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IESA Board To Determine "Official Ball" at January 23 Meeting

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Board of Directors is expected to decide at its January 23, 2009 meeting on the "official ball" for a number of IESA-sanctioned boys and girls sports.

Currently the IESA contracts with Wilson Sporting Goods to provide the official ball for baseball, softball, girls basketball, boys basketball and girls volleyball. The agreement between IESA and Wilson expires at the end of the current school year. The girls volleyball state series in March 2009 will be the last IESA sport and state series in which a Wilson ball is used.

At its January meeting, the IESA Board will review ball adoption proposals submitted by most of the major ball manufacturers. Wilson Sporting Goods was among the vendors invited to bid. However, Wilson did not submit a proposal.

IESA member schools should not initiate purchase of balls for the sports affected until after the upcoming Board meeting. Members will be notified which ball will be used in those sports immediately after the January Board meeting.