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IHSA Affirmative Action Policy for Girls on Boys State Series Teams, continued
Lack of Either Program
7. Q.
A. 8. Q. A.
If a member school does not offer a boys team or a girls team in a sport in which the IHSA sponsors both a boys and a girls state tournament series, and if there is an option to compete for individual honors, can a girl enter the boys state series?
No, the school will be permitted to enter a girl in the girls state tournament series only.
Single Sport Programs
If a member school offers a girls team but no boys team in a sport in which the IHSA sponsors both a boys and a girls state tournament series, can the school enter a girl in the boys state series.
No, the school will be permitted to enter a girl in the girls state tournament series only.
9. Q. Can a girl participate on the baseball team if a softball team is offered at the school? A. Yes.
10. Q. If a member school does not offer a boys team in a sport in which the IHSA sponsors only a boys state tournament series and in which students may compete for individual honors, will the school be permitted to enter a girl in the IHSA boys state tournament series in that sport.
A. Yes
Regular Season Participation Limitation
11. Q. A.
12. Q. A.
13. Q. A.
During the regular season, does this policy apply?
During the regular season, local school districts will need to make that determination based on the Illinois Sex Equity Policy and Title IX. Our policy applies to the IHSA state series only.
Can a girl who has entered the girls state series but is participating on the boy’s team during the regular season; play in the girl’s conference championship?
Maybe. Once a girl participates in a girls contest, the school has established a girls season and therefore she must cease participation with the boys team. If the conference meet is the last meet she will play in before the girls state series, then she could participate in the conference meet and any other girls contests before the state series.
Can a girl who competes in the girls season, participate in a practice with the boys team if both the boys and girls seasons are the same:
Yes, provided both programs are in the same season. No if the programs are in different seasons as is the case for example, in tennis, swimming, soccer, volleyball, and gymnastics.
IHSA believes:
1. In the overall philosophy and goal to provide separate but comparable athletic opportunities for girls.
Historical Perspective
Since the 1974-75 school year, when Dixon High School won the IHSA Girls State Bowling Tournament with a team composed of four boys and one girl, the IHSA in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education and the Office of Civil Rights develop the affirmative action policy. To date, the IHSA Terms and Conditions for all athletic state tournament series include a provision that only girls may participate in the girls state series.
The affirmative action policy was established in 1987 from the encouragement of the Joint Committee of the General Assembly. Subsequently in 1988 a special Blue Ribbon Committee addressed the issue of affirmative action. The committee based the IHSA affirmative action policy on the following eighteen beliefs. The policy throughout the years has been legally challenged and upheld.
2. That in some instances, we must recognize the small school’s problems in trying to furnish two teams, one for girls and one for boys, in a sport.
3. That there should be specific provisions by which the immediate needs of an individual girl, lacking available opportunities to participate in given sports, may be accommodated.
4. Because the Affirmative Action Policy will achieve more and sacrifice less in the process it will be more effective and will accomplish vastly more on behalf of female student-athletes in the schools of Illinois than any remedies litigation and/or additional legislation can offer.
5. Separate but comparable programs of athletic competition for high school girls and boys are beneficial to both sexes.
6. That many female student-athletes who have the ability and are willing to pay the price in terms of long hours of practice and adherence to academic eligibility standards have not been able to participate on an athletic team representing their school.
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