IHSA member schools are hesitant about playing basketball against guidelines from state health officials.

Last week, Dr. Vic Zimmerman at Monticello Schools indicated it would be counterintuitive to play basketball agains the guidance of state health officials while following all their recommendations for having kids in school. Athletic Director Dan Sheehan echoed those comments and says as basketball practices open this week, they are continuing to follow the guidelines laid out by state health leaders.

Doing a deep dive of fall sports from practices of high impact sports to out of season activities, Sheehan found none of their activities were linked to any cases of COVID in their community.

According to Sheehan, he remains frustrated by the continued lack of communication between all the entities that are making these decisions.

Sheehan says the lack of opportunities for kids is something that is concerning for Monticello coaches and administrators. He notes, as students return to practices this week, they are trying to not give their athletes a sense of false hope and be up front about the situation.