As Section 1 sports set to resume, lingering questions temper optimism
Nancy HaggertyUncertainty has engulfed high school sports in New York for nearly six months.
That won’t fully end with Tuesday’s resumption of athletics in most of Section 1.
Local athletic administrators continue to grapple with multiple questions, including how students learning off campus will get to practices and games, whether fans will be admitted, if away-game rosters will be cut, and whether safety requirements will be uniform across the area to ensure athlete health and athletic fairness.
At the same time, athletes and coaches will deal with a new and, they hope, temporary normal that at this point includes wearing masks at all times and closed locker rooms.
There's also the prospect that, if the coronavirus numbers rise, the delayed fall season can end at any time.
“Overwhelming” is how one area athletic director describes the task of getting athletes on the field, court and cross-country courses this fall.
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"It’s going to be a difficult situation for everybody, and everybody’s gonna have to give and take, but I think at least if we can get the kids out there and compete, even if it’s only 12 games, that’s 12 more games than other sports got to do in the spring," Bronxville girls soccer coach Don Cupertino said. "We should be happy with what we get for sure, because the kids need it desperately. I talk to my kids a lot, and they’re dying for soccer. They really miss it. They miss the camaraderie, they miss the spirit, and being on the field competing."
Cupertino's worries extend from whether there will be sectional championships to possible roster limits that could shrink his large team. But there are also more immediate concerns.
The difficulty of launching sports amid a pandemic was hammered home multiple times the past several days.
Tappan Zee High School closed to on-campus classes Thursday in response to a positive test from a person who'd been to the school. And while the school has made no public statement, Pawling has reportedly opted out of fall sports less than a week after Yonkers schools did the same.
In Dutchess County, Arlington (Oct. 2) and Ketcham and John Jay-East Fishikill (both Oct. 1) have slightly delayed the start of sports practices for different reasons.
With the Yonkers and Pawling exits, plus earlier decisions by four of 11 sections statewide to postpone all fall sports until spring, there is unease about whether Section 1 will truly have a fall season. It may not fully subside until the first coach’s whistle is blown on Tuesday, but optimism can be found.
The word “excited” readily flows from administrators and kids.
“I’m excited that kids have the opportunity to get started," Arlington athletic director Michael Cring said. “It’s a benefit to them socially and emotionally to get back into sports. Now it’s on us to get the safety protocols right and keep them healthy. “
“I’m actually super excited,” said Mahopac senior Hailey Pereira, who’ll get one last season of high school soccer before playing for Bryant University next year. “When I got word that Section 1 was on and all these other sections weren’t playing, I just felt so thankful that Section 1 is actually allowing us to play. I think that myself and the other seniors on this team are going to be big leaders for our school, specifically our team, about cracking down on following the rules so our season doesn’t get taken away from us. That can happen so easily, as we saw with the spring sports last school year, and I just don’t want that to happen again.”
Will athletes wear masks?
In an effort to prevent a spike, districts will implement various safety measures, including temperature checks and social distancing of 6 feet along the sidelines. Analese Picart, the defensive MVP on last year’s state-championship Pleasantville girls soccer team, noted that members of her team will even bring their own chairs to supplement the sideline bench.
But the safety measure most evident to players and fans (if there are fans) will be masks.
Earlier this summer, discussion centered on coaches and trainers and other support staff wearing them full time during practices and games and athletes wearing them only when not actively engaged in their sport.
Now, however, the state has mandated masks be worn by everyone at all times, meaning everyone from a cross-country athlete running a 3.1-mile course to a field hockey player heading up field on a breakaway to a soccer goalie making a diving save should be doing these things with a mask covering their nose and mouth if unable to maintain 6 feet of social distancing.
But right now “should” is a glaring part of that statement. In requiring masks, the state has inserted an escape clause — one local administrators and coaches have encouraged Section 1 to close.
According to state guidelines, athletes who can’t “tolerate” masks will be able to play without them, and no proof of a medical condition or anything else is required by those who play outdoor sports.
That notation has conjured up images of fully masked players playing against those without masks, which raises questions regarding a heightened chance of COVID-19 transmission, as well as the perception the unmasked players will have an unfair athletic advantage.
“The guidelines are open to interpretation,” Pearl River athletic director Artie McCormack said. “We’d all love a consistent policy, so it doesn’t set up awkward moments, difficult moments with different interpretations.”
And there will be a policy but perhaps not the everyone-wears-a-mask requirement some athletic directors desire.
