Commentary |Could tackle football become a thing of the past? Flag football gaining popularity

by Josh Woods
Professor of Sociology, West Virginia University

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One hundred years into the future, what if millions of people gathered every February, not to watch the Super Bowl, but to instead watch the annual world flag football championship?

Once a casual activity played at family reunions, the competitive sport of flag football is “soaring,” “exploding” and “skyrocketing in popularity nationwide,” according to mainstream news outlets.

The number of kids playing flag football has risen dramatically over the past nine years.

Photo: Joshua Choate/Pixabay

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There’s some data behind the breathless headlines: According to the NFL’s official flag football program, since 2015 the number of kids ages 6 to 12 who play flag football has risen by 38%, to more than 1.5 million.

In my recent book, “Emerging Sports as Social Movements,” I explore nontraditional sports like flag football and disc golf. One of my key findings is that splashy headlines about trendy sports rarely capture a sport’s true reach and staying power.

For every sport like pickleball that gains widespread, sustained popularity, there are several – adventure racing, paintball and wakeboarding – that remain firmly ensconced in their niche.

In the case of flag football, there are a handful of recent trends that truly do point to a promising future. But there are also some red flags that could end up hampering its growth.

A fun, fast, safer alternative

Though its rules are similar to tackle football, flag football is currently gaining attention for what makes it different.

It’s considered a no-contact sport. A “tackle” involves snatching one of two flags that hang from the hips of the ball carrier. While players face injury risks, they sustain far fewer head impacts than athletes who play tackle football.

With the public’s concerns about brain injuries on the rise, many parents are opting for flag football instead of tackle for their kids.

Obscurity is a powerful barrier to emerging sports. But getting noticed may not be a problem for flag football.

The International Olympic Committee announced in October 2023 that flag football would be headed to the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. It’s not clear yet if active NFL players can compete, but if they are eligible – and if the U.S. assembles a “Dream Team” like the Olympic men’s basketball team of 1992 that included superstars Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson – flag football could get on the radar of millions of casual sports fans in 2028.

The Olympic version of flag football is fast-paced

Games are shorter than a typical game of tackle football. Five players compete on 50-yard fields with 10-yard end zones for two 20-minute halves. This format made its first big appearance in the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, where the U.S. men won gold and the women took home silver.

The NFL cultivates the grassroots

Although it may come as a surprise, the NFL is embracing flag football and taking its growth seriously.

In 2021, the NFL and Nike committed US$5 million in equipment to support high school flag football teams across the nation. The NFL’s official flag football program operates more than 1,600 local leagues and receives sponsorships from top brands like Visa, Gatorade and Subway.

Most NFL teams are currently supporting the grassroots of flag football with summer camps, clinics and regional tournaments.

During last year’s Super Bowl, an estimated 115 million viewers watched a flag football TV commercial featuring Mexican quarterback Diana Flores bobbing and spinning to evade NFL players and celebrities as they attempted to take her flag.

On Feb. 4, 2024, the Pro Bowl – the NFL’s annual all-star game – sidelined tackle football for the second year in a row. In its place was a 7-on-7 flag football game that aired on ESPN and ABC and streamed on ESPN+.

Prior to that game, on Feb. 2-3, the league also hosted the International NFL Flag Championships as part of the Pro Bowl Games, featuring young athletes from 12 countries.

By the numbers

Flag football may be having a moment, but the question remains: Is the sport actually experiencing a meaningful surge in participation that could extend into the future?

According to figures collected annually by the National Federation of High Schools, 21,980 students played high school flag football in 2023. To put this number in context, however, tackle football attracted 47 times more students – roughly 1 million players – the same year. Track and field, basketball and soccer have roughly 1 million participants apiece.

Interest in flag football seems to be concentrated in a few regions, with roughly 80% of high school players living in just three states: Florida, Georgia and New York.

Though high school participation in flag football has increased steadily since 2007, almost all the growth comes from the girls’ side.

A nationwide sports participation survey finds that the number of casual players of flag football is up, but core participation is down. The study defines “casual players” as those who play fewer than 50 times per year, whereas “core players” participate 50 or more times each year.

The share of Americans who play casually increased by 41% between 2016 and 2022. But core participation declined by 13% during this period.

For sustainable growth, nontraditional sports need to generate excitement among both core and casual players. Top-down investments and marketing strategies may attract new players, but grassroots organizing keeps them coming back.

