State officials: First winter practices pushed back to allow for possible fall games

There are still no set guidelines in place from the state's governing body for high school sports, and neither Nassau or Suffolk has green-lighted fall sports, but some interesting information has come to light following a task force meeting Monday.

News 12 Staff

Aug 31, 2020, 8:27 PM

Updated 1,557 days ago

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State officials: First winter practices pushed back to allow for possible fall games
There are still no set guidelines in place from the state's governing body for high school sports, and neither Nassau or Suffolk has green-lighted fall sports, but some interesting information has come to light following a task force meeting Monday.
Among the new information includes the NYSPHSAA's decision to push back the first day for winter sports practices in order to accommodate a fall season that may happen.
Also on the docket is high-risk fall sports, such as football and volleyball, still being considered for play during their regular season.
Finally, the association has announced that any fall games that do happen will be restricted to within their own league.
"I am encouraged by the work of our association and state officials to provide the opportunity for schools to offer interscholastic athletics for students this fall," said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA executive director. "Unfortunately all sports will look different and participation will not be the same as it was a year ago, but students will have the chance to represent their school, be around their friends and coaches, and experience a sense of normalcy this fall. It is critical that student-athletes be leaders in their schools and communities and strictly abide by COVID-19 safety protocols."
The new information comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo allowed fall sports to begin Sept. 21. Cuomo allowed low-risk sports to have competitions this fall, but high-risk fall sports are prohibited from having games until authorization is granted from state officials.
Nassau County superintendents voted last week to postpone fall sports until 2021, but soon after backtracked a bit and said they would continue to assess their options.