What direction do we go on now?

 

 

 

The IHSA made their decision. What is next now with Illinois XC?

 

 

 

By Michael Newman

 

[email protected]

 

 

The gun goes off. The runners step from the starting line.

 

That is the place we are at after the IHSA announced on July 29 that there would be a high school cross country season in the state of Illinois.

 

Kraig Garber, the Assistant Executive Director for the IHSA governing Cross Country, said in an e-mail reply Wednesday that the possibility of a state meet this season is yet to be determined.

 

Do not be angry about that statement. The past four months have been fluid with one change after another. The IHSA does not know what happens next for this sport. Coaches and administrators are on the same path not knowing what is next. We do have a wise group of coaches in this state that will give each other feedback. They will give the IHSA feedback. We will figure this out. One way or the other, we will find which flag we make a turn on in this season’s race.

 

Before we go further, I did want to say this. I did get a ton of responses from coaches yesterday. Thank you. At the same time, I started looking at some of the social media out there to see what kind of flow we were in.

 

Not every person that is on one of the social media channels have both oars in the water. Do not get me wrong. There are some valid points out there. Then again, you start thinking about the reasoning from others.

 

I saw this on a social media page this morning that I wanted to share.

 

“This entire thing is a joke. Just let the parents and schools decide!”

 

Please do not let the parents decide. Please do not. Coaches are the advocates for the student/athletes competing for them and they are listening to the concerns from the parents every day. Parents making the final decisions lead to lawsuits and that just cannot happen. If you do not feel safe that your children are participating in the school’s program, have a talk with the coach. If you are not satisfied, it is your right to pull your child from that activity.

 

The key is to follow the guidelines that are set for us and to follow them. Wearing a mask everyday has gotten us to this point in time. It is for the IHSA and their coaches to again create an environment to keep the student/athletes safe. That is what is happening here.

 

There will be changes to all of this every day. Dates are going to change. Keeping a level attitude not getting too high or too low will be a key.

 

“There are just so many stressful variables, but the most stressful one is out of the way,” said Palatine Boys Coach Chris Quick. “I honestly expected everything to get cancelled so I am pleasantly surprised to have a shot at it.”

 

Let us look at the questions that will be examined throughout the next few months.

 

How do we conduct a cross country meet under Pandemic circumstances?

 

I just hope that we can go from Level 3 to Level 4 where more athletes can compete against each other. Until that time guidelines from this state tells us that 50 kids can run together, or groups of 50 people can be at an area at one time.

 

It is going to take creativity for meets to happen. It will take a course that will allow different ways of racing.

 

“It might need to be started in waves, but we have a small course that may prevent that,” said Downers Grove South Girls Coach Doug Plunkett. “Those of us with larger teams will need to split up into multiple races or races on different days.”

 

We could see more flight meets in this season. A flight meet consists teams’ top runner racing against each other, second runner and so on.

 

David Behm is the head coach at Chrisman High School and hosts the Chrisman Cow Chip Meet on the first weekend of September. “We may have to control who views the meet. We control each of the runners’ groups usher a flight to the starting line, move them from the finish line, and then bring the next group out,” Behm said. “Spectators would not be allowed on the course. We can set up an area where they could watch. That area would be limited but you can see the entire race from that area.”

 

We have seen from the sports that have been slowly coming back is that spectators were not allowed in the venue. More recently, NASCAR events are slowly allowing spectators back but emphasizing social distancing. It could hurt the feelings of parents but what ever needs to be done to keep the area safe, so be it. Again, circumstances hopefully will improve so that is not an issue. For right now, it could be.

 

“I’m happy that XC is moving ahead.  That being said, it will look different,” said St. Charles East Coach Chris Bosworth. “As far as the parent issue, if we want this season to continue, we will need parents to respect the guidelines set by the state.  It will be hard to enforce at forest preserves but at a high school, the parent issue could be controlled more.”

 

“As for parents at meets, we will be working with our district as to how we want to proceed.  It may be such a thing that each athlete can select a certain number or people to attend.  I'm not really sure what that is going to look like,” said Winnebago Coach Janet Erb. When hosting a meet I think we will probably need to set aside a designated area for each team camp at least 30' away from other teams.  I have also thought about having the officials go to team camps to check athletes in, rather than having large groups congregate at the start line.  We will need to give more time between races because our start/finish area is close together and we will need to clear out that area.  Another issue may be the need to offer more races to accommodate the number of athletes competing.”

 

Cross Country meets could be all day affairs especially with football and soccer moving to the spring.