Take pickleball. In recent years, the sport has generated plenty of cultural clout, with high-profile athletes like LeBron James investing in the professional circuit, and celebrity pickleball players making headlines. There has also been tremendous growth in pickleball’s social and physical infrastructure. For these reasons, both casual and core participation in pickleball more than doubled between 2016 and 2022.

Red sport, blue sport

In the end, the future of flag football may hinge on the public debate over tackle football’s safety. Over the past decade, several studies have found a link between repeated head impacts and the risk for serious brain injuries, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Photo: Ty Swartz/Pixabay

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Yet recent efforts to make tackle football safer for young athletes have been met with fierce resistance from families, fans and organizers. In many regions of the U.S., tackle football is deeply ingrained in the culture, leading to strong opposition to any changes.

New rules to protect NFL players have seeped into mainstream politics. For instance, in 2019, former President Donald Trump dubbed the NFL’s concussion protocol “soft” and said that safety measures were “ruining the game.”

Meanwhile, Democratic state lawmakers in New York, Illinois and California have introduced bills to ban tackle football for kids under 12, often citing flag football as a suitable alternative. None of these bills, however, have passed.

Some research shows that Democrats are more likely to trust concussion science than Republicans. Democrats also pay more attention to news about concussions than Republicans.

As beliefs about the dangers of tackle football become polarized, the perceived benefits of flag football will likely follow suit. As I showed in a recent study of sport popularity in 207 areas of the U.S., flag football is more popular in regions that tend to vote Democratic, with tackle football more popular in Republican areas.

So in addition to going after the resources needed for sustainable growth – investment, organization, visibility, legitimacy – flag football’s advocates will also need to navigate a nation divided by politics.

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Josh Woods, Professor of Sociology, West Virginia University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Pre-workout supplements not for teen and youth athletes, a healthy diet is safer

by Matt Sheehan
OSF Healthcare

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The question is should middle- or high school-aged kids use these supplements? The answer: Probably not.

PEORIA - Did you have a childhood hero? If so, you likely aspired to emulate them and their achievements.

Nowadays, your kids may see their favorite athlete or influencer using pre-workout supplements, whether on social media or in stores, to enhance their performance in the gym or on the field.

What are pre-workout supplements?

Photo: Aleksander Saks/Unsplash

Pre-workout supplements come in various names, flavors, and sizes. Some popular options are creatine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). While creatine and the main ingredient in most pre-workout supplements is caffeine, most BCAAs don’t contain caffeine.

These supplements are taken before a workout or athletic match with the goals of increasing endurance, muscle mass, and reducing recovery time. But the question is should middle- or high school-aged kids use these supplements? The answer: Probably not.

What are the risks of pre-workout supplements?

“These can cause increased heart rate or heart burn. You’re also taking a lot of supplements that are going straight to your gut. You can see some nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. They’re also not well-monitored, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) isn’t regulating these very closely,” says Erica Dawkins, a dietetic intern with OSF HealthCare.

Taking it further, kids with heart defects need to steer clear of these supplements.

“A lot of times we see defects or heart irregularities that somebody isn’t even aware of. They don’t know that until they take something like this and have an adverse event,” Dawkins says. “So, if you already know, avoid these because we don’t want to throw that heart into an abnormal rhythm it might not be able to come back from.”

What are the benefits of pre-workout supplements?

“A lot of them will already have beta-alanine or branched-chain amino acids which help improve recovery time and reduce fatigue,” Dawkins says. “We also see some nitrates used that help improve blood flow to the muscles.”

Most pre-workouts are intended for healthy adults in moderation. Pregnant and nursing women are generally advised to avoid them due to the high caffeine content.

“Focus first on making sure you’re having quality workouts, then introduce healthy nutrition,” Dawkins says. “We want to make sure we’re getting that nutrition throughout the day. Especially if we’re working out multiple times throughout the day. If you’re working out within two to four hours, make sure you’re getting a snack. We see a lot of benefits for pre-workout snacks or snacks during half-time. We also want to make sure we’re staying adequately hydrated.”

Dawkins says leafy and root vegetables like spinach, lettuce and beets are a great, natural option.

“Those have the natural nitrate in it. So, we’re getting the same effects we would from a pre-workout supplement, just in our regular diet,” Dawkins adds.

Having a conversation with your child’s pediatrician or sports medicine physician is extremely important if you are wondering what supplements should or should not be added into their routine.

