We wanted to provide you with an update regarding the status of winter sports. As of Nov. 1, only low and moderate risk sports are permitted to begin on Nov. 30. The City School District of Albany will field a boys’ swimming and diving team and a combined girls’ and boys’ bowling team.
District enrolled students - regardless of instruction model (in-person or virtual) - in grades 9-12 are eligible to try out. Additionally, any eighth-grader made eligible via the Advanced Placement Process last year for bowling or swimming can try out again for the 2020/21 season.
At this point, New York State has not provided guidance about sports considered high-risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as we have guidance - from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office or the New York State Public High School Athletic Association regarding basketball, competitive cheerleading and wrestling - we will let you know.
Physicals and Sports Clearance for Low and Moderate Risk Sports
Any student athlete wishing to try out and participate in either boys’ swimming or diving or bowling will need to have a current physical (dated Nov. 1, 2019 or later). Due to the limitations and restrictions regarding COVID-19, the City School District of Albany is not able to offer any in-school physicals for winter 2020-21. It is the responsibility of each family to have this done by an outside doctor or medical facility. Scholar-athletes are encouraged to contact their primary care physician or one of the local urgent care facilities to obtain the required physical. The City School District of Albany’s Health, Physical Education and Athletics Department compiled this list of practitioners who provide sports physicals.
In addition, we are now using the Final Forms online platform for all of our athletic medical clearances. Final Forms will allow users and families to upload required medical information necessary for sport clearances. Utilizing this platform will eliminate the need for student-athletes to be cleared in person by the school nurse. If you are not familiar with Final Forms from the fall season, an introduction can be found here. Student-athletes must use a non-district email when signing up with Final Forms.
Please note that if/when high risk sports are authorized to begin, another clearance window will be open via Final Forms.
