Tag Archives: nysphsaa

Section XI News

Section XI Schools Named NYSPHSAA Schools of Distinction and Excellence

The NYSPHSAA is proud to recognize the Schools of Distinction and Excellence for the 2024-2025 school year.

To be recognized as a School of Distinction, a school must apply for the honor and have 100% of its varsity teams earn the Scholar-Athlete Team Award during their respective sports seasons. The School of Excellence designation is awarded to schools that apply and have at least 75% of their varsity teams achieve this same academic recognition.

Winning schools will receive their commemorative awards at their local athletic director workshop this fall.  To be eligible to receive these prestigious awards, schools must apply following the spring submission of the Scholar-Athlete each school year.

The complete list of School of Distinction and School of Excellence Award winners can be viewed by using the links below.

School of Distinction

School of Excellence

Uncategorized

Schedule: Section XI at NYSPHSAA Championships

Here is a rundown of where to find our Section XI schools over the next few days at NYSPHSAA championship events … good luck to all!

*BOYS LAX – HHH, WEDNESDAY, 6:30P, MIDDLETOWN HS (If Hills wins, they play Saturday, 3p at Hobart)

*GIRLS LAX – BBP, FRIDAY, 3P, SUNY CORTLAND (If BBP wins, it plays Saturday, 430p at Cortland)

*SOFTBALL – MILLER PLACE, FRIDAY, 11:30A, BINGHAMTON (If MP wins, it plays Saturday, 1030a in Binghamton)

*BASEBALL – SAYVILLE, FRIDAY, 10A, BINGHAMTON (If Sayville wins, it plays Saturday, 1p in Binghamton)

*BASEBALL – BABYLON, FRIDAY, 4P, BINGHAMTON (If Babylon wins, it plays Saturday, 1p in Binghamton)

*BASEBALL – SMITH CHRISTIAN, FRIDAY, 4P, BINGHAMTON (If SC wins, it plays Saturday, 4p in Binghamton)

*TRACK, SECTION XI, FRIDAY, 1P, MIDDLETOWN HS      

*TRACK, SECTION XI, SATURDAY, 9A, MIDDLETOWN HS

Section XI News

Section XI Has Big Haul of Scholar-Athletes

The NYSPHSAA announces its Spring 2024 Scholar-Athlete teams and number of Scholar-Athlete individuals per team and there are several from Section XI school.

 For Spring 2024, NYSPHSAA recognized 3,049 Scholar-Athlete teams. Additionally, 47,211 students received individual scholar-athlete recognition by earning an individual average of 90 or above for the spring season, whether their team qualified or not. 

The full list of Scholar-Athlete teams for the Spring 2024 season can be found here.

The number of Scholar-Athlete individuals per team for the Spring 2024 season can be found here.

Section XI News

ICYMI: Recap of NYSPHSAA Exec Committee Meeting

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) held its quarterly Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 31, at the Embassy Suites in Saratoga Springs. The following key points were discussed and voted on that will be implemented for the regular and championship season for the 787 membership schools.

Nine championship sites were voted on during the meeting including the approval of Boys Basketball moving to Binghamton from 2025-27. Additionally in the winter, the Skiing State Championships were approved to go to Gore Mountain/North Creek Bowl (2025), Whiteface Mountain/Mount Hoevenberg (2026) and Bristol Mountain/Harriet Hollister State Park (2027) as part of a rotation. Two spring championship sites were also approved. Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park in Binghamton will host the 2025-2027 Softball State Championships and Hobart & William Smith Colleges will host the Boys Lacrosse State Finals from 2025-27. In the fall, Hudson Valley Community College was approved as the host site of the Game Day Cheer State Championships from 2024-26.

Numerous proposals were brought forward to expand state championships including two volleyball proposals.  A two-day Boys Volleyball State Championship was approved which includes every section now having representation at the state tournament. The girls volleyball state committee presented a proposal for a three-day tournament now that they have begun to compete in six classes. That item will be voted on at the May 1st meeting.

Both indoor and outdoor track presented proposals for expansion as well. Indoor Track had its proposal approved to add a second division for the relays at state championships. Outdoor Track & Field had its lone proposal approved to move to a third class starting in the 2025 spring season.

Two tennis proposals were brought forward including both girls and boys starting a 2 singles, 3 doubles format for their events starting in 2024. This was approved while a second proposal, to move all boys and girls tennis championship events (team and individual), was introduced and will be voted on in May.

Two football proposals were presented, including an additional official for state semifinals and finals. The item will be voted on May 1st at the next Executive Committee meeting.

The Safety Committee had one proposal approved. To provide safer guidelines during inclement weather for outdoor sports, the MyLightning Tracker app was approved for implementation in 2024.

From the modified to the varsity level, rule revisions in various sports were approved, including the experimental use of a shot clock in boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, as well as approving metal cleats for modified softball.

The Winter 2024 NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will be held Wednesday, May 1st, at Embassy Suites in Saratoga Springs.

Section XI News

Paul Gibson Gets Nod for NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) has announced it will formally induct its Hall of Fame Class of 2023 on July 26th at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

This year’s representative from Section XI is former pro pitcher Paul Gibson, who played at Center Moriches High School.

