View the article on the Your Season on the Chicago Sun Times

Plans to ax all non-varsity high school sports programs at Chicago Public Schools have been dropped, allowing students to play organized sports this year after all.

The reprieve -- which means student-athletes can begin practice in little more than a week on Aug. 11-- has been welcomed by coaches, teachers, police, parents and students, who feared canceling the programs would leave thousands of students on the streets with nothing to do after school.

Crippling budget woes led the Chicago Board of Education to shut down spring sophomore sports earlier this year, with CPS CEO Ron Huberman warning in March that freshman programs also faced elimination in the 2010-11 school year as administrators struggled to close a $700 million budget shortfall.

CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond said Monday that "no final decision" has been made to save the sports, but "the goal is to restore junior-varsity and sophomore sports to normal levels." The Sun-Times has learned that assurances have been given that the programs can go ahead.

Board members met with principals last Tuesday to confirm that funds would be found, Young Magnet High School Principal Dr. Joyce Kenner said.

Kenner, who also serves on the board of the Illinois High School Association, said, "We're just thrilled that dollars are going to be found and that other funding options are going to be considered to give our children a chance to play sports at all levels.

"It's very, very important to see that our kids stay involved with sports and academics."

Kenner said CPS officials "found some money based on what's happening in Springfield" and would be looking for "innovative ways" to fund the programs.

"This should never happen again," she said. "This had a huge impact on some premier-level athletes."

The news was greeted with relief at sports powerhouse Simeon Career Academy, where basketball coach Robert Smith has helped players develop, including Bulls star Derrick Rose.

"With what is going on in ... Chicago now, I'm happy they did whatever they had to do to find the money to keep it going," Smith said.

"I'm glad I don't have put these young men back on the streets."

Simeon sophomore point forward Jabari Parker said a decision to cancel programs was "selfish" and would have resulted in "a lot more kids getting in trouble."

Chicago Police spokesman Roderick Drew said: "The coaches and students are right. Keeping young people active and engaged in productive activities is one of the best ways to keep them out of trouble."

At Young, sophomore basketball player Scott Kingsley learned from his coach Monday morning that his team's season had been saved. "I was going to go anywhere I had to to play basketball this year," he said. "Basketball is the biggest reason I came to Young."

Kingsley's father, Jim, was so concerned that he contacted the IHSA to see if his son would be allowed to play for another school, and even considered sending him to New Jersey for a year.

"He's a pretty good player and we knew losing the year would be devastating to his development," he said.

Young basketball coach Tyrone Slaughter said, "There were certainly instances where kids decided to go to Catholic schools instead of CPS schools" because of the looming cuts, adding that the news had given him "tremendous joy."

Chicago Teachers Union staff coordinator Jackson Potter said political pressure brought by parents and teachers had brought about the U-turn, and showed that "nothing is set in stone."