ALBANY — Charles S. Dedrick, executive director of the New York Council of School Superintendents, wrote a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, asking him to delay sports until Jan. 1, 2021.

Gov. Cuomo said Monday that sports could begin Sept. 21, with most (soccer, tennis, cross country, field hockey and swimming) being allowed to practice and play games. Football and volleyball, however, may only practice.

Dedrick said that school superintendents and administrators have dedicated countless hours to developing plans to get students back to in-person learning safely and effectively amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said these efforts could be jeopardized if school sports begin.

Dedrick stressed how interscholastic athletics could endanger students’ health and safety.

“This is an uncertain time for schools,” Dedrick said. “Our leaders want a successful reopening and are expressing a strong desire to defer all other activities that could endanger the health and safety of students and delay their start in the classroom.”