Winter athletes in Newburgh Free Academy will be able begin preparing for their seasons starting Monday as the Newburgh Enlarged City School District announced last week that varsity winter offseason workouts will begin on Monday.
Workouts for varsity sports will begin on Monday, Nov. 9, while workouts for junior varsity and freshman athletes will begin on Monday, Nov. 23. Offseason workouts will begin on Nov. 30 for modified athletes.
Basketball, competitive cheerleading and wrestling have been classified as high-risk sports by the New York State Dept. of Health, as they are sports in which athletes are able to maintain the least amount of physical distance and the least able to avoid sharing equipment, clean and disinfect equipment between uses by different individuals and use shared equipment.
Offseason workouts for those sports can only allow incidental contact and any activities designed to promote close physical contact are prohibited, according to guidance from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
Activities should be focused on skill development, individual or distance group training and maintain social distance.

Indoor track and boys’ swimming have been classified as low- and moderate-risk sports depending on the events, while bowling has been classified as low risk.
Two Newburgh winter teams were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic last March when the boys’ basketball team played its state Class AA regional semifinal in an empty gym at NFA, suffering a 50-48, loss to Section 1 champion Horace Greeley.
The Section 9 champion boys’ bowling team also had its trip to the state championship meet canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NYSPHSAA canceled the meet days later.
The official start date for winter sports is scheduled for Nov. 30.
Winter registration opened for opened on Family ID on Oct. 30. All athletes must register under their home school. If they don’t, their registration will canceled, and they will have to start again.
No date for offseason workouts for fall and spring sports has been announced as of press time.

Newburgh lacrosse equipment pickup
The Newburgh Free Academy Athletic Dept. is putting out a call for all lacrosse equipment that athletes may still have in their possession.
The department has set up a drop-off center for the return of all school-issued equipment at the NFA Main Campus, Lower Lobby from 2:30 until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, Tuesday, Nov. 10 and Thursday, Nov. 12.
The district is only accepting lacrosse equipment at that time.