Registration open for St. Joseph Little League

ST. JOSEPH - Registration for the St. Joseph Little League is now open and closes on January 19. Children ages 4 through 15 and live within the St. Joseph Ogden High School district are eligible to join the league.

Practice sessions are held one or two times a week, depending on the age group and coach for that team, starting in March.

For more information visit the league website or email the league at stjoeybb@gmail.com. Parents can register players here.

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Atkins Tennis Center to host juniors doubles tournament

Sohum Gurrapu lines up a shot while competing in the Atkins Junior Championship in August. The University of Illinois tennis facility will host another tournament later this month for 18U and 14U junior tennis players. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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URBANA - After hosting a successful event in August, Atkins Tennis Center will host another junior competition on October 29. The Atkins Junior Spooktober Doublesfest will guarantee three matches for competing doubles pairs.

The Atkins Junior Championships, run by Larry Magalasin, was so successful that he was excited about hosting future events for local youth tennis stars.

"It was very competitive for the top juniors here in town and gave the younger juniors a chance to experience their first tournament," Magalasin said. "They also got to enjoy the sport of tennis with their friends and family."

The Doublesfest is designed to give junior players, 18 and under, more competitive match experience that will help them in UTR, USTA, and high school competitions. Each pairing is guaranteed three matches at the one-day event. Tournament action will begin at 9am on Sunday.

Players can register as partners online at https://atkins.clubautomation.com/ for either the 18 and under or the 14 and under division. Individual players looking for a partner can have one assigned from a pool of available players by the tournament director. The entry fee is $30 per player.

For more information, contact tournament director Larry Magalasin at larrym3@illinois.edu

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Erickson finishes second in local youth tennis tournament

Ivan Erickson, of Urbana, hits a cross-court backhand while playing in the Atkins Junior Championships on August 27. Erickson and partner Andy Yu, from Dunlap, took second place in the Boys' 18 Gold Division. Forty-six participants from Champaign County and as far away as Matton, to the south, and Peoria, to the west, competed at the University of Illinois' tennis facility's first summer tennis youth tournament.

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18U/14U junior tennis tournament at Atkins

by Sentinel News Service

URBANA - A one-day co-ed tennis tournament for 14 and 18-year-old players will be held Sunday, August 27, at Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana. The first-year competition, called the Atkins Junior Championships, will be played in an exciting two-person team format.

Each pairing will square off to play a doubles set to start the match. The winning team will receive one point. Then the players will then split to play one singles set against their opponent, with each set victory counting as one point. The team that wins two or more sets wins that match.

Each player is guaranteed three matches with the $45 per player registration fee. Registration is limited and can be done online at atkins.clubautomation.com. Once registered, players need to contact the tournament director with their partner's name. Have a youth player that wants to play and they don't have a partner? The director will pair unattached players.

For more information, contact Larry Magalasin at larrym3@illinois.edu.

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Fundraiser for future local Olympic figure skater ends next week

ST. JOSEPH -- Catia Schulte, of St. Joseph, has been invited to compete at the 2022 Excel National Festival in Boston. To help cover her expenses to compete at this national ice-skating event, she is doing a Laundry/dish soap fundraiser.

If you would like to help out, you will need to place your orders by Tuesday, February 1. Follow this link to view the available products.

Catia fell in love with figure skating at an early age. Now she has the opportunity to compete against some of the best skaters in her age group from around the country.

"I enjoy how this sport combines the physical challenges - jumping and spinning on the ice - with the grace and beauty of the choreography while skating to music. I really like competing," she said. "From the moment I first stepped on the ice, I felt that this is what I am supposed to be doing."

She added: "My dream is to make it to the Olympics, or even to the US Championship! I love the feeling of putting on my skates and skating my routine."

Catia working hard toward competing at the highest level.

"She stepped on the ice for the first time in January 2019 and received first place in her first competition that summer," said her mother, Carrie Gillespie-Schulte. "Catia is training in preparation of rigorous USFS Moves in the Field and Freeskating tests. Passing these tests gives her the opportunity to participate in qualifying competitions that give her the chance to participate in the events we hear more about: US Championships, World Championships, Olympics, etc." "

The Excel Series competitions bring together skaters of all ages the opportunity to get the feel of a nationwide competition while they improve their technical ability and skills on the ice. Catia's trip to Boston will bring her one step closer to becoming yet another Olympic athlete from St. Joseph.

Time is running out to help. For more information or to place an order to help send Catia to the Excel Series message Carrie Gillespie-Schulte on Facebook.

