D228 Agrees to Waiver, Allows Lacrosse

The door is now open for students in Bremen High School District 228 to hit the pitch and play other state high school teams in lacrosse.

The District 228 board of education signed this week the emerging sports letter needed by the Illinois High School Association to compete in high school lacrosse, according to an email Wednesday night from Oak Forest Park District Commissioner Joe Conway. The commissioner was a staunch supporter of the effort to get the letter signed.

The documents were signed and faxed to the IHSA on Monday, March 25, Conway said, adding that he was informed about it Wednesday, March 27.

"I was able to address each of the boards concerns which were very legitimate," Conway wrote in an email Wednesday.

Before the signing, District 228 was one of the few school districts not to have agreed to the waiver. For two years, parents, players and coaches of the Oak Forest Fury have been lobbying for the district to approve a co-op lacrosse team.

But administrators balked, saying the emerging sports letter would eventually be eliminated. The board was also concerned about the cost the district could incur from lacrosse.

But Conway said families of lacrosse players had agreed to pay around $350 annually, which would cover expenses for the season. That would cover everything, including playing fields to travel, according to Conway.

"I was able to convince them that this program would cost them zero and that we could cover all liability concerns," Conway wrote. "The board was looking out for the best interests of its students as well as the district as a whole. … The result is that it is a win-win situation where the district students have another opportunity to become more well-rounded and marketable and it doesn't cost the district or taxpayers any more money."

Patch will continue to update this story.

Check Out Patch's Complete Coverage of this Story:

• Lacrosse Still a No-Go in District 228
• D228 Stuck at Standstill with Lacrosse
• Lacrosse Group Still Pushing to Play in D228

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