state has already resumed their sports programs.

CPS Sports Director David Rosengard sent emails to district schools Tuesday afternoon saying that boys and girls bowling, boys swimming and diving, competitive cheer and dance, badminton and boys and girls basketball can begin Thursday.

“Our top priority will continue to be keeping our staff, students, and their families healthy and safe,” Rosengard wrote, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. “As we did for our comprehensive health and safety plan for reopening schools, the district is working closely with our public health officials to ensure sports can be offered safely. Winter Sports Guidelines have been outlined and CPS is evaluating the option of voluntary COVID-19 testing for athletes.”

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) says that teams must practice for seven days before games can be played, so games could begin at the end of next week.

Tyrone Slaughter, the basketball coach for the district is happy about the news.

“I’m so excited that our students can have this opportunity to play given that everyone else in the state is playing,” Slaughter said, Chicago Sun-Times reported.

On Monday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made comments that seemed to show she was unaware that the rest of the state was playing sports.

“That’s not really our call,” Lightfoot said, the news media reported. “Obviously, we’re going to follow the guidance of the Illinois State Board of Education, but also the Illinois High School Association. We’ve been anxiously waiting for further guidance from them. As an unrepentant sports fan myself, I’d like to see kids get back. There’s some loosening of the guidelines to let some non-contact sports happen. But . . . as far as I know, we haven’t seen anything that’s specific to, for example, high school basketball. So I’d like to see us move in that direction, but the state really controls the play, no pun intended, on that issue.”

Amy Jacobson, the co-host of Chicago’s Morning Answer, attended Lightfoot’s press conference Monday and had another reporter ask Lightfoot about school sports, as she wasn’t allowed to ask the question herself since she was told the pool reporter would be the only one allowed to ask questions. 

Jacobson said in an email that after the conference, she called the mayor’s press secretary, Jordan Troy, and advised her that it was the mayor’s office’s job to inform the mayor.

“I said it's your job and those around the Mayor to let her know what is going on via sports,” Jacobson said

Jacobson also said children are dying from suicide and violence because they have nothing to look forward to because sports were being canceled.

“Recently my oldest had a breakdown,” Jacobson said. “He said ‘Mom you get to leave the house to go to work. We sleep here, eat here and learn here from 8am—3pm.' So YES sports would get them out of the house. A chance to live rather than exist. Do the right thing and #LETTHEMPLAY now!!!”