Gibson was an incredibly talented three-sport athlete.  He earned numerous honors in baseball, basketball, and soccer during a career in which he earned eight varsity letters. He earned All-County honors once in basketball and twice in soccer, but was most known for a dominant baseball. Gibson was a two-time All-American in 1976 and 1977 and garnered All-State, All County, and All-League honors from 1975-78. He posted a 36-5 record, 0.39 ERA ,and struck out 412 hitters in high school, and his teams won three league titles and one country crown. In 1978, following his senior year of high school, he was drafted in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds.

The Detroit Tigers signed him as a free agent in 1984, and in 1987, the southpaw led the International League in victories and was third in games started. This paved the way for a Major League debut as a relief pitcher on April 8, 1988. That same year, the Detroit Baseball Writers Association named him the Tigers Rookie of the Year. He played seven seasons in the Majors, 19 total seasons, including minor league ball, with the Tigers, Mets, and Yankees. Paul retired after the 1996 season, but not before accumulating 22 wins, 11 saves, 345 strikeouts, and a 4.07 ERA in 556 innings.

Following his professional career, Gibson was named head coach of the Center Moriches High School varsity baseball team, serving from 2000-2006 and guiding the team to two Long Island Championships and a 149-26 career record. In 2006, he became a scout for the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals. Mr. Gibson has been inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame (1995) and the Center Moriches Hall of Fame (2012). In 2016, Center Moriches School District named its baseball field after Paul and retired his jersey number.

He ran the All Pro Sports Academy in Bellport, Long Island, from 1995-2012, and since then, Gibson has been the Senior Director of Pitching Performance for the Kansas City Royals. Paul resides in Center Moriches with his wife, Carla. The couple has two sons and four grandchildren.

Section XI News

NYSPHSAA Announces 2021-22 Championship Protocol

At this time, NYSPHSAA plans to host all State Championship events as scheduled.  The following protocol will be published in all Championship Operation Packets and utilized for 2021-2022 NYSPHSAA Regional and State Championship events if a participating member school is notified of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case impacting a member of their team (i.e., players, coaches, managers, etc.) during post season play.  Championship Operation Packets are released approximately one month prior to the State Championship.

1) When advancing to regional and state championship play, school administration must immediately notify the NYSPHSAA Executive Director of any confirmed COVID-19 positive case or close contact (as defined by the Department of Health) impacting a member of their team.

            Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director
rzayas@nysphsaa.org
518.925.6631 (cell)

Any members of a team who have tested positive will not be permitted to participate in NYSPHSAA Regional and/or State Championship events until properly cleared by Department of Health officials and will not be permitted entrance into any Regional or State Championship venue.  School administration should follow their approved local Department of Health protocols and develop a contingency plan to properly supervise students if a confirmed COVID-19 case were to originate during a NYSPHSAA Regional and/or State Championship event.

2) NYSPHSAA Executive Director or his designee will immediately notify the appropriate local departments of health.

3) The member school will work in conjunction with their local county department of health to determine if they can continue participating in the NYSPHSAA Regional and/or State Championship.  It shall be the responsibility of the member school to inform NYSPHSAA’s Executive Director of their ability to continue participating in accordance with the released event schedule.  No game dates or times, event schedules, etc. will be adjusted or revised to accommodate an impacted school (i.e., quarantine, contact tracing, etc.).

4) If the member school determines it is unable to continue participating in a NYSPHSAA Regional and/ or State Championship event, it shall be the responsibility of the NYSPHSAA Executive Director to determine if there is a reasonable amount of time and interest to replace the impacted team/ individual and which team/ individual will be invited in accordance with NYSPHSAA bylaws (Rule 19. Penalties b. 1 & 2).  If a replacement can be invited, that team/ individual will be inserted into the bracket or event position vacated.

5) The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and local departments of health will have final jurisdiction over NYSPHSAA Regional and State Championship events pertaining to matters of public health.  The NYSPHSAA Executive Director will work collaboratively with the NYSDOH and local departments of health when events are impacted by a confirmed positive COVID-19 case.

NYSPHSAA will continue to review, examine and potentially revise the above protocol throughout the 2021-2022 school year.

CHAMPIONSHIP VENUES
NYSPHSAA will honor and abide by all terms, conditions and restrictions imposed by the scheduled and contracted venue for matters impacting and protecting public health.  Public health restrictions may include, but are not limited to, capacity limitations, screening and testing protocols, vaccination requirements, etc.

The NYSPHSAA website will list any venue-imposed COVID restrictions as soon as they are made available.  Approximately one month prior to the State Championship, the NYSPHSAA sports specific Championship Operations Packet will list any COVID restrictions that exist at that time; restrictions are subject to change.

PRE-TOURNAMENT GATHERINGS
To minimize potential opportunities for disruptions impacting NYSPHSAA State Championship events and possibly reduce overnight accommodations, pre-tournament banquets, ceremonies, gatherings, etc. will not be held during the 2021-2022 school year.

*Note: Post-game/ event activities may be altered (i.e., awards ceremonies, handshakes, etc.).

2021-22 Championship Protocol PDF