According to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, there will be high school sports this fall—at least for some. On Aug. 24, Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that interscholastic athletics would be permitted to begin next month, although high-risk sports played in the fall will not get the green light just yet.
Soccer, field hockey, swimming, cross country and tennis teams will be allowed to commence practice on Sept. 21, while high-risk sports—such as football—will also be allowed to hold practices but will be barred from playing games until further direction from state officials. Teams will not be allowed to travel outside of their geographic regions to participate in interscholastic contests until Oct. 19, according to the announcement.
“There will be a little bit of a period to gauge what’s happening, and Sept. 21 they can start practicing and playing across the state,” Cuomo said.
The decision follows months of uncertainty as to the viability of conducting high school sports this year, as state officials devised several plans to hold athletic contests despite the threat of coronavirus. The pandemic—which has killed nearly 180,000 Americans since the beginning of this year—struck the state hard last March, shuttering schools and prompting a cancellation of the high school spring sports season.
Last month, NYSPHSAA officials pushed back the start of fall sports—which were scheduled to begin in mid-August—to Sept. 21, although they warned that a spike in new coronavirus cases could potentially wipe out the fall slate all together.
Rye varsity soccer coach Jared Small was pleased with Monday’s news, but noted that public health remains the biggest concern as schools—and sports—resume.
“As educators and teachers, everyone realizes that health and safety come first,” Small said. “But obviously I would have been tremendously disappointed for the student-athletes to lose their seasons, given the value of sports.”
Area schools will open in the next two weeks, with some offering in-person learning and others—including New Rochelle—opting for an all-virtual start to the school year. On Aug. 10, NYSPHSAA executive director Dr. Robert Zayas announced that students participating in remote learning would still be eligible to compete in interscholastic sports.
Although area teams were limited in what they could do with regards to off-season training, Small said his players took it upon themselves to stay in shape throughout the shutdown and he looks forward to seeing the Garnets on the pitch this season.
“We weren’t permitted to work with them, but think they did a great job working out on their own,” he said. “Until we start, it’s just going to be a blessing to be able to share some moments together as a team. But once we start practices, the mindset shifts to how to be competitive and put a good product out there.”
On Monday afternoon, the Section I Athletics Twitter account responded to Gov. Cuomo’s announcement, stating that further guidance and clarification would be provided in the coming days.
