Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA executive director, speaks during a question-and-answer session Monday evening via Zoom.

Dr. Robert Zayas doesn’t have to look far to appreciate how much high school sports mean to student-athletes in New York state.

His daughter happens to be one of them.

Furthermore, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association executive director has been fielding phone calls late at night and very early in the morning for weeks to discuss the ramifications the COVID-19 pandemic will have on interscholastic sports this fall.

“We’re working seven days a week right now as a collective group in order to provide as much guidance and as much resources as possible to our member schools,” Zayas said during a Zoom call Monday night. “I would characterize it as extremely intense. It’s a great deal of responsibility when you start trying to put together plans that are going to benefit so many student-athletes throughout the upcoming school year.”

To that end, Zayas fielded questions about those plans for nearly an hour from several dozen media members from throughout the Empire State. Following is a snapshot of some of those queries:

¯ Why revise the number of required practices for fall sports (12 for football and 10 for all other fall sports)?:

“Our association is aware that many students have been working out during the COVID crisis independently, away from school and away from teammates,” Zayas said. “However, there is a reality and there is a possibility that some students have not … so we feel like adding a few additional practices to the beginning of the season for conditioning when they are with their high school coach is a smart idea.”

¯ Is there still a chance to play football and volleyball between Sept. 21 and Nov. 29? Right now, those sports can only begin practice on Oct. 19.

“If anything changes, that decision will be made by state officials to go ahead and modify or revise the guidance that was provided Aug. 27 to us,” Zayas said. ” … Hypothetically, and I think the possibility is there, that soccer, field hockey, girls tennis, girls swimming and cross country have a season this fall and, as per the guidance that has been provided, volleyball and football teams practice, but don’t get the opportunity to participate in a game. That would probably conclude their season. But, again, so much is dependent on the decision of the (NYSPHSAA) officers and any additional guidance that we receive as a state association. Ultimately, if football and volleyball want to be moved to the spring season by individual sections they have the ability to do that and I do believe some sections are considering that move.”

¯ Why is volleyball now a high-