FAIRFIELD, Ill. (WEHT)- Athletes in ‘low-risk’ outdoor sports will not have to wear a mask while playing during the spring season in Illinois after the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) updated its guidelines Monday.
That means athletes participating in baseball, softball, tennis, bass fishing, and track & field will not have to wear a mask while they compete. Coaches, officials, players not actively participating will still need to wear a mask. The new guidelines do NOT impact sports considered ‘high-risk’ like football.
The news comes just in time for the Fairfield Community High School softball team, who open their first season in two years on Wednesday. While most players agreed wearing masks and playing made for a difficult experience, they also agreed that they’d wear masks if it meant playing.
The announcement came after State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) sent a letter to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker asking him to consider dropping the outdoor mask mandate for athletes.
