Coach's corner: (Almost) 20 questions about the 2020-21 high school sports seasons

It has been a bit of a wild time if you are a high school sports fan in the state of Illinois or, more specifically, a fan of our local teams at Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Loyola, New Trier, North Shore Country Day, Northridge Prep and Christian Heritage Academy (hope I didn't miss any!)

Trying to sort out all the various implications of the brand new season schedule is no easy task. However, and finally - after a process slower and more painful than having a tooth pulled out sans Novocain - the IHSA has released its highly anticipated proposals for the 2020 sports season.

As you might expect, controversy reigns supreme.

Nobody is completely satisfied.

Among the most dramatic of changes were moving to four seasons instead of the traditional three, and the rating of each sport as low-risk, moderate-risk, or high-risk as it relates to the COVID-19.

It might take a short novel to sort through all the potential implications and options, but in the limited space we have here, let's try and dig just a bit deeper. We shall attempt to do so via the old game 20 questions although, in reality, it could just as easily be 100 questions:

1. Wait, no football this fall? Yup, but not to worry. High school football has been rescheduled for the spring, starting Feb. 15. Glad we still have a season, but just thinking about sitting on those cold aluminum bleachers through the wind, cold, snow and sleet of February, March and April is already sending shivers throughout my body.

2. Will there be an extra added spotlight on the few fall sports to begin the year? Yes! Prepare for some extra publicity and maybe a little more "school cool" for the cross-country, golf, tennis and swimming athletes - those, for now, are the only shows in town.

3. Did baseball, lacrosse, girls' softball and girls' soccer get the short end of the stick? Some think so. After losing their season last school year, they are now relegated to a May through June season. The shortest of the four.

4. Speaking of the fourth season, what will be the motivation for seniors that have long since graduated to keep playing through the end of June? Especially the seniors who aren't getting much playing time?

5. Why was hockey not listed? Sorry, ice fans, but hockey is not sanctioned by the IHSA but instead the AHAI.

6. Wait, why are dancing and cheerleading listed as high-risk sports? Many criticized this, but not me. Have you seen dance and cheer teams lately? They are trying all kinds of group acrobatics and athletic stunts with degrees of difficulty just as tough and dangerous as any of the contact sports.

7. Wrestling is labeled as high-risk. No way. That's too nice. This sport should have its own category, maybe something like "are you crazy" or "you gotta be nuts." I love and respect the sport of wrestling, but the only safe way right now to compete in this sport is by wearing full body armor and maybe an over-the-head-face-mask like the famous wrestler Dr. X used to wear. At the end of the match, the referee could raise the hand of the winner who would then take his mask off to reveal who he (or she!) really was.

8. Will athletes have to choose between sports? Not really. The IHSA did an outstanding job of splitting up seasons to avoid conflicts where athletes might commonly be interested in playing both sports (i.e. football, track and field).

9. Girls' and boys' basketball end Feb. 13. Does this mean no state tournament? Our beloved end-of-season craziness? America's original March Madness? This one would be a real gut punch for me.

10. Will cross-country runners be required to wear masks while running? Just asking.

11. Will schools have budget funds available to pay coaches for four seasons?

12. Will they be able to find coaches willing to work well after the school year has ended? (Summer season finishes June 26)

13. What about summer travel teams and club teams? Will kids be allowed to compete for their club team while finishing out their high school season?

14. How many local football players might think about transferring out-of-state to go to school this year - in a state where they have fall football?

15. Will the delay in the seasons hurt recruitment opportunities for our local athletes who have their sights set on playing in college?

16. Can practices begin before the listed starting dates of each season?

17. What about spectators? Will fans still be able to come watch? How about parents? Siblings? Or even lonely, unattached fans who just show up to watch for the joy of it? (asking for a friend).

18. Will all of this probably change during the course of the school year? Easy answer here - yes! Probably multiple times. In fact, the way things are going, much of this could change by the time this column is printed!

19. How will the proud and fearless prep sports writers at our sister publication, the Daily Herald, feel about covering four seasons now instead of three? Answer: "thrilled, excited and blessed for the opportunity." (note: previous quote edited; actual responses may vary)

20. Finally ... does anybody still play 20 questions?

• Jon Cohn of Glenview is a coach, retired PE teacher, sports official and just an all-around sports fan.