Why can't all cooperate on sports decision?

The IHSA has made repeated efforts to facilitate both fall sports and, now, winter sports. On the other hand, J.B. Pritzker and the IDPH are very mysterious about the reasons behind their decisions and have come out with dictatorial edicts which have either canceled sports or delayed them. I do not understand why all parties involved cannot sit down in the same room or meet virtually to hear each other's positions and make a decision that is best for our student athletes and the general society.

All the states around us have had high school football. Those same states are planning on having basketball. J.B. Pritzker has said that winter sports must be delayed in Illinois to April.

J.B. Pritzker keeps saying that he "depends on the science." OK: what is the science? Why is an 8% positivity rate a threshold? Give us some tangible facts.

The athletes involved might miss a once in lifetime experience by not playing basketball this winter. Many of them have worked a majority of their lives to get to this point, Some teams are sitting on historic seasons and may never have the same opportunity if the upcoming season is delayed or canceled. Some athletes on these teams need to play the high school season now to showcase their talents and convince college coaches that they should be scholarship athletes.

Some of these athletes are moving out of state just so they can have their season. I am not supporting having high school athletics and jeopardizing the health of the athletes or the community around them. But can the decision-makers on both sides have a meeting instead of being met with impersonal edicts?

Let both sides present their cases and reach a mutual decision that is best for all.

Don Rowley

Arlington Heights