The Future of High Risk Sports is Uncertain

by Katherine Sumner

As of January 22nd, 2021, Governor Cuomo has approved the playing of sports considered “high-risk” in New York State. Sports such as football, wrestling, ice hockey, rugby, basketball, contact lacrosse, volleyball, martial arts, competitive cheer and group dance were initially designated as high-risk because of the potential for contact between athletes, which can greatly increase COVID-19 transmission. These sports are officially allowed to begin their seasons as soon as February 1st.

However, decisions will still be left up to health departments, and then individual counties, as to when athletes will actually be allowed to play again. Schenectady County, and by extension Niskayuna Central School District, has made the decision to hold off on allowing high-risk sports to start until COVID rates drop to 4 percent or below. At the time of writing, the Schenectady County positive COVID rate is 4.9 percent. This means that winter high-risk sports, such as basketball, wrestling, and ice hockey, may not get the green light to begin for a while. The Section II winter season only extends until March 13th, so if or when high-risk sports begin at Niskayuna, it’s unclear how the shortened season will affect training and scheduling.

Regardless, if high-risk sports are allowed to begin, it’s certain that they will look very different this year. Safety procedures for COVID will be in place, meaning masks will likely be worn at all times. Games or matches may not have live audiences, or they might go entirely virtual. There’s also a possibility that seasons are reworked completely to better fit the official CDC suggestion, which states that “play may be modified to safely increase distance between players… for example, players and coaches can focus on individual skill building [rather than] competition.” In other words, there’s a chance that seasons will be changed to exclude games due to a risk of contact, and instead focus more on practices and personal improvement. However, all of this depends on how individual sections and schools choose to handle their sports- it’s important to note that, due to the pandemic, nothing is set in stone and all information here is subject to change.

In the meantime, it’s still important for athletes in high-risk winter sports to continue training and staying in shape. Even though it’s unclear what this season will bring, being prepared for any eventuality is going to be key in these uncertain times. Running is always an effective way to work out, especially for basketball players looking to improve their speed or agility. Weightlifting can be essential for wrestlers, but if you don’t have access to that equipment at home, any type of core strength training is also effective. For hockey players, it’s worth practicing stick-handling drills off the ice as well as doing core, back, and agility-focused exercises.

Although the status of high-risk sports is up in the air, athletes are hopeful that COVID positivity rates will drop soon so their seasons can begin. Meanwhile, make sure you stay in shape and keep a positive outlook- everyone is in this together!