Pride Sports

Dear PSAL Community, 
  
We are so excited to welcome New York City’s students back to the field and courts this year. As previously shared, our priority is to ensure that our students and staff have a safe environment to participate in interscholastic sports.  
  
Mayor DeBlasio is announcing today, as part of the city’s multilayered approach to health and safety in our schools, that COVID-19 vaccination will be required for all students and staff participating in high-risk Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) sports this year. This requirement applies to scholar-athletes, coaches, and athletic directors.   
  
This is in alignment with recent New York State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, which states that high-risk sports and extracurricular activities should be virtual or canceled in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are fully vaccinated.   
  
As a reminder, PSAL high-risk sports include football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse (boys), stunt, and rugby. Vaccination will also be required for participation in bowling, because while not a high-risk sport, it takes place in spaces that require vaccination.   
  
Participants in fall high-risk sports must get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the first day of competitive play. Winter and spring PSAL participants have until the beginning of their season to be fully vaccinated. Participants will be able to use the DOE’s online vaccination portal to upload their vaccination cards.  
  
We will be following up in the near future to offer Athletic Director office hours, similar to the Spring, to ensure everyone understands our health and safety guidance, including the implementation of this vaccine requirement. We will work together to support you in creating a safe environment for our scholar-athletes to engage. 
  
We want our students to have a full and rewarding experience this coming school year and, for many of our school communities, that means sports. This will only be possible if participants take the critical step of getting vaccinated. The Delta variant is more contagious, infecting more young people than previous strains, and may be more likely to reinfect someone who already had COVID-19.   
  
Please direct families seeking information on vaccinating their students ages 12 and older to vaccinefinder.nyc.gov to schedule an appointment. You can also direct parents to 877-VAX-4-NYC (877-829-4692) for help making an appointment at a City-run vaccination site. Mobile vaccination sites will also be visiting schools and PSAL sites across the city this fall.   
  
Thank you, as always, for your continued leadership and all you do for our scholar-athletes. We will continue to share updates and information as they become available.  

DOE vaccination portal 
https://vaccine.schools.nyc/  

NYC COVID-19 vaccination finder 
https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/ 
  
Best 
PSAL 
  
  
FAQ Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for PSAL Participation   
  
How can student athletes provide proof of vaccination?   
Families can upload proof of vaccination on the DOE’s  COVID-19 vaccination portal at vaccine.schools.nyc. Proof can be an image of a vaccination card, NYS Excelsior Pass, or other government record.  
  
Who will checking vaccination status?   
Coaches and athletic directors can check vaccination cards or the vaccination portal to confirm status. Any student who does not provide proof of vaccination by the first competition should be moved to the inactive roster and not participate in any further PSAL activity. 
  
What are the consequences for not being vaccinated?   
If a student participating in a high-risk PSAL sport this fall does not have their first dose by the first day of competitive play for their sport they will not be allowed to participate in practice or competition.   
  
Do student athletes who are fully vaccinated need to wear masks?   
Fully vaccinated athletes playing high-risk sports outdoors are not required to wear a mask.  
  
Does this apply to coaches and PSAL Athletic Directors?   
Yes, this mandate applies to everyone participating in high-risk sports.