St. Joseph Futbol Club sets registration dates for spring soccer program

Registration for the St. Joseph Futbol Club and the upcoming spring youth soccer season starts on Tuesday, February 1. Kids in grades from kindergarten thru 8th grade may sign up until February 25. Parents will not be able to register their athletes after that day.

The match season is slated to kick off the weekend of April 9 and will run through May 21. There will be no games during the Easter weekend April 15-17. Players must be at least 5 years old by opening day order to participate.

The registration fee for Kindergarten age players is $55, $60 for grades 1 through 4, and $65 for 5th through 8th-grade athletes.

Matches and practice times have not been set. Times and dates for both will be announced for each team by coaches.

The St. Joseph program is also seeking volunteer coaches.

For more information, contact the club administrators at sjfcspartans@gmail.com.

Registration for Future Spartans youth basketball program open

A new youth basketball program will start in St. Joseph next month for young athletes in Kindergarten through the fourth grade. The Future Spartans basketball program will be staffed by volunteers in the community who will help with coaching and officiating games.

"This league is an opportunity for girls and boys basketball players currently in K-4th grade to develop their fundamental skills and gain knowledge about the rules of basketball to be successful as a future SJO Spartan," organizers posted on the registration page (find it here). "This league is meant to create excitement about the game of basketball through the use of positive encouragement and consistent feedback. Athletes within the SJO community are welcome to attend."

Parents can register their future St. Joseph-0gden hoops star online or in-person at the St. Joseph Middle School this Wednesday, December 8, from 5:15pm to 6:15pm, or on Saturday, December 11, from 9am to 10am. The registration area will be located near the gym doors.

The deadline for registration is midnight on December 14. Registration is also open to children who would like to participate but do not live in the St. Joseph-Ogden school district. "We welcome all kids," said organizer Drew Arteaga, who is the new girls' basketball at SJO.

Practices and scrimmages will be held at the St. Joseph Middle School gym by age group. The schedule is tentatively set for kindergarteners to meet from 8am-9am, first and second-grade students from 9am-11am, and students in the third and fourth grades from 11a-1pm.

For more information send an email to futurespartansbball@gmail.com

Village Crier: Youth summer sport programs open for registration

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Summer softball registration in St. Joseph closes soon

St. Joseph Summer Softball is now underway. This year's registration fee will include the $5 village fee. Parents will to register online with a credit card.

The program will not have a separate age division for girls four years-old or in kindergarten this year. The organization is encouraging parents with kids in the age group to play Bitty Ball or T-Ball through the St. Joseph Youth Baseball program.

Questions can be sent by email to stjosephsummersoftball@gmail.com. Registration closes on February 21.

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Unity FFA pork chop lunch next week

The Unity FFA is celebrating FFA Week next week with their annual pork chop lunch. The drive through service will take place on the UHS east drive on Wednesday, February 24 from 11:00am - 12:45pm. Pork chop sandwiches are $5 each with proceeds going toward supporting the FFA program. Customers can get a meal deal for an additional $2, which will include chips, drink, and cookies.

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Sidney summer ball sign up this weekend

Sidney Baseball/Softball/Tball signups will be held this Saturday from 10am to 12pm at the new Sidney Community Building located at 211 E Main Street in Sidney. An additional sign up day is scheduled for February 22 from 5:30-7:30pm. Ages groups are ages five and six for T-Ball and ages 7-15 for baseball and softball athletes. Registration cost is $55.

Questions or if parents are unable to make it to the in-person registration dates, they are encouraged to send a message to (217)649-7450.

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Annual Chili Dinner in Sidney next week

The Sidney Fire Protection District will host its annual chili dinner on February 27 at the new community building, located at 211 East Main, from 4-7pm. The dinner will be available only through drive-through service. Toppings, hotdogs and drinks will be provided with the meal.

Sidney Fire Department cancer awareness shirts will also be available for purchase. Donations help support the local district's firefighter association.

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Spots still available in Tolono virtual raffle

The Tolono Firefighters Association is doing a virtual raffle for a $500 Allen Meats Gift Card. Tickets for the drawing are $10 a piece and limited to the first 100 sold. Tickets can be purchased through Venmo or PayPal.

As of yesterday there were 34 tickets still available for the drawing. For more information visit the Tolono Firefighters Association page on Facebook.

