Syracuse, NY – The new guidelines from the state Department of Health released on Friday appear to give the green light to high school and recreational sports considered to be at high risk for the spread of coronavirus beginning on February 1.
With regard to school competition, this covers activities such as wrestling, hockey, basketball and competitive cheerleading. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has suspended these sports, allowing athletes to train individually, but not as a team or in game.
“Yes! Come on baby! I’m so excited. I’m so happy for the kids,” said Stafford Spreter, a women’s basketball coach from West Genesee.
“I couldn’t be happier or more excited to get there and finally be able to play,” Jamesville De-Witt, female basketball player Momo LaClair. “This is the moment we all expected and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are not going to let this season go to waste.”
The new DOH regulations say:
“As of February 1, 2021, participants in high-risk sports and recreational activities can participate in individual or group distance training and organized / non-contact group training and, in addition, can participate in other types of games , including competitions and tournaments, only as permitted by the respective local health authorities (ie county health departments), ”reads the guidelines.
“Local health authorities should consider the following factors when authorizing or continuing to prohibit high-risk sports and recreational activities, as in many areas these factors may weigh against allowing such activities:
▪ if there was a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 identified in the area,
▪ local COVID-19 transmission rates or positivity rate, and
▪ local ability to monitor and enforce compliance.
For all low, moderate and high risk sports, traveling to practice or play is prohibited outside the region or contiguous counties / regions. Interstate travel to practice or play is strongly discouraged and, if undertaken, must strictly meet the requirements of the state travel council.
Traveling to 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 after consultation with the respective state or local health authorities, taking into account the factors mentioned above. “
Onondaga County executive Ryan McMahon is among the many politicians across the state who encourage the governor to give the green light to sports.
In Section III, the winter sports season was scheduled for January 4 to February. 28. With the required number of training sessions, teams would have about 2-3 weeks to play games and matches.
“It looks like we’re going to have a season,” said West Genesee hockey coach Frank Colabufo. “I told the kids (in training) that I don’t know what that means, but this is the best news we’ve had all year.”
It is possible that, due to the tight recovery, some schools may choose to skip winter sports altogether.
Section III executive director John Rathbun was not immediately available for comment.
The New York State Athletic Association of Public Schools sent a tweet that seemed to express surprise at the announcement.
The news also seems to be a good indicator for football, volleyball and men’s lacrosse, all classified in the high-risk category. Football and volleyball are scheduled for the second autumn sports season, which would begin in March. The boys’ lacrosse is played in the spring.
More to come
Lindsay Kramer is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and syracuse.com. Have a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached by email at [email protected].