The Illinois House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would give high school student-athletes the right to participate in the both school-sponsored teams and non-school teams in the same sport at the same time.
According to The State Journal-Register, House Bill 3037 would create the “Right to Play Act” in Illinois and override existing rules of the Illinois High School Association, which sets eligibility rules for student athletes and strictly regulates their ability to participate in non-school programs.
The rules prohibit students those students who play on a high school team from also participating in club teams, given concerns that dual participation could create friction between coaches.
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in an interview that currently students may participate in as many as three outside contests or tournaments during the season, but only if those events are sanctioned by the sport’s national governing body and the student receives permission from both their school and IHSA.
“We have cross country runners who are running a charity race during the cross country season. IHSA found out and disqualified that runner for the rest of the season,” said Rep. Janet Yang-Rohr (D-Naperville). “We have members of a high school pom squad in Will County. Members of that pom squad went to a dance competition, and IHSA found out and disqualified those dancers for the rest of the season.”
But Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), said there's a reason for the rules.
“If there’s a kid in a concussion protocol, if there was an event that happened, maybe in a soccer game with one team or the other, I don’t know that that coach has to communicate with the other coach to make sure that the kid is rested,” she said. “And so I just have issues with that overlap.”
Stuart said the new rules could complicate relationships between students, coaches and families.
“They’re in a spot,” she said. “Their high school coach says, ‘If you don’t go to practice, you’re not playing the next 10 games,’ or whatever the typical thing is. And then you have a traveling coach who says, ‘Well, if you don’t show up for our practice, then you’re not playing.’ And then the kid has to choose. ‘Which one do I not have an opportunity in?’ I think you’re going to have a lot of issues with that.”