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Area COVID cases dips to 3-month low

Yesterday there were just 46 active Coronavirus cases across the six villages The Sentinel covers. The last time there fewer than 50 active cases in our area was back on November 13 of last year. A day later, that number surged to 60 and continued to rise from there to a peak of 142 active cases on several days.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reported the number of cases rose by five today.

The agency's dashboard now includes mortality data for Champaign County. Out of the 1,427 cases identified in our area, eight individuals lost their lives to the virus. Two individuals from Ogden, four from Tolono along with one resident from Sidney and St. Joseph succumbed after being infected. As of today, 123 county residents have died from the viral infection since March of 2020.

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Put it On The Market

Do you have a home for sale in one of our six communities? The Sentinel would like to highlight it in the upcoming new local real estate feature called On The Market.

Each calendar week our online paper will pick a residential property from those submitted for consideration to promote to our audience. With over 700 readers daily, The Sentinel hopes the new section will direct more potential buyers and competitive offers to sellers in our area. For more submission information, sellers and agents can contact us at editor@oursentinel.com.

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Show us your art

We know there are more artists in our area. We just haven't met you yet but would enjoy seeing fruits of your creativity. If you paint, draw, sculpt or do metal work, The Sentinel would love to feature your work and share your artistic talent. Do you spend hours at the potter's wheel, dabble in mixed-media, do glass-work or design jewelry pieces? We would like to hear from you.

If you are interested in having your work featured in a story, please send a brief bio in an email with a link to your website or a online gallery featuring your work to editor@oursentinel.com. We very much look forward to sharing your passion and vision with our readers.

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As time and space allows we will publish details for upcoming community events. Please send your business, social or community organization's press release or event information at least four days in advance to The Sentinel at editor@oursentinel.com.

Photo of the Day - December 7, 2020

Growing into greatness

Champaign Dream's Kohlten Johnson, of St. Joseph, winds up for a pitch at the First Pitch Father's Day Hardball Tournament Saturday on June 14 in 2008. He and the 9-and-Under traveling baseball team went down swinging losing to Steffen Heating and Air Conditioning, 19-2. Eight years later, Johnson grew into a 6-foot-1, 170-pound, right-handed Spartan hitter that help the program to its first IHSA Baseball State Finals in 2016. He was also a member the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team that brought home a Class 2A state title months earlier in March.

[Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks]

Covid pushes start of youth wrestling season to April 2021

The Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation met this past Sunday and revised their plans for overseeing the 2020-21 season.

Originally, the organization had hoped to resume practice and competition for young wrestlers like those in the St. Joseph Youth Wrestling Club after the Christmas holiday this coming January. Looking at more realistic timetable to return to the mat, the IKWF tentatively announced plans to resume practices starting April 5, 2021.

"We are hopeful that all of the craziness that we have all experienced throughout this year will start to take a turn for the better, and that we will be able to have a season sometime early next year," head coach Billy Gallo said in a letter to parents on Facebook. "We understand that there will be conflicts with kids participating in other sports and other commitments, but we plan to still start with a season at that time. Again, maybe we will see some improvement with this pandemic via vaccination/treatment sooner than April, and we will be able to start before then."

Meanwhile, the club will continue work on the new facility in the former Jim Clingan Auction building north of the Interstate.

"We can't wait to get the wrestlers in there," Gallo said. "We appreciate all of your patience and understanding throughout all of this, and we will continue to send out any updates as we get them."

He also said that registration fees will be returned to those families who have paid and all registration information will be kept on file for when the program can resume. As soon as plans are solidified, the club plans to email to members in future as soon the can have weekly open gym nights.

The IKWF says there will be no sanctioned events during the 2020-21 IKWF season until the CDC and IDPH guidelines and policies change to allow such competitions. The organization expects members to follow the guidance and guidelines provided by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Clubs in violation of state and federal mandates were reminded in a release form organizing body that programs could face penalties by the IDPH and local health departments.

Youth wrestling club announces change in leadership

The SJO Youth Wrestling Club welcomed a new board of directors this month after three members, Mike Birt, Abby Klitzing and Travis Eastin resigned from their positions. Eastin plans to remain a member-at-large to assist in the transition.

