The fight for high school football, volleyball, and soccer is headed to the courtroom, but it is unlikely to have any impact on bringing those sports back for the fall season, meaning those sports will be headed for a spring season in 2021 under direction from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker due to the COVID pandemic.

DeWitt/Piatt Bi-County Health Department Director Dave Remmert is also the cross country coach at Monticello High School and says from the kids' perspectives, there is very little reason high school kids should not be competing. He recognizes comparing COVID to H1N1 often draws criticism but he points out, that was a disease much more deadly to school-age children. 

Many say kids who would be playing sports risk contracting the virus and taking it home to an at-risk adult in their life but Remmert says that just isn't likely. He says data suggests kids are actually more likely to contract it from an adult, household contact than the inverse.

Remmert says every other state has adapted as more data has become available. He recognizes while this is a novel virus and caution early was warranted, he says it continues to not impact youth.