Club sports. Those two meager words are enough to raise the hackles of parents, athletes, coaches and administrators continually seeking a way for outside interests to coexist with the Illinois High School Association. Now, some state legislators are ratcheting up the debate a notch. They believe young athletes should be allowed to enjoy club sports and high school sports at the same time, thus eliminating long-standing IHSA rules. While the issue of sharing athletes has a history dating back decades, the bottom line has remained firm. IHSA officials do not want athletes competing for their high schools and club teams in the same season. It’s a rule applied to all IHSA member schools and enshrined in the organization’s bylaws. Athletes will be suspended from IHSA competition for violations. For the most part, with transgressions along the way, the system has been accepted. Unfortunately, some youngsters are forced to make the difficult choice between club and high school, one or the other. Do they want a chance to play with high school friends, or pursue potentially better college scholarship opportunities with club teams? State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr of Naperville is a lead sponsor of the Right to Play Act, which — if ultimately passed by legislators — would trump IHSA rules regarding club sports. Athletes would be allowed to compete for their high schools and club teams in the same season. In comments to a state committee, Yang Rohr cited cross country athletes disqualified from IHSA competition for running in a charity event. She talked about members of a pom squad who attended an outside competition and were then prevented from participating in IHSA events. The IHSA does allow athletes to apply for waivers to compete outside of high school, permitting them in cases such as U.S. national events. Yang Rohr, however, has said the process is too slow and sometimes there’s no response at all from the IHSA. The IHSA vehemently opposes the Right to Play Act. In recent statements, Executive Director Craig Anderson said the bill actually would limit competitive opportunities for young athletes because it would create additional scheduling conflicts between clubs and high schools. Detractors also believe the bill increases safety risks for athletes competing too much in one season. How would clubs and high schools communicate about concussion protocols? Who gets dibs on baseball pitchers while trying to monitor pitch counts and prevent overuse? In essence, the Right to Play Act threw a hornet’s nest atop another hornet’s nest. Smack dab into an environment where clubs and high schools historically share nothing but barbs. There are soccer clubs that don’t even allow their players to compete in high school. High school baseball coaches, who years ago enjoyed vibrant summer seasons, recently shrank their summer competition in deference to travel teams. Like many government bills, this one won’t be resolved anytime soon. The Right to Play Act advanced earlier this month from an education committee and soon heads to the House for consideration. The ongoing process is bound to stir up dormant and active debates between clubs and high schools, and the inevitable battle for teenage hearts and minds.