Opinion

IHSA must improve safety for athletes

Posted October 01, 2014 5:01 am

Gridiron Alliance and I have been invited to testify before a scheduled Illinois legislative hearing in Chicago looking for ways the IHSA can improve sports safety and injury prevention. Since 1999, the alliance has been advocating for injured high school athletes. Sadly, we feel that our efforts are falling mostly on deaf ears. Time for change! We will be fired up!

Illinois high school sports is a multimillion-dollar business and offers limited accountability to the public and student athletes/parents who pay all the bills. Who will stand with us? Speak up for sports safety. The next hearing is 4 p.m. on Oct. 3 at South Shore International High School (1955 E. 75th St., Chicago. Join us in seeking IHSA transparency and accountability among all who make and enforce policies, collect thousands of dollars, have large well-paid staff executives and offer no insurance for student athletes. Is this wrong? Other states have their athletic association accountable to legislators and the taxpayer, but not Illinois. This should change!

Don Grossnickle

Arlington Heights

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