The board for the 2020-21 season are:

President - Bill Gallo
Vice President - Richard Vetter
Head Coach - Billy Gallo
Equipment - Chad Carter
Stats - Ben Gorman
Treasurer - Randi Jones
Secretary - Bailey Schiff
Public Relations - Matthew Ware
Fundraising - Adrienne Umbarger
Member at Large - Travis Eastin

SJO youth wrestling club needs your help to build a permanent home

Dear Editor,

Wrestling has been part of the St. Joseph-Ogden community since 1990. Oftentimes this is the first organized sport that kids partake in as members have started as young as four years old. Athletes who have been part of the program have been taught life lessons such as commitment, hard work, dedication, responsibility, resiliency, and a sense of ownership. The program has also produced numerous State Qualifiers, All-Staters, and SJO’s first two state champions.

Here is where your help is needed.

For years the youth wrestlers have used the St. Joseph-Ogden High School facilities as their wrestling home. Although the relationship has been a mutually beneficial one, it is time for the youth wrestling program to find a permanent home.

The SJO Youth Wrestling Club has been conducting a search for a new facility that will meet the ever changing needs of the community and the program. The idea is for the Youth Wrestling Club to have a place that can be used year round for practices, dual meets, and off-season training. This need has arisen due to the popularity of the sport and a lack of space to provide more opportunities for those interested. The facility will allow wrestlers, from pre-K through college, a space to wrestle, lift weights, and build relationships; a place that all SJO wrestlers can call HOME.

The SJO Youth Wrestling Club is looking for individuals and businesses to help our current and future wrestlers find a home. Each generous donation will receive recognition via a donor wall that will be visible to all that enter the future home of Spartan Wrestling. The donations levels are listed below.

SPARTAN LEVEL -$2500 +
MAROON LEVEL- $1000-$2499
COLUMBIA BLUE LEVEL- $500-$999
WHITE LEVEL- $250-$499
INDIVIDUALS CONTRIBUTIONS-up to $250

Email: sjoyouthwrestling@gmail.com
GoFundMe: SJO Wrestling Building

We thank you for taking the time to consider donating to this tremendous opportunity. We are grateful for any amount you are able to donate and thankful we live in communities that are always supportive of our youth. Go Spartans!!

Richard Vetter, Vice-President
SJO Youth Wrestling Board

Area youth football season suspended

"It’s with a very heavy heart that we have to announce that we are canceling our 2020 season," wrote Brittany Elliot on the SJO Youth Football Facebook page nearly two weeks ago. The decision mirrors others from youth football programs from the state due to mandates by state offices restricting youth sports competition.

Four days ago, Governor JB Pritzker announced new restrictions on youth sports in the state that would have ended the youth football program's season on August 15.

"I know our hearts break when we hear the word 'restrictions,' especially when it comes to our children's love for their sports. Whether this year is their first time on the court or it's their senior season - this isn't the news anyone wants to hear," said Governor Pritzker during his pandemic update this week. "But with rising rates of spread of the virus, with rising positivity rates throughout Illinois and the United States, this is a situation where the toughest choice is also the safest one. Therefore today, my administration is releasing new guidance restricting youth and adult recreational sports in Illinois. We have worked in consultation with the governing bodies of many of these organized sports programs, and collectively we hope that, when metrics and risks improve measurably, we will be able to restart these sports."

Elliot wrote the decision, made long before the governor's latest decree, was tough despite working diligently the past couple of months to figure out some way to salvage the season. She said it wasn't easy.

"We understand that football is an important outlet for our kids so we are going to continue to meet as a board and hopefully come up with some creative ideas to keep the kids involved."

The Spartan program is the smallest in the Central Illinois Youth Football League. Champaign, Danville, Rantoul and Urbana are the other league members that fielded teams from three age groups.

Junior high sports season in holding pattern, IESA waits for clarity from the state

Facing the same restrictions as the high school athletics, the Illinois Elementary School Association, board of directors released a statement after yesterday's video conference meeting concerning the prospect of junior high school sports this fall.

The association has submitted questions to the Illinois Department of Public Health and Governor J.B. Pritzker's office seeking clarification on a number of issues in current restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A reply from the two state entities tasked with public safety during the current pathogenic outbreak has yet to be delivered to the organization that oversees 15 sports and activities for the 7th and 8th grade levels.

The state's response will determine if there will indeed be a scholastic sports season or how the individual sports seasons could be modified by the IESA to allow for competitive athletics starting sometime next month when students are slated to return to instruction either in person or via online as students in Illinois underwent in March of this year.

