McHenry Times

Veteran state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) wants to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker start to follow his own advice.

“The governor, everyone talks about following the advice of the experts in dealing with this virus,” Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter. “Well, if the experts are saying letting high school student-athletes compete is working in other places, we should be giving it a try here in Illinois as well. People are right in saying you can’t have it both ways.”

Pritzker recently doubled down on his decision not to allow most student-athletes to take the field over COVID-19 concerns, sparking protests from parents, students and coaches all across the state.

The Illinois High School Association fired off a letter to Pritzker requesting that they be allowed “to resume control over determining the resumption of sports and activities.” Currently, the two sides are allowing teams across the state to practice this month under specific COVID-19 guidelines

“The governor needs to understand only the kids and parents that are comfortable with this would be playing,” Ugaste added. “No one’s going to be forced into anything.”

In Ugaste’s mind, the fact that Pritzker has taken such a hardline stance perhaps speaks to his disconnect with many of the people he’s suppose to be representing.

“There’s certainly a possibility the governor doesn’t understand some of things many of the rest of us have to deal with,” he said. “A lot of these kids depend on the scholarships and other opportunities they get from playing sports. It could change life for them. With the governor, he’s been born into something few others in this state were. So, maybe there’s a real chance he doesn’t look at things in the same way.”