South West Illinois News

Political activist Karen Tucker says that Gov. J.B. Pritzker's limiting of high school, youth and adult recreational sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic is unsupported by science.

Just as the Illinois High School Association board of directors was preparing to issue a high school sports schedule, Pritzker announced a set of COVID-19 restrictions, according to a July 29 Chicago Sun-Times story.

Football, boxing, wrestling, competitive cheerleading and dance are limited to no-contact practice and training, according to state COVID-19 guidelines. 

Activities are classified into either higher risk, medium risk or lower risk and Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4.

For example, high-risk sports can play at Level 1 while medium-risk sports can play at Level 1 and 2. Medium risk sports include basketball, soccer, water polo, flag football, wheelchair basketball and volleyball.

Tucker, who lives in North Egypt and is considering running for office, issued a statement in response to Pritzker’s restrictions.

“With everything I've read and what the American Association of Pediatricians [AAP] is saying, I don't understand why it's a thing,” Tucker told the SW Illinois News. “I can understand not having crowds in the stands. I can understand taking certain preventive measures but as far as making the kids not be able to play their sports, I just don't get it but I don't get a lot of things JB does. 

"It seems to me that he and others that think like him are doing whatever they can to make everybody as miserable as possible so they'll want change bad enough to vote for somebody other than President Trump in November. My personal belief is that it's political. If [Joe] Biden wins in November, I think it's all going away overnight.”

In its guidance supporting the return to bricks-and-mortar schooling, the AAP stated, “Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being, and provide our children and adolescents with academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits.”

Tucker, who has limited her political activity to circulating petitions, pointed out that her granddaughter is starting her freshman year in the fall and she will be deeply affected by the limitations on competitive cheerleading.

“They've been told they won't have a football season like they normally do in the fall and that they can’t do their competitive season either unless Gov. Pritzker changes his mind again,” she said. “The competition starts in November but they're not allowed to practice until November, which is a write-off because it takes two or three months of practice to come up with a decent routine. It's ruining the season for them one way or the other.” 

In addition, Tucker said it appears that the teachers' union doesn’t want teachers to return to the classroom.

“The only people that suffer from this are students,” she said. “The teachers are getting paid regardless. They don't care. Their contracts protect them. They'll get paid and they'll sit there for 10 more years if that's what it takes to get what they want, whatever that is.”