Here is the full statement released on the IESA website:

On Wednesday, July 15, the IESA Board of Directors met via a Zoom conference call to discuss the possibility/practicality of holding IESA activities in the 2020-21 school year and specifically the fall activities of golf, softball, baseball, cross-country, and girls basketball. Also included on the call was the Executive Director of the IHSA, Mr. Craig Anderson.

As included in the email from the IESA Executive Director to the IESA membership that was sent on Tuesday, July 14, the IESA has sent several emails to the Governor's Office and Illinois Department of Public Health seeking guidance regarding interscholastic activity participation and health and safety requirements. The answers that we receive from these agencies will have a significant impact on the type of activity and/or format of the activity that we are able to offer during this school year. To date, we have not received answers to our inquiries.

Our goal is to return to play but as an education-based organization, we must always take into account the health, safety, and well-being of students. Because of the ever-changing landscape, the IESA Board simply felt that until we receive answers, it would not be prudent at this time to make a decision to cancel fall activities knowing that a decision like that is devastating to the very students and schools IESA serves. An update on the status of fall activities will be sent to the membership no later than July 24.

Unity JFL canceled this fall

Nine days before the start of the Unity Junior Football League program's first practice, league commissioner Jeff Purcell announced on Facebook the 2020 season was officially canceled.

"It was in our best interest to cancel the season due to the COVID pandemic," Purcell told group members. "It was a tough decision and most teams wanted to play, but as the new restrictions came out from the IHSA earlier this past week more and more teams were changing their minds and reversing course.

"Honestly, I don't blame them after reading emails from most of them this morning after the decision last night," he added saying it was not an easy decision. "We did the right thing!!"

Purcell indicated that the league administrators are looking at the possibility of reviving the youth football program this spring.

Champaign County has recorded 1,017 positive cases out of 42.214 tests for the Coronavirus since it began tracking the infection rate in March. The five towns that make up the Unity school district has seen 26 cases so far. Currently, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is tracking seven active cases in the area.

SJO youth wrestlers win medals

Thirteen youth wrestlers from the SJO Youth Wrestling Club medaled at the 2nd Annual RWC Tournament Meet in the Middle on Sunday. The SJO Club finished 11th in the team standings out of 30 participating teams that competed at Southeast High School in Springfield.

Five young wrestlers placed in the Tots division, which is for kids ages 5 and under.

Tyson Jones was the team's only 1st finisher on the day after winning gold in his Tots division. Liam Butts placed 2nd while Will Gallo and Jack Stephenson brought home third place medal. Dean Schiff also medaled, placing fourth in the division.

In the Bantam division, Cooper Graham and Lima Powell finished 4th.

Adam Bello took 2nd and DaKarai Hill finished in 3rd place in the Intermediate division.

The club had four medalist in the senior division. Garrett Denhart and Quincy Jones had second place finishes and Landen Butts won bronze. Beau Hauersperger took a 4th medal in the division.

Senior wrestlers are ages 12-14.

Youth baseball program registration starts Monday

Online registration for the 2019 St. Joseph Youth Baseball program opens on Monday, January 7. Kids, boys and girls, ages 4-14 are eligible to play in one of 11 age groups.

Athletes must sign-up before February 1 and $5 early bird discount is applied to everyone who registers via the online registration system. After the online system closes that Friday, parents have one last opportunity to register. On February 2, from 9 am until noon, there will be a in-person registration session held in the Middle School cafeteria on that Saturday morning.

There will be a evaluation session on Saturday, March 2, in the auxiliary gym at St. Joseph-Ogden High School to determine the skill level of each athlete. After that session, coaches will select their team and notify parents and players with practice and game schedules.

Board president Jim Cotter expects team practices to start around the middle of March.

All players will need a glove, cleats and bag to carry their gear. The board has several bats, helmets and other equipment that players can use. Players who have their own equipment are encouraged to use it.

The season starts mid-April for players 9-14 and in early May for youth 8 years-old and under. The season runs until the end of June. The number of games for each level varies.

Girls, who don't want to play softball can play in the league.

"Girls tend to play softball at age eight and above," Cotter said. "There is no restriction if they want to play past the age of seven. We welcome them!"

The link to the age chart and registration page can be found at https://tshq.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1580844

In addition to Cotter, this year board members are Cindy Johnston (Treasurer), Barb Babb (Secretary), Kevin Buskirk (Board Member), Bethni Gill (Board Member), Katie May (Concessions) and Jennifer Wells (Fundraising Chair).

For more registration or league information contact Jim Cotter at 217-840-7844.