The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors voted to terminate the IHSA Debate State Series and the IHSA Boys Gymnastics State Series during a June 12, 2023 meeting.
The decision was made in correspondence with IHSA policy 14, which entails that a State Series tournament will only be held if seven percent or more member schools are entering teams. If an activity fails to meet this requirement, the series will cease to run.
According to the IHSA website, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson claimed, “This was a difficult decision that comes after significant discussion and a diligent review of historic data and participation trends.”
Anderson clarified that both activities were given a grace period as their numbers had declined to meet requirements since the pandemic.
H-F Debate coach Kathryn Cole has been coaching at the school for 11 years and was disappointed with this conclusion, as although they hadn’t yet managed to meet the expected quota, the state was starting to see a hopeful recovery since returning from the loss of teams caused by the pandemic, “So we had more than the year before, just less than before COVID,” Cole explained.
While the decision does not directly impact the H-F team, it’s detrimental to other schools and the future of debaters. “Across Illinois, I think we’ll lose programs because most schools value IHSA programs above all else. We are lucky here that H-F understands the value of debate regardless of IHSA,” Cole said.
Cole went on to explain that debate was refused a representative at the IHSA board meeting in June and despite meeting qualifications last year, the termination was not reconsidered.
Upon finding out that H-F wasn’t alone in this feeling, H-F Debate member Gregory Mitchell decided to take matters into his own hands and gather signatures. “I started the petition when I heard the discouragement of other Illinois teams,” Mitchell said. “I believe I was at a competition in California when my teammate Everett [Van Til], another team member and myself made up the petition,”
The journey has been easier than expected.
“After a simple message to my coach, my coach sent [the petition] to all of the schools in Illinois. I shared it with family and friends who shared it with their family and friends, and we’re currently at almost 300 signatures,” Mitchell said. “If we can continue sharing and push to 500 or even 1,000 signatures, that would be amazing.”
Cole took pride in Mitchell’s ambition. “I was excited! He did a great job and the key is getting it out there. Although it’s possible to organize a State competition in two months, I don’t think it’ll change for this year, but I’m hoping it’ll change IHSA’s minds for next year,” Cole said.
Mitchell experienced firsthand how debate can improve public speaking skills and watched the activity guide his family and friends on their career paths. He’s hopeful that, with this petition and the impact of debate, comes an increase in State participation and a reinstatement of the event.
For now, Illinois debate coaches have organized State tournaments unsanctioned by IHSA to attempt and replicate the experience for debaters.
“This will be the second year that we have a State tournament that is not IHSA sanctioned. This year District 211 will host it at Schaumburg High School. Last year, University High School hosted it at Illinois State University which is typically where the IHSA competition is held,” Cole shared.
The coaches run the tournament in the same format, operate with the same thoroughness as the IHSA and invite all the same schools just without the IHSA label.
