As New York state officials work with educators to enact a plan for the upcoming school year, much uncertainty remains as to what our school systems will look like once classes resume. Among the many issues facing our schools this year, the safety of in-person learning—and the resumption of interscholastic athletics—seem to be the most pressing. And for several school districts in the area, this sports crisis is the first order of business for administrators who stepped into new roles on July 1.
Six school districts in Section I welcomed new athletic directors last week, including Susan Reid Dullea, who took over for Mike Arias at Rye High School and Tom Lehman, who replaced Jason Karol at Eastchester. Three more school districts, including Bronxville, are still looking to fill athletic director vacancies for the 2020-21 school year.
Lehman, who left his post as the assistant athletic director at Harrison High School to take over at Eastchester, said that his first week on the job was anything but routine, given the coronavirus- related challenges facing schools around the nation.
“So far I’ve been able to meet with all of the coaches—through Zoom, of course—and it’s definitely given me the opportunity to learn about the culture at Eastchester,” Lehman said. “And I get the sense that the kids are committed to the teams, that the student body cares about athletics and that’s something that enticed me to come here.”
Of course, getting the student-athletes back out on the field is a different story, as uncertainty about when athletes will be able to begin summer workouts—or which sports will be featured in a proposed fall season—remains an outstanding issue.
Previously, it was announced that scholastic sports would be able to begin some light off-season workouts in regions that had reached Phase 4 of the recovery plan. On June 27, however, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, issued a directive that placed all on-campus athletic workouts on indefinite hold until further notice.
Furthermore, the New York State Public High School Athletics Association is currently considering a host of options for the return of athletics which range from moving forward with the fall season as usual, to delaying the start of the athletic calendar until January and attempting to fit three sports seasons in before the end of the school year, or letting each region of the state decide on the best course of action for its schools.
“Right now, all we can do is prepare as best we can with the guidelines we have been given,” Lehman said. “Obviously, it’s important to do as much prep-work as we can right now so that we aren’t scrounging to put something together once the state gives us the OK.”
Despite the uncertainty, Lehman remains hopeful that there will eventually be sports this year. “It’s important that we continue to keep this in perspective, listen to people and make sure that the safety of our students and our coaches are the priority,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting the kids in person and interacting with the student body because that’s the best part of the job.”
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