Credit: Pixabay
Nov 10, 2020 —
By James Allen
Times Union
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association has operated with limited sports offerings this fall. Based on Monday’s conference call conducted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the fate of the winter sports season could be even bleaker.
State budget director Robert Mujica stated the state was “not inclined” to allow the start of the winter sports season scheduled to begin with practices Nov. 30 as the state and nation continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Mujica added that the only sport currently on schedule to begin this winter is skiing — Alpine and Nordic — because it is an outdoor activity.
Robert Zayas, executive director of the NYSPHSAA, later issued the following statement: “After consultation with state officials today, NYSPHSAA has confirmed low and moderate risk sports (bowling, gymnastics, indoor track and field, skiing and swimming and diving) are permitted to be played. NYSPHSAA has established November 30th as the winter sports start date. At this time, authorization has not been permitted for high-risk sports to begin play. The high-risk sports start date continues to be examined and will be revised if needed, but is contingent upon authorization from state officials.”
The state health department previously deemed such winter sports as basketball, hockey and wrestling to be “high-risk” activities because of the close indoor proximity each provides its competitors. Fall sports deemed high-risk, such as football and volleyball, were not allowed to compete, instead shifted to a Fall Season II scenario set to start in March.
Two prominent area high school basketball coaches came away disappointed, yet not surprised, by Mujica’s statement or Zayas’ clarification.
“There is no other way around it, nothing is 100 percent decisive that we are canceled yet, so I feel like we’re back in March,” Shenendehowa girls’ basketball coach Joe Murphy said. “There is so much stuff going on right now. Dr. Zayas pretty well said it the other day during a video call that it is hard to argue for high school sports when hospitalizations are going up, deaths are going up and the positivity rate is going up. It is hard to advocate for it.”
“We are still keeping our fingers crossed for something,” said Hoosick Falls boys’ basketball coach Mike Lilac Jr., whose baseball team had its spring season canceled. “This is a setback, and we hope that is only a little bit of a delay. We will see.”
Lilac recalls thinking during the baseball season that the sport would eventually be allowed to return. It did not, and there were no spring sports at all contested throughout the state.
“Now, we may be losing our third straight season,” said Lilac, referencing to Hoosick Falls, a member of the Wasaren League, seeing its falling offerings pushed back to Fall Season II.
Murphy remains hopeful the state health department will eventually allow the sports deemed “high risk” to return.
“I have literally not been in a gym or on a court since March 12,” said Murphy, talking about when his 2019-20 squad was preparing for a Class AA state quarterfinal game to played at Hudson Valley Community College. “I see other schools have had open gyms. We are not allowed to do that. … As of right now, we are playing the waiting game.
“It is tough to explain to my kids and parents when other states are playing. All I can say is everyone be patient and maybe we will get some sort of season in the new year.”
jallen@timesunion.com • @TUSidelines
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