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The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced that football, volleyball, and competitive cheerleading fall seasons will be postponed until March due to the virus.
Low-risk sports still have the green light to begin practicing on Monday, Sept. 21, with games beginning in October. Those sports are cross country, field hockey, swimming, soccer and tennis.
“We’ve spent two days speaking with nearly 500 athletic directors across the state and it’s clear that administering high-risk fall sports during the COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge for our member schools,” NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas said.
“These are unprecedented times and unfortunately, difficult decisions will have to be made to address this ongoing crisis. We continue to stay committed to providing support to our member schools and quality participation experiences for the students we serve.”
According to NYSPHSAA, the revised season for football, volleyball, and fall competitive cheer will be known as “Fall Sports Season II” and may officially begin practices on March 1.
With the creation of “Fall Sports Season II,” spring sports will begin its season on April 19, as opposed to its original March 15 starting date.
“The NYSPHSAA officers have determined it would be unrealistic to host football, volleyball, and competitive cheer seasons this fall,” NYSPHSAA President Julie Bergman said.
“This continues to be the most challenging situation educators have ever addressed. I, along with my fellow officers, believe the participation experiences for football, volleyball and competitive cheer athletes will be more beneficial in the spring than in the fall.”
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