ISVI Sports

Thank you from ISVI students, staff and athletes --- 

Recently a decision was made to eliminate out-of-state-travel for ISVI students. ISVI is very grateful for the recent donations from individuals and organizations that will allow them to travel to other state schools for the visually impaired and compete in sports.  

Below is  information about the sports program at ISVI:

ISVI Athletics
We offer the following opportunities for our 7-12 grade students:
boys and girls track
wrestling
cheerleading
boys and girls goalball
boys and girls swimming
forensics (speech)

The majority of our students have never participated nor had the opportunity to participate in their public schools prior to attending ISVI. 

We are members of the North Central Association of Schools for the Blind (NCASB).  NCASB members include the state residential schools from: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. 

Many of our events are modified either by activity or season or both (Ex: in track some runners use a guide wire or guide runner, we also have standing jumps). Track is in the fall, boys and girls swim team seasons are both in the spring, goalball is late fall, wrestling and cheerleading are in the winter.  When we have athletes able to wrestle against local wrestling teams we do.  Otherwise, all of our competition is against other NCASB   schools or co-ops (in goalball we compete against Special Education Co-ops such as SASED of DuPage and GLASA of Libertyville, Naperville District 203, and NCASB schools.)  To not be able to travel out of state for competition not only limits our ability to participate but it also impacts the other blind schools ability to have opponents so that their blind students can participate/compete.  

We travel via school bus. We generally eat sack lunches. When we are at other state schools they provide meals without charge or at a minimal cost.  We reciprocate when we host other schools.  When staying overnight we stay at the host school in their dorms, sometimes on cots or mattresses on the floor.

Any organization or individual wishing make a donation to help ISVI athletics should make checks payable to:   
 ISVI out-of-state travel fund c/o: ISVI Supt.Marybeth Lauderdale
658 E. State St.
Jacksonville, IL 62650 
or contact the school 217-479-4400


For more information concerning ISVI athletics please see the Sports link on this website.