The Illinois legislature as embarked on a path which in my mind has no business treading and if successful, could provide the type of negative feedback every politician wants to avoid...lost votes.

Senate Bill 2550, which was filed by 53rd District Senator Shane Cultra (R) on January 11, would allow for a local school board to provide a waiver for a student-athlete to participate in a high school football contest, even if that the student-athlete has failed to meet the IHSA mandated 12 practices prior to the first contest due to involvement in military training. Football is the only IHSA sport that has a minimum number of practices required before game participation.

According to a statement from the IHSA on SB 2550, “This is very dangerous and counterproductive legislation,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “First and foremost, this is an issue of student health and safety, not an issue of patriotism. We all applaud and support young people who choose to serve our country. However, deferring this decision to a school board, which, generally speaking, has no medical training, is irresponsible at best. While students who receive military training will have some level of conditioning, they are not in football playing condition as defined by medical professionals. Our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has consistently maintained that all students need to have 12 days of football practice prior to participating in an interscholastic football game.”

I have to concur with the sediment of the IHSA and likewise find the legislation dangerous and counterproductive at best. On the surface and at first glance, the legislation appears to honor soldiers who attend basic training in the summer following their junior year by allowing a mechanism for school boards to allow circumvention of current IHSA policy in an effort not to penalize a potential player returning from basic training. The IHSA policy is not a penalty of any sort but to the contrary it is a safety policy that ensures all participants are physically in sport shape before taking to the field.

A football player for instance must be conditioned properly before they can be considered in "football shape" and that takes a minimum of twelve practices as any coach worth his salt will tell you. Putting on pads, taking and receiving hits and generally improving ones stamina to last through likely hot weather conditions is all part of the conditioning process. According to the IHSA, thirty eight high school football players have died from heat related illnesses since 2000. That's is thirty eight too many if it were one death due to what many consider a preventable circumstance.

My position on SB 2550 has nothing at all to do with not honoring our military service men and women. I believe we would be dishonoring them if we put a soldier in harms way for a game. Perhaps Springfield should spend more time fixing our health care system instead of potentially adding tragically to it with this ridiculous legislation. Do these people walk around with tin foil pyramids strapped to their heads as well?