Recently, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo stated that school districts in New York state will allow participation in high-risk winter sports beginning Feb. 1, if allowed by local health departments. At this time, the Rensselaer County Department of Health has not yet approved winter sports. The District has been working closely with the Suburban Council Athletic Conference since this announcement was made in an effort to put a safe plan in place for our student-athletes.
With this action, Averill Park CSD Athletic Director, Mark Bubniak, has released this letter detailing what this means for our student-athletes during the winter sports season.
To gauge participation/interest levels, the district is asking high school families to complete the sports sign-up process for the following sports as soon as possible:
- Boys basketball (Varsity/JV)
- Girls basketball (Varsity/JV)
- Competitive cheerleading (Varsity/JV)
- Boys Ice Hockey (Varsity)
- Wrestling (Varsity/JV)
At this time, the District is planning on offering basketball, competitive cheerleading, and ice hockey. Discussions are currently underway regarding wrestling. Section 2 has stated that modified sports will not be conducted during the winter season, though the District plans to offer modified skill development sessions. Please note that there are still many variables being worked out, including scheduling and other logistical matters.
Section 2 has announced that it has requested approval from county health departments to allow the following sports seasons:
- Winter Season: End date will be March 13 (previously Feb. 28)
- Fall 2 Season: March 7 – May 1
- Spring Season: May 2 – June 25 (Baseball will begin April 28 due to the 10 required practice rule)