“Some schools have inquired about being more restrictive of the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health) guidance and only allowing students not to wear a face covering if they have medical authorization,” Section 1 executive director Todd Santabarbara said. “However, because the NYSDOH guidance does not reference medical authorization, it has been recommended by NYSPHSAA that schools work with their school medical director, legal counsel, and local department of health if they have an interest in making a district policy that is more restrictive than the NYSDOH.
“Based on the advice of NYSPHSAA’s attorney, insurance agent and governmental affairs representative, NYSPHSAA has recommended that sections not support or endorse a more restrictive face covering policy than what is currently outlined in the NYSDOH guidance.”
But Santabarbara added visiting teams in Section 1 “will be expected to abide by any policies, procedures and protocols that the home team has adopted.”
"The notification and communication among athletic directors, of these protocols will be critical prior to a game or contest," he added.
As much as they’ll largely be required, masks, as could be expected, are not popular among many players and coaches.
Cupertino opposes having kids wear them while playing. And while he will tell his kids to keep their masks on, he questions if they will and whether or not the rule will be enforced.
“On the field, playing, I think it’s going to be very, very difficult,” Cupertino said. “Kids are going to be pulling them off, pulling them down. What is the referee going to do? Stop play to tell them to put the mask on? It’s just going to be crazy, but it’s better than not playing at all. I will say that.”
Albertus Magnus senior soccer player Lily Winters, whose changed habits will also include refraining from spitting on the field, is also not a mask fan.
“Definitely playing with a mask, it’s harder to breathe. You get out of breath faster. It’s just a whole different experience that I did not think I’d be doing my freshman year. If you told me four years ago that I’d have to play a soccer game with a mask on, I would not believe you,” she said.
She and Cupertino aren’t alone in their opposition.
Craig Sanborn, Arlington boys soccer coach said: “They hate it. I hate it. I can’t stand wearing the thing. It’s different, but if we want to try and make this work, we’re going to have to follow some protocols.”
Cring of Arlington wants teams “cooperating under the same safety and competitive guidelines.”
“I'm telling my athletes and coaches that we want you to have the masks on," he said. "The schools are obligated to follow the DOH (state Department of Health) guidelines."
Briarcliff boys soccer coach Brandon Beck, who has been part of the sport’s restart on the club and recreational side, said coaches have to be more mindful during training.
“It’s hard to say whether the game play will change," he said. "I think we’ll have to pay closer attention to our own players, making sure they’re comfortable. In terms of the physicality, from what I’ve seen from youth players, I haven’t seen much of a difference."
With the mandates fresh and the season yet to begin, messages, even within school districts, have sometimes been mixed.
North Rockland boys soccer goalie Angel Rodriguez said his coach told players they could get a note get a note if “not comfortable” wearing a mask. He said he might do that, but then added, “I feel like the season is only going to last a month, so we'll do what they ask because I need this. I'm a senior. Maybe it takes a while to get used to everything, but that's fine. We just want to play."
Picart noted she had trouble breathing last month while wearing a mask and running a mile but said it was “doable.” Pleasantville's athletic director, John Bauerlein, is getting different models of masks for athletes to try, she added.
Getting to practice and games
While a universal mask policy is likely, districts will differ in the means used to get athletes to practice.
With some districts have conducted classes remotely and others opted to create social distancing by using a hybrid learning model, the simple act of everyone going to locker rooms after the final bell to dress for sports is gone.
Locker rooms are expected to be closed and many students will come to campus just for practice and to catch buses to away competition.
North Rockland, a district encompassing more than 51 square miles, plans to dispatch some buses to different locations. It will be up to athletes to get to the stops for transportation.
Noting that many varsity athletes have driver’s licenses and cars or have friends who have cars, Casarella said, “The varsity aren’t as big a problem. It’s the JV kids we worry about.”
Some districts haven’t ironed out what, if any, buses will be provided, while others are at least tentatively planning for students to be responsible for getting themselves to school.
"Everyone shares the same concerns," Brewster Athletic Director Dean Bernardo said.
He noted Brewster will check team registrations to help determine what, if any, busing may be available to practice.
"We're really hoping a group of kids come from one area and we can figure out a sensible solution for all parties," he said.
McCormack suggested some athletes might opt to bike to campus. Beacon said it will not provide buses and New Rochelle athletic director Steve Young concurred, saying, “Right now, they’re on their own.”
That characterization will be true to an extent once students arrive on campus.
