Latest news with #RighttoPlayAct
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Libby Magnone testifies for the Right to Play Act. Then the logrolling world champion gets Carmel rolling too.
Carmel junior midfielder Libby Magnone is obviously dedicated to soccer. Magnone testified before an Illinois House committee in March in support of the Right to Play Act, which would give student-athletes limited opportunities to participate in nonschool events in the same sport in the same season. An Illinois High School Association bylaw forbids that. 'Libby is extremely passionate about this topic, and I am incredibly proud of her as she advocates for what she believes in,' Carmel coach Stephanie Kile said. 'It's impressive to see her take it as far as she has and speak on this topic with such maturity.' But soccer is not Magnone's only interest. She also competes in logrolling and plays the violin. 'I think it's really important to be well-rounded and to have (other) things that define me as a person,' she said. 'They also give me unique perspectives on a lot of things and provide me with amazing experiences.' The Right to Play Act is personal for Magnone, who couldn't play soccer for the Corsairs during her first two seasons after she participated in the Girls Academy League's Champions Cup in Florida in March each year. The bill would allow her to do both. The state House has passed the measure, which awaits state Senate action. 'I'm honored to represent an issue like this,' Magnone said. 'I'm happy to make a change. If you are passionate about something, you have to do it.' Magnone has also spurred change with the Corsairs (6-9-2, 4-1), who have bounced back from a poor start to contend for the East Suburban Catholic Conference title. She has been a big part of the resurgence, recording eight goals and nine assists. Kile said Magnone is a huge asset for the program. 'Libby is very talented,' Kile said. 'She reads the game exceptionally well, is calm on the ball, makes smart decisions under pressure and is creative in the final third. Her play in the midfield and constant movement has allowed us to increase our possession rate and create dangerous goal-scoring opportunities.' Carmel junior midfielder Ryleigh Sydell said Magnone gives the team a different dynamic. 'Libby is definitely a big leader on our team and especially on the field,' Sydell said. 'Her communication is key. She is always motivating us during the game. 'She also never gives up and always fights for the ball, which makes her stand out.' Magnone's commitment to the sport goes beyond anything she does with her teams. 'Libby has a great work ethic and is always looking to improve her game,' Kile said. 'She does extra work outside of practice when no one is watching.' Magnone said missing her first two seasons of high school soccer taught her the importance of appreciating what matters to her. She spent last season as a manager for the Corsairs. 'It makes me realize that being able to play this year and play with people I love can't be taken for granted,' she said. Kile said she wasn't surprised by Magnone's testimony and called her a natural leader. 'On the field, she is a fierce competitor,' Kile said. 'Off the field, it has been wonderful to see how she inspires change for Illinois high school soccer.' Sydell said Magnone has handled the attention well. 'I think it was super impressive,' Sydell said. 'It also shows what kind of person she is. She is very passionate and driven about the topic.' Logrolling is important to Magnone too. She said she first got involved in it when she was 3 years old and has won four of her family's 10 world titles in the sport. 'Logrolling is super fun,' she said. 'I tried it once and just stuck with it. It's very different from soccer. It's very individualized.' Magnone, who said she has a 4.42 GPA, also plays the violin and noted there are both individual and team aspects to it. She is part of a Carmel ensemble. 'Playing the violin calms me down after a stressful week,' she said. 'Playing in an ensemble and playing together is so beautiful when everything comes together.' With Magnone, the Corsairs are coming together too.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Right to Play' bill advances in Illinois General Assembly
HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that could allow high school athletes to compete in events outside their school. Currently, the Illinois High School Association can suspend student athletes if they play the same sport in and out of school. The 'Right to Play Act' would let high schools grant students two waivers a year for tournaments and other events. The IHSA has their own waver for competitions, but they don't cover all events. 'Our athletes right now in Illinois have to decline invitations from FIFA, from the Olympic development program, from offers to play with national teams in Canada, in Scotland, because these IHSA rules compel the organization to deny their waiver requests,' says Rep. Janet Yang-Rohr, Naperville. The bill passed out of the House and heads to the Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Illinois Right to Play Act would allow on student-athletes to play on more than one team
Student-athletes juggle a lot between homework, practice, games, and other responsibilities. So who should decide how student-athletes spend their free time? That question is getting a lot of play thanks to a bill pending in the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield. Xamiya Walton used to shoot hoops at Butler College Prep, at 821 E. 103rd St. in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood, where she estimated she spent hundreds of hours on the court. She also used to play basketball outside of school for a club team. Walton was not allowed to compete for both teams at the same time — or else she would have been suspended from the high school team. "I think that would be devastating for me as an individual," Walton said. "I would hate to put my teammates in that position." Illinois state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) is sympathetic. She has heard from everyone from upset dance moms to frustrated soccer dads. "A lot of my constituents, they were getting caught up in that rule," Yang Rohr said. Yang Rohr's Right to Play Act (House Bill 3037) would allow kids to compete for whomever they want, whenever they want. It would toss out the old policy, and its penalties that come from the Illinois High School Association — or IHSA. "They're making these decisions that say whether a student can do this or that in their free time," Yang Rohr said. "Like it doesn't make a lot of sense." Currently, a teen basketball player can't be on two courts at once — but an actor can be in the high school musical and community theatre with no problem. Supporters of the rule, as is, say the difference comes down to risk of injury. "Stress fractures, in particular, is an overuse injury," said Teri Rodgers, who spent 27 years as head girls' basketball coach for New Trier Township High School in the north suburbs. Rodgers worries changing the current policy will affect teen stress and anxiety levels. "Yes, it would give kids control," she said. "At the same time, you know, they are also answering to two different coaches, and I think that would be really, really difficult for the majority of kids." The IHSA also warned about coach retention issues in a recent letter to schools opposing the Right to Play Act. Yang Rohr noted that the push for the changes the act would bring about are far from new. "In 1985, they tried to pass this exact same bill," she said. As the decades-old debate rages on, Walton is thinking of younger players — who she hopes will get more freedom than they had. "Not being able to participate in those events in the long run can definitely hurt an athlete," she said. For Walton's own part, she turned out all right. She now plays Division I basketball for Northwestern University.
