The NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, February 3rd beginning at 9:00am.

The compete meeting agenda can be viewed by clicking here.

NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Zayas will provide an update on high-risk sports which were granted authorization by the New York State Department of Health.

Approval was granted on January 22nd but local health department approval is still required for high-risk sports to practice or play games.

The winter 2020-21 Scholar-Athlete submission window is now open!

To submit a team or individual for Scholar-Athlete recognition please click here.

NYSPHSAA is proud to announce its first ever Student Leadership Conference (Virtual) scheduled for Friday, March 5, 2021!

We are asking Athletic Directors to register 2 junior student-athletes (1 male & 1 female) from their school. The registration deadline is Friday, February 5th.

If space is still available, we will then open registration for additional attendees. A GoToWebinar link will be emailed directly to the students after the registration deadline.

The schedule is as follows:

8:30am: Welcome & Introductions

8:45- 9:45am: Keynote Speaker - Mental Toughness

9:50-10:30am: Workshop 1 - Nutrition for Student-Athletes

10:35-11:15am: Workshop 2 - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

11:15-11:55am: Workshop 3 - College and Career Mapping

12-12:30pm: Lunch Break

12:30-1:10pm: Workshop 4 - Mental Health for Student-Athltes

1:15-2:15pm: Keynote Speaker - Impact of Decisions

2:15-2:30pm: Closing Remarks

Please use the link below to access the registration form. Please note, Students/Athletic Directors will need to request an excused absence from the school district to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Jadin.

The most recent updates to the Return to Interscholastic Athletics resource document were made on Monday, January 25th. These updates are reflective of NYSDOH approval for high-risk sports to begin, pending local DOH approval.

The document can always be found at the top of the COVID-19 page on NYSPHSAA.org. or by clicking here.

This edition features guidelines for winter sports as well as fall season II. Some of the key items to highlight for the upcoming sports seasons:

• HIGH-RISK SPORTS APPROVAL: Schools can only participate in high-risk sports (contact practice, games, competitions, etc.) if approval is provided by local health authorities (i.e., County Department of Health).

The January 22nd NYSDOH guidance states:

• TRAVEL: For all low, moderate, and high-risk sports, travel for practice or play is prohibited outside of the region or contiguous counties/regions. Interstate travel for practice or play is strongly discouraged by NYSDOH and, if undertaken, must strictly adhere to the requirements of the State's travel advisory. The “regions” refers to the New York State COVID Regions.

• SEASON END DATES: As a result of authorization provided by the NYSDOH, the winter high-risk season may start on February 1st. NYSPHSAA determined Fall Season II sports may begin on March 1st and Spring on April 19th. Sections have the autonomy to determine the length of the season and season end dates.

• SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAY RULE: On January 24, 2021, the NYSPHSAA Officers, with authority granted within the NYSPHSAA Handbook, waived the seven consecutive day rule for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year to permit teams to practice/ compete on seven consecutive days. It is important to note school districts can be more restrictive and practicing/ competing on seven consecutive days should involve great consideration and examination.

• PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS: Students must participate in six practices before representing their school in a scrimmage or a contest; 10 practices for baseball, football, gymnastics and wrestling.

Virtual practices and off-season conditioning workouts do not count towards the required number of practices.

• MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GAMES: No revisions have been made to the NYSPHSAA maximum number of games/ contest restrictions.

• SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS: NYSPHSAA continues to examine the feasibility and interest in hosting the Spring 2021 State Championship events. The January 22, 2021 NYSDOH guidance prohibits a team from traveling outside of their region or contiguous counties/regions; unless this guidance is revised, hosting a state championship would not be possible. Furthermore, NYSPHSAA is closely monitoring the status of the June Regents Exam as a determining factor for the Spring 2021 State Championships

The Winter Community Service Challenge remains open. This is a great opportunity to honor the student-led projects taking place in your communities.

Click here to submit for the Winter Community Service Challenge.

Leslie Bonci is the Kansas City Chiefs' sports nutritionist and thanks to our friends at the American Dairy Association North East, she shares some top picks for athletes when comes to the best diets in 2021.

Click here for a complete look at Leslies plan.

For the discount code specific to NYSPHSAA members, please reach out to [email protected].

For all the information about the partnership with Gipper please click here.

The first video, called “The Parent Seat”, includes information on the role of a parent on game day and provides suggestions on how they can cope with the roller coaster of emotions that they will may experience.

The second video, titled “Beyond the Scoreboard”, addresses correcting negative adult fan behavior at high school events.

The last installment of the video series concludes with “A Lasting Relationship,” a video designed to help parents create healthy, life-long relationships with their child through their participation in interscholastic athletics and activities.

All three videos can be found on the NYSPHSAA sportsmanship page by clicking here.

If you have not participated or seen a Unified Sports event, you should. Unified Sports is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling ways to give back to your school and your community.

Our friends at Special Olympics New York want to get more schools involved in Unified Sports. They have launched a campaign called “If you don’t have this in your school, you should!”

Please use this link to learn more.

NYSPHSAA reminds you of its partnership with ezSCRN, an application that can help track, collect data, report and communicate both COVID-19 cases as well as traumatic brain injuries.

The ezSCRN app is being offered to NYSPHSAA member schools at a discounted rate. Watch the video below for a brief description of the app and more information.

The Association has launched a web page exclusively for the ezSCRN app. You can find all the answers to your questions there. Plus you can sign up for a demonstration as well.

To visit the ezSCRN page click here.

Grant-funded programs are available at no cost to NYSPHSAA member schools and include Survivor Advocacy speakers, Battle of the Belt competitions, and classroom resources for Health or PE classes. All programs can be conducted virtually or socially distanced in-person. NY SADD has also created a Google Classroom with virtual materials and lesson plans as well as a Back-to-SADD Guide with different activities.

If you are interested in hosting a program for your district or have any questions about these materials, visit the Coaches Care page of the NYSPHSAA website or contact Chris Joyce at [email protected].

Check out the officials page on nysphsaa.org. It has important information for current officials and information on signing up if you are interested in becoming an official.

Click here to visit the officials page

Don't forget to tell us #MyReasonWhy on social media. Tell us why you participate in sports, after school activities, coaching, officiating or other ways athletics has made a difference in your life.