State guidelines, in most cases, will shutter locker rooms, meaning athletes will have to arrive dressed for practice. With social distancing emphasized, it also means athletes will be sent home upon the conclusion of practices and games and not linger together.
Those changes make team bonding, which often happens outside the lines, a more difficult task.
“A majority of the cohesiveness we need in soccer comes from the locker room and not being able to use that space is huge,” Byram Hills boys soccer coach Matty Allen said. “The bus rides and trips outside the section are bonding experiences for any team, so I think that will be missed, along with the team dinners. We’ll adjust, but those are some of what separate high school sports from the club experience.”
Taxi squads?
Districts have revamped schedules to eliminate games that involve more travel, including some against rivals. But a bigger adjustment could come in who plays in travel games.
With mandated social distancing, the number of athletes on buses will be cut from past years. This may not affect some teams. In other cases, it could mean either trying to secure extra buses to travel to away contests or creating a permanent or rotating travel squad from a larger home roster.
“It’s a big conversation,” McCormack said. “Our capacity could be limited. Our away contests could have a different feel than normal. A big part is how the schedules look and how we handle roster sizes. Everyone could be in a different situation. It’s one of the areas people are wrestling with.”
That includes Casarella. He doesn’t anticipate a bus problem with varsity sports but is concerned about junior varsity squads, which are usually bigger, especially girls and boys soccer.
“(On the JV level,) we want to keep as many kids as we can. If we keep 30 kids, maybe 25 travel,” Casarella said.
But Cupertino worries about keeping his varsity squad intact.
"I had 23 on my team last year. I only lost two kids to graduation, so I already have 21. What am I gonna do if they limit the rosters?" he asked.
Some districts are considering allowing parents to transport their children to games, including Tappan Zee, according to athletic director Bill Pilla.
“We’re going to follow the guidelines for transportation,” Pilla said. “If there’s a maximum amount on the bus, we will follow that protocol. We’re exploring different options. There might be some student athletes whose parents feel more comfortable driving them to the games and we will allow that as long as we get permission. We would not want to have a student or a family feel uncomfortable if they’re going on a bus. All the sports are outside, but the (bus) is an enclosed space, so if they want to drive their own children, our district is looking into allowing that.”
Fan policy is TBD
Of course, the question arises if parents drive their kids to games, will they be allowed to stay to watch them play?
The NYSPHSAA has said two fans per athlete will be allowed. But, if reached, that number would almost automatically result in a violation of a 50-people-per-venue mandate the state Department of Health and many local health departments have enacted.
Athletic directors have called for clarification on the 50-person limit and also for a section-wide policy regarding fans, so one district doesn’t allow both home and away fans and a rival district doesn’t ban away fans.
A Section 1 policy, at least, could come days ahead of the scheduled beginning of games in early October.
“With support of the membership, I anticipate that the executive committee will adopt a section-wide spectator policy at the October 5 executive committee meeting,” Santabarbara said. “The details surrounding the policy are still being discussed. However, with any decision made, the primary focus will be to ensure that it is a safe and manageable approach that is in compliance with any NYSDOH and NYSPHSAA guidance that we have been provided.”
At least there will be a season
The ultimate goal, of course, is no issues.
That might be unrealistic, but no matter what hurdles pop up many are just relieved to be back and believe having a season is possible.
“I'm confident,” Beacon athletic director John Giametta said. “Plans are in place and we’re following the appropriate procedures. We had our parent meeting (Monday) night and we're ready to go. We're excited and hopeful.”
Pilla said he was pleased with how Tappan Zee students had adhered to social distancing mandates while attending classes on campus and believes that will carry over to sports.
“I think students all want to be in school," he said. "Seeing that made me feel a heck of a whole lot more comfortable about us starting (sports). The biggest piece of it is are all the students buying into the rules. It’s definitely different for them, but I’ve been nothing short of completely impressed by the way they’ve handled themselves in our schools.”
For Albertus Magnus’ Winters, pessimism has become optimism.
“I didn’t really think we were going to have a season, but now it’s a week away. It’s just a different emotion you get,” she said. “The team is staying healthy, we try to stay out of large groups, wearing masks, washing your hands in school, preparing mentally and physically, eating healthy, and we’re all doing stuff on our own. I think we’re all ready, we’re all excited, the whole team is."
Eugene Rapay, Stephen Haynes, Mike Dougherty and A.J. Martelli contributed to this story.
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.
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