The Illinois High School Association has gone fishing.
Well, not quite yet, but a state bass-fishing tournament may be coming to a lake near you, perhaps as part of an IHSA expansion beyond the more traditional sports.
In 2006 the association conducted its first state tournament in competitive cheerleading, and among 14 current bylaw amendment proposals are two that would create seasons in competitive pompoms and competitive dance, which eventually could lead to state tournaments in them as well.
What in the name of Vince Lombardi is going on here?
Executive Director Marty Hickman says it’s all in line with the IHSA’s desire to hook more students on wholesome activities.
“We think interscholastic participation is good for kids, and we think with bass fishing we’ll possibly reach some kids who haven’t been participating in IHSA activities in the past,” he said.
The IHSA Board of Directors on Oct. 9 authorized the association’s staff to explore the possibility of conducting a bass-fishing tournament. Since then the IHSA has received expressions of interest from throughout the state, including Taft on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
And here I thought the only anglers in the Chicago Public League were basketball coaches trolling for 8th-grade stars.
Taft biology teacher Mike Mulligan swears it isn’t so. He has been an avid fisherman for years and knows enough students who fish to believe Taft could participate in a state event as a competitor, a helper or both.
Mulligan started a Taft ecology club about three years ago, and he and another teacher had already discussed starting a fishing club when he heard about the IHSA board’s directive.
“I kind of got excited,” he said. “I e-mailed Marty Hickman, just to throw my hat into the water, so to speak, that if there’s anything I can do it would be something I’d be interested in.
“Fishing is something I’m passionate about. If I could share it with kids, it would be great.”
IHSA officials have kicked around the idea of competitive fishing for several years. Hickman and Assistant Executive Director Dave Gannaway discussed it more recently, and Gannaway started to investigate the possibilities, particularly with Terry Brown of BassFan.com, a daily media service covering fishing.
“One day Dave said, ‘I think we can get this thing done,’ and it snowballed,” said Hickman, who believes no other state has a similar fishing event.
In fishing it helps if conditions are right, and that’s the case here. Brown believes more sponsorship money is available from fishing-related businesses for youth activities than in recent years, which is crucial because Hickman said a tournament won’t float unless it’s self-supporting.
“I think some people really are interested,” Brown said of potential sponsors. “Some people are really hungry for this and see what could happen if they embraced it.
“It’s about money, about turning a 16-year-old into a die-hard who buys equipment or a boat, but we just want to hit some kids maybe we’re not hitting now. I always say if I can keep a kid in a boat, he won’t be breaking into my car.”
The IHSA also will need support from the fishing community, including the many bass-fishing clubs in Illinois, perhaps to provide boats and drive them.
Competitive details are far from set, but Hickman said they might involve two-man teams, with four or five regional tournaments leading to a state finals.
“This event for us is so non-traditional we would really need a lot of help,” he said. “A lot of folks are avid bass fishermen and see that as an activity a kid can do for a lifetime and are anxious to help out.”
Within about three months, the IHSA staff likely will have a more detailed plan to discuss with board members. Hickman said spring 2009 could be a realistic target for an inaugural state tournament.
Mulligan can’t wait, and not simply because fishing is fun. The Gordon Tech graduate has a degree in marine biology and worked at the Shedd Aquarium before going into teaching. He looks at interscholastic fishing as a way to teach science and a love for the outdoors to kids who don’t see beyond TV, iPods and video games.
“I think it’s something the kids need,” he said. “Especially in the city, students don’t always realize what’s available in their back yard.
“I noticed it when you take kids to the forest preserves, and you see the expressions on their faces when they see deer. That’s what we are doing as instructors in the life sciences, getting them to appreciate the outdoors and become stewards themselves.”
———–
btemkin@tribune.com
