Last Friday, coach Ron Naclerio held a meeting for students interested in joining the Benjamin Cardozo High School basketball team. Seventeen of them were not vaccinated against COVID-19, meaning they could not try out.

On Tuesday, that changed.

“I got their 17 names, their 17 emails and phone numbers, and when we have try-outs in two, three weeks, they’re going to be able to try out now,” Naclerio said.


What You Need To Know

  • Effective immediately, the COVID-19 vaccine is no longer required for students to play sports in public schools

  • Vaccine mandates remain in place for school staff and all city employees

  • Parents or guardians are still required to be vaccinated in order to visit a public school building

Mayor Eric Adams rolled back the requirement that students need to be vaccinated in order to participate in extracurriculars or high-risk sports, like basketball.

“We are removing the requirement to be vaccinated to participate in sports and extracurricular activities. We’re removing that requirement for our school children,” Adams said at a City Hall press conference. “That removal is no indication that we don’t believe boosters are important and vaccinations are important — we’re going to continue to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.”

Naclerio — who has been the school’s head coach for 42 years and has more wins than any other Public Schools Athletic League coach — sees that decision as victory. But it’s one that he says comes too late for some student-athletes.

“There are kids I know that left New York City this September, thinking that they wouldn’t be allowed to play. They went to Texas. They went to Florida. They went to Long Island. They went to West Virginia,” Naclerio said.

Even those who stayed — and got vaccinated — missed vital time on the court due to canceled and truncated seasons.

“Some of the kids are going to round the bases and go first, second, third and home, but when they reach home, they’re really only going to be on second base. Because they missed a year. They missed two years. They missed a year of development, two years of development, social skills, physical skills, educational skills,” Naclerio said.

Vaccine mandates remain in place for school staff members. Parents or guardians are still required to be vaccinated in order to visit a public school building.