Rallying for sports
Many gather in Albany to express desire for officials to OK high-risk sports
Student athletes, parents and coaches want Albany County officials to let high school sports start on Monday despite the pandemic.
There were signs that simply stated, “Let us play.” A few signs were a bit more elaborate. Many of those gathered on a chilly Saturday morning outside the Albany County building on State Street chanted “Let us play” and others stood in silent solidarity offering their support to the cause of allowing winter athletes in high-risk sports the chance to practice and compete.
Inside the building, Albany County Executive Dan Mccoy reiterated the county’s position that winter sports deemed high-risk by the New York Department of Health — basketball, hockey and wrestling — can begin practicing Monday, but will not be allowed to scrimmage or play until Albany County’s coronavirus infection rate is below 4.0 percent. Saturday’s seven-day percentage stood at 5.9, down one percent from Thursday.
Said Mccoy, “To the coaches that are being close-minded, I said ‘read the guidance.’ … We just can’t kick out the science.”
Nine of the 11 counties with Section II schools will not allow highrisk winter sports to compete until going below a 4.0 percent infection rate. Montgomery County, which Friday cleared high-risk sports to begin Monday, will not allow schools to compete outside the county until getting below the 4.0 percent threshold.
Jason Graber, a member of the University at Albany’s Athletic Hall of Fame after an outstanding basketball career playing for coach
Richard “Doc” Sauers, has two children playing locally: Albany Academy senior guard Preston Graber and Schalmont junior guard Payton Graber. He, like the rest of the people in attendance Saturday, believe athletics can be performed safely.
“This has been going on for almost a year now. All of these athletes are struggling,” Graber said. “A lot of them are trying to do what they can do in a limited capacity. At the end of the day, they just want to play and they feel they can play safely. Many of the kids have been playing intramurals and travel ball. They have been fine and there has been no signs of spreading. Kids in this age group are staying healthy.”
Liv Olsen is a senior center for the Niskayuna girls’ basketball team. Headed to play next at Providence College of the Big East, Olsen thinks athletes should be tested to determine if it is safe to compete.
“I really don’t think they should be including nursing homes and jails because those people obviously aren’t going to be affected by people in the school systems,” Olsen said. “They should be testing (athletes) and people associated with the school.”
Hoosic Valley boys’ basketball and baseball coach Alex Lilac came to support those voicing their concerns Saturday. His school is located in Rensselaer County, one of 13 schools granted full autonomy to begin practice Monday and play immediately upon reaching the necessary number to start competing.
“It has been an emotional rollercoaster for the adults, so I can’t fathom what the kids have been going through,” Lilac said. “For the last 10 months, the kids have been obedient to every rule and guidance
that has been put in front of them. It felt like a glimmer of hope (Jan. 22). Now you have some counties opting out and some opting in. I just can’t imagine the internal turmoil some of these kids are going through.”
Area athletes thought the high-risk sports for the winter were good to go after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the NYSDOH made an announcement on Jan. 22 stating basketball, hockey and wrestling could begin Monday, provided there was approval from local health officials. Saturday, five counties with Section II schools had infection rates between 4.2 and 4.9 percent and Washington County came in at 5.0 percent.
“We’re getting the chance to try. For these other kids and other teams, they are not going to and that is very unfortunate,” Lilac said.
“It is certainly concerning because we have seen this play out over the last 10 months,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, the Executive Director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. “We have been working with state officials trying to get some metrics and criteria that could be met in an effort to give these kids an opportunity to participate. We are certainly interested in working with anybody or anyone to let them know we have been specifically working on this subject for the last 10 months. I feel like with the athletic directors we have in place and with the protocols we have put together, have prepared our schools to make that decision, if and when, given the opportunity.”
The NYSPHSAA issued a 71-page document Jan. 25 for Winter and Fall Season II following the New York State Department of Health’s guidance.
The member schools from the NYSPHSAA are now left to deal with the rulings of 62 counties, instead of the NYSDOH. Zayas says concerns
brought up about such things as wrestling events held in Florida and Louisiana where multiple positive cases were recorded from competition are invalid arguments when applied to high school athletics in this state.
“The frustrating thing about that is we’re doing everything those states did not,” Zayas said. “We’re wearing face masks. We’re socially distancing. We’re abiding by the protocols provided by the New York State Department of Health. I saw a series of photos from the Louisiana event. I went one by one. There were 48 photos associated with that event and I specifically looked to see if I could find one photo where an athlete, official or fan was wearing a face mask. You are not going to find that in an interscholastic event in New York state.”
Zayas said 35 states played football during the fall, a sport deemed highrisk by the NYSDOH and pushed back to Fall Season II in March. He added all the states surrounding New York are now competing or set to play in such sports as basketball, hockey and wrestling.
Before leaving the gathering Saturday, Lilac took one last look around at the kids and parents hurting and wondered what will become of winter sports.
“We have said all along that this is about safety and the mental health of kids. It is at the top of the list as far as I am concerned. If we have the kids’ best interests at heart, I think that decision is to play,” Lilac said. “I don’t see anything wrong with testing student-athletes. I am sure the athletes here today and all around Section II that can’t play would be compliant and do that. Just like everything else, they have been compliant all along. What is one more thing?”