Home Forums Long Island & Eastern New York Soccer Message Boards Roll Away The Stone Soccer News NYSPHSAA High-Risk Sports Permitted to Begin on February 1st;

Approval from Local Health Departments Still Required

LATHAM, NY – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association Inc., (NYSPHSAA) announces high risk sports have been authorized by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to begin practice and competition on February 1st, 2021 if permitted by the respective local health authorities.

On Friday afternoon, the NYSDOH released updated Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. On page 5 of the document it states, “Effective February 1, 2021, participants in higher risk sports and recreation activities may partake in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training and, further, may partake in other types of play, including competitions and tournaments, only as permitted by the respective local health authorities (i.e., county health departments).”

“We are extremely thankful to Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health for providing authorization for all sports to begin,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “I am thrilled our association’s member schools will be able to provide over two hundred thousand students with valuable and beneficial participation experiences. Today is certainly a great day for the students of New York State.”

On Monday, January 25th NYSPHSAA will release an updated Return to Interscholastic Athletics resource document for winter sports and Fall Season II.

I just don't understand this. LI numbers are worse now than back in April. How is this ok now? Now before all you soccer moms get your oversized panties in a bunch that your kids "need" to play, if they couldn't be outside during a pandemic, what makes it ok to be inside? Should have had them working out outside or playing club.
Not taking a stance on this (yet), but think about that.

Only in the wacky NYSPHSSA are sports approved to play with a 6%-7% positive rate but the kids could not play in the fall with 1.5% rate...smh...

They should have been playing since the fall. 47 of 50 states are currently playing basketball - NY, Illinois and Hawaii are not. If there were outbreaks due to HS sports across the country we would certainly know. There are people invested emotionally with this and looking to prove people wrong by playing sports in this crazy time and we have heard very little about outbreaks. The trends are quickly improving almost everywhere and will look very good again here in a couple weeks. If teams or players have to pause and quarantine then we will all adjust. It’s been a year of adjustments and the kids really need this optimism in their lives again.

The tendency to whining and complaining may be taken as the surest sign symptom of little souls and inferior intellects.

Francis Jeffrey

I agree they should have played in the fall

• Effective immediately and in accordance with this guidance, the abovementioned permitted statewide outdoor, low-risk recreational activities, as previously determined, may partake in all types of play.

• Effective July 6, 2020 in regions that have reached or surpassed Phase 3 of the State’s reopening and in accordance with this guidance, participants in lower and moderate risk sports and recreation activities may partake in all types of play.

• Effective February 1, 2021, participants in higher risk sports and recreation activities may partake in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training and, further, may partake in other types of play, including competitions and tournaments, only as permitted by the respective local health authorities (i.e., county health departments).

o Local health authorities should consider the following factors in authorizing or continuing to prohibit higher risk sports and recreational activities as, in many areas, these factors may weigh against permitting such activities:

▪ whether there has been a more-transmissible variant of COVID-19 identified in the area,

▪ local rates of COVID-19 transmission or rate of positivity, and

▪ local ability to monitor and enforce compliance.
• For all lower, moderate, and higher risk sports, travel for practice or play is prohibited outside of the region or contiguous counties/regions. Interstate travel for practice or play is strongly discouraged and, if undertaken, must strictly adhere to the requirements of the State's travel advisory.

o Travel for practice or play to, or from, any area within New York that has been designated as a red or orange zone may only be permitted following consultation with the respective state or local health authorities with consideration of the abovementioned factors. Travel for practice or play to, or from, any area within New York that has been designated as a yellow zone is permitted so long as it adheres to all applicable DOH guidance.

to the poster- I'm just curious, in general, do you think people need to wear masks?

Are you not concerned about the new variants.

What about college and pro athletes getting covid? (despite isolation protocols) and no real concern about spreading it to their families including the elderly.

as a follow-up. Do you think these games, indoor and/or outdoors should include spectators?

etc etc etc

Return To Interscholastic Athletics 2020-2021 - REVISED 1/25/21

It's called the Election is over & Trump is no longer in the White House

So will it still be a shorten High school League only or they'll have county and state championships

Suffolk County has county championships listed and scheduled. Not sure about Nassau. I cannot see us having States because the next season starts so quickly and there is an overlap of coaches and players.

Suffolk mandating weekly testing for their athletes. Hard pass. See u in September.

States are not permitted as per NYS.

...except for the new variants, idiot which are far more contagious and don't require as prolonged exposure, etc.
Also keep in mind that each school district within the same county do not have uniform consistent rules. In the long-run missing one season isn't the end of the world. HS isn't able to be as stringent as at the college and pro levels and yet look there. There have been major issues. the difference is they kept playing merely due to the almighty $$$$$$. Some leagues such as the ivy decided not to play. some college teams voted to cancel their season. Why? Its not really safe.
Get over living thru your kids.

If the government was better at distributing the vaccine we would be getting ahead of the variants. The longer it takes to create herd immunity the more the virus will mutate and create variants and that evolution will continue.

It does not matter if you live in a blue state or a red state, the federal and state governments have done a lousy job! Why did it take the President until now to decide to distribute the vaccine via the large pharmacy chains like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid? These companies vaccinate over 175 million people with the flu vaccine every year! Why did it take our government(Federal and State) so long to figure this out? Because the states wanted to control the process and they are least qualified to do this. Notice the delays, the appointment cancellations and the equipment failures. This is totally outrageous.

Not trying to make this political, but the former administration was trying to get the vaccine distributed through the commercial outlets like CVS and Walgreens. This partnership was publicly announced on October 16th of last year. However, others in government at both the federal and state levels, especially Governors, kept throwing up roadblocks to this approach. One of the reasons given for moving away from that approach was a concern that commercial outlets wouldn't use "equitable" ways of distributing it. Instead we are stuck with various ever changing byzantine rules about not only who could distribute it but also who is eligible. And on top of that in states like NY there are threats of huge fines if you dare don't follow the distribution mandates. Predictably the red tape and confusion has slowed down the process tremendously as well as causing a large number of doses to be tossed in the trash as they expire while people try working themselves through the system.

What happened to the HS thread?

Ask Larry

I have no idea what HS thread this person is referring to? The HS threads are online and visible.

The 04 page it’s gone

Do you mean this page?

https://www.backofthenet.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/744485/2