Cheerleading

The oh-so-close Vikings climb to the top of the New York state Large Schools ladder.

September's vaccine and testing rules remain in place for cheerleading, wrestling and hoops.

"The leadership in our schools have followed the safety protocols and done everything required to keep us playing," Section XI executive director Tom Combs said. "There is still some uncertainty out there so no one is taking any chances."

Long Island's public high schools can begin practicing next week and any additional safety measures will be determined by districts.

Recommendations include canceling or requiring players to be vaccinated in areas where transmission is high, which LI is considered by the CDC.  

Teams won't have enough practices to start playing games next Monday, so Nassau and Suffolk revamp schedules.

The district's decision to require weekly COVID-19 tests and remote learning has some athletes opting out of competing.

District plans to do intra-district schedules between its two high schools.

Protocols won't require testing of athletes and coaches and will allow some fans at games.

After months of unknowns and doubts concerning the fate of high-risk sports, they're excited to play.

County Executive Steve Bellone on Monday said there will be weekly COVID-19 testing and temperatures taken before games and practices.

Steve Bellone announces guidelines that require weekly testing for athletes in high-risk sports when they begin practice and play on Feb. 1.

Because of risk related to COVID-19, boys and girls basketball, wrestling and competitive cheerleading won't  have a start date until granted permission by Gov. Cuomo.

"The high-risk sports start date continues to be examined and will be revised if needed but is contingent upon authorization from state officials," said NYSPHSAA executive director Robert Zayas.

"We're looking at it now — right in the context of what the school infection rates are — so we should have them by November," said State Budget Director and Advisor Robert Mujica.

The lawsuit was brought by Massapequa's school district against Section VIII, the governing body for high school sports in Nassau County,

The traditional spring sports also will move from March 15, 2021 to an adjusted start date of April 19, 2021.

While athletes are looking forward to playing sports again, some spoke of the concerns they have with wearing masks during practice

The fall high school sports season is set to begin on Sept. 21. The winter sports were to start on Nov. 16, but that date was pushed to Nov. 30 to give the fall season more time.

Town of Oyster Bay officials held a rally at the Hicksville Athletic Center to make the case for a fall high school sports season in Nassau on Thursday.

Though only a small first step toward a fall season, the news was largely met across the Island with happiness and even some surprise by coaches and athletic directors.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo eased restrictions for certain fall high school sports including soccer and tennis, but not football.

A document outlining possible protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic for high school sports was issued by a national organization Tuesday, giving a glimpse of what we may see this fall and beyond.