 

“We have not at all thought about hosting meets yet. CC spaces are big enough that distancing should not be an issue unless someone makes it so,” Quick added. “We also need to figure out what is allowable from the Cook County Forest Preserve District. We are hopeful to get permits for 50 kids or less to race but know that may be an issue. We may need to run at our school in loops. With no football or soccer, we will actually have the run of the place.”

 

“There are several options for following protocol with meets in my mind, but it also comes down to capability of timing service,” Yorkville Coach Chris Muth said. “Flight races are great, but don't always achieve the desired effect without the correct mix of athletes.  Another option was doing wave starts for courses that can handle them.  It would take really good coordination between coaches and starting company but could be a particularly good way to have 50 or less racers in a given area at a time, while allowing for more runners on the course.  Personally for this all to work at its best, it is going to have to be a coordinated effort from each team to stay socially distant from each other, masked up and to not stray from designated team areas.”

 

The dual meet will be the name of the game early on. The campus course, with some forest preserve course not usable, is something that coaches are looking at becoming creative designing something new. The Nevada sports association (NIAA) has pushed for coaches to use their campus as a course and finishing on their track thus being able to social distance the crowd at the end. That is something that could be possible at some campus sites.

 

“Parents and other family at meets is definitely going to be something I plan on addressing,” said Chatham-Glenwood Coach Mike Garber. “If it is possible to ensure team camp separation and have parents also remain at distance from other athletes outside of their own, it would easily be possible to have family members at meets. I assume there will be other guidelines issued as we get closer to competition, but families on my team just want a season. They are willing to do what is necessary to have one even if it means not attending meets and watching video.”

 

How could this chance the culture of Cross Country in this state?

 

I am hopeful that it does not hurt the sport even more so than kids not being able to race in meets since March. The culture has already been hurt from the decisions of the XC Advisory Board to cut down sectionals in Class 2A and 3A down from five to four sectionals without changing the qualification standards from a regional to a sectional meet. 20% fewer runners in both of those classes would have ended their season’s one week earlier. Thank the coaches that voted for that.

 

It could hurt programs that have the high number of runners on their teams but not the coaches to control 50 runners per coach.

 

Downers Grove South Girls team started their summer training in the middle of July with the top 50 runners getting coach from their head coach Doug Plunkett. The remaining members on their team have received guidance via text/email on what they should do.

 

“Practice tentatively will be at our normal afternoon 3:00pm time,” added Muth. “One idea we have been floating around is breaking our team up into three or four mini teams in an effort to minimize potential exposure and keeping them basically separated at all times.  This goes against everything we like to do in cross country, but for this season, things might have to be different.  We would like to host one or more meets this year on campus  but need to figure out what "general geographical area" means before we move forward. We also would need board approval.”

 

It could hurt schools that have a big number of athletes on their roster but not enough coaches to coach them. It could mean runners not coming out for the team because of health safety. That is up to the coach and the school district to develop a safe running environment. A program like York does have enough coaches for each of the different levels of the runner’s talent. The numbers could be down with freshman runners in any state program especially with parents being cautious with their children being in a new situation.

 

Will there be a state meet this fall in Illinois?

 

No one knows the answer to that right now. Kraig Garber was asked that question yesterday with a reply of that is yet to be determined. Then again, the question was asked less than an hour after the IHSA hade made their release. Another person who helps with the meet stated they will find a way to hold this meet. I hope so.

 

The meet at Detweiller Park will not look like the usual gathering than more than 10,000 people running all over the grounds. A lot of how this state meet looks like could depend on where we are at with state guidelines. If the Peoria area is still under a guideline of under 50 people, then I would doubt that we see a champion crowned in Peoria.

 

Let us stay optimistic on all of this. The format of the meet would have to change. Instead of having six races in one day, we could see one class go on one day with two races contested and then followed the next two days by the same format. Have the Girls race at 10:30 AM, then the Boys race at 1:00 PM. It gives the IHSA a chance to move some people off the grounds. The IHSA would also make the determination how many fans can be there if any. Remember, the IHSA is renting that park at those times. They, along with the Peoria Park District, can make the determination. It might just be athletes, coaches, meet personnel, and media that may be at the meet.

 

I liked how NASCAR dealt with their sport coming back early on and still uses it. They would not allow drivers and their teams to enter the grounds of the racetrack until the day of the race. That could be applied here. The IHSA could hold zoom calls about state meet rules instead of having meetings with the coaches at Detweiller Park. You miss a meeting, and your team misses running at state. Teams would not have access to Detweiller Park the day before the race. Keep the social distancing alive in the three days of the meet. It would not be like every year where teams make the state meet an event staying overnight in Peoria. Again, this is not a normal year.

 

The Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) that decide a national team championship will not happen because of the pandemic. Foot Locker has not said anything about their meet yet. We will have to wait and see if that happens. If no state meet, it may end up that we having a postal state champion.

 

I hope we do not have to do that. I would rather be under the changing leaves of Detweiller Park in the fall.

 

I cannot answer the questions that I have been receiving of will the regional and sectional meets change. There are so many things that I have heard bouncing around. So I will not stay. We have been patient all this time. Let us be a patient a little more. Our society demands answers immediately. Let us change our society a little bit on this one.

 

~~

 

I know I felt a lot of anxiety heading into the decision that was made yesterday both personal and professionally. I am sure athletes were going through the same process. Coaches I know were feeling for the athletes that they coached. They had missed one season with a hope there would be something this fall.

 

“I have to say, it has been a rough few months. Personally, I run when I get stressed out. I use that time to think and reflect,” said Glenwood’s Mike Garber. The issue I have run into is talking with runners that hear different things about the season. There were so many unknowns for weeks and my athletes would sometimes become disheartened and unmotivated by twitter and other platforms. Social media can be a blessing and a curse. I do not ever want my runners to feel like they did in Spring when they lost Track season, but I had no good answers when confronted with so many questions. Now that we have some answers and something to shoot for, I have received a lot of messages about their motivations. The wait was hard, but the wind is back in their sails. I always talk about how running makes athletes better PEOPLE. We are going to have some resilient and inspired young athletes around Illinois this Fall....and I can't wait.”

 

“Without a doubt, I would have loved to have had answers weeks ago, but I was glad they worked to find solutions,” Janet Erb said. “We are excited to have the opportunity to compete, but we have to make sure we get it right.  If numbers rise, there will be some ready to pull the plug on the season.  For that reason, I think there will be a fair amount of stress for everyone that cares about the sport throughout the entirety of the season.”

 

“These kids deserve a season and a state series and the only way that happens if we as coaches control the controllable as much as possible and bottom line, do what is best for these kids first and foremost,” Chris Muth said. “Have I been frustrated with the state and IHSA over the process this summer, absolutely, but I also know they have been faced with an unbelievable task that isn't easy on anyone.  I know the season will be much different, heck our summer has been much different, but no matter what, if there is a state meet at the end of this, you better believe Yorkville wants a chance to earn a state trophy.”

 

Let us enjoy this fall whether we have a state meet or not. We get to compete against each other. We get to run for fun and personal bests. We get to challenge ourselves. I cannot wait for the first meet on August 24

 

~~

 

One more thing on Track & Field. I know we do not start until May 2021.

 

I saw the complaints of why so short a period. Guess what? We have a season. Let us stay on the positive.

 

There will be no indoor season according to Kraig Garber. “As it stands, track runs from May 3 to June 26,” Garber stated in an e-mail reply. “The board did not approve for it to start before then. If it is considered outside of the approved season, then an athlete’s ability to compete in non-school events still applies as normal.”

 

I am guessing we could have a ton of club meets. Athletes: Get your USATF memberships updated. Coaches and Meet Organizers: I would check if a facility will host an indoor meet next winter. Fluid circumstance if the guidelines change.

 

The one thing that worries me is what could happen if there is no practice with field events. We could see specialty indoor meets happen featuring one field event. The Windy City Pole Vault Summit could again happen. The Flyin’ Dragons Club in Central Illinois could host a Pole Vault meet.

 

It is time to get creative. This could be the time to have those small meets if you can find an indoor facility.

 

Coaches are allowed 20 contact days with their athletes before the official track season begins on May 3. I bet there will practices happening in April.

 

This change of schedule could be something to watch for this spring. We usually have cooler than normal weather throughout April and into the first week of May. When the normal season is over, we all wish that we can compete when the weather is so nice in June. We could have some great performances in the 2021 season.

 

I do not think the end of track season will be at the end of June. I think there will be loads of meets that will take place in July and into August. I am guessing we will have the NSAF National Meet. USATF and AAU will probably have Junior Olympic Meets that dip their feet into August.

 

For distance runners, their rest period before the start of track season is four weeks less now down to six weeks. Coaches will have to get creative with their training schedules for the 2021 XC Season.

 

We will talk more about track at the beginning of 2021.