To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, Section II counted it all joy that high school "high risk" winter sports (i.e. basketball, wrestling, hockey) would get underway on Monday.
However, as ESPN's Lee Corso is wont to taunt, not so fast, my friends.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy announced late Wednesday that he would advise school districts in the county not to start high risk sports until the county positivity rate for COVID-19 falls below 4%, per the Albany Times-Union. Spectrum News is saying the required rate would be 5%.
5% is the threshold Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is aiming for, and it had been reported that districts in the county (i.e. Troy, Averill Park) were already being given the green light.
McCoy's decision has an adverse effect on the Suburban Council, since nearly half the teams in the league (Albany, CBA, Shaker, Colonie, Bethlehem, Guilderland) are based in Albany County. McCoy is not alone, though, as the Times-Union also reports that Washington, Warren, Greene, & Columbia counties are also throwing up the red lights on high risk winter sports. As of now, we haven't heard anything from Saratoga or Schenectady counties.
Understand that McCoy and his counterparts are all acting on the side of caution, especially with newer, more dangerous strains of coronavirus having made their way into the US.
The decision also damages the Capital District High School Hockey League (CDHSHL), since most of their member schools would be adversely affected, especially since there are a few hybrid teams in the league, the result of some schools merging athletic programs in order to field teams. It's been reported that in Warren County, winter sports would be suspended for the rest of the season, meaning the CDHSHL would be missing at least two teams if/when league play starts.
And so the waiting game resumes.
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