Can you imagine a State basketball champion crowned in Chicago?
Devon Morales Sr. can, and he will soon be able to help get there.
Morales, who has been the director of Clemente since 2021, takes up the position of executive director of the Office of the Sports Administration of the Chicago public schools.
He succeeds the acting executive director, Mickey Pruitt, who retires. Pruitt, who had been responsible No. 2 in the public league, replaced David Rosengard when Rosengard was released last September.
Morales has a wide experience with public league sports as a student (he played football and fought in Schurz), as a parent (his son played football in Kenwood), as a coach (football, wrestling, 16 -inch softball) and as a administrator with stops at South Shore, Marshall, Corliss and Corliss and Corliss Austin before Clemente.
Its start date has not been set, but Morales expects to be in its new job and to assemble a management team this summer. Besides Pruitt, another high-ranking CPS sports officer Juliana Zavala, left to take over as a sports director in U-High.
Morales keeps an open mind as he goes to his new role and said that he was planning to obtain comments from various sources on CPS Sports.
But he has a strong opinion on a question of particular interest in basketball fans.
The IHSA contract with Champaign to accommodate the boys’ basketball state tournament takes place until 2029. Bringing the tournament to Chicago is “something I would like to do,” said Morales.
“I know there are procedures and protocols with IHSA. I would be there to listen to the center.
Another objective of morals would be to bring the bowl back to the preparation to the Soldier Field and the baseball final of the public league in an MLB park.
The preparation bowl between the public league and the Catholic League was played at the Soldier Field for decades before losing its permanent house. In recent years, the leagues have in turn turned the match in the rooms of the school.
The public league baseball final alternated between Wrigley Field and Field rate depending on the availability of the stadium. But it will be at the Grandrson stadium of the IUC this year.
“If you look at all the other states, the championship rounds (are) generally in professional facilities,” said Morales. “I don’t know the nuances of what was wrong, but as a student-athlete, there is no better place to play.”
Another objective for Morales will be to ensure that all schools have adequate resources. The contract of the recently approved Chicago teachers’ union includes new funds to help schools historically underfalling.
“One of my main priorities will be to improve programming for CPS students,” said Morales. “My vision is to make sure there is a fair program.”
Rosengard and Pruitt have spent time throughout the city to look at a variety of sports, and morals plans to pursue this policy.
“I am a man among people,” said Morales. “You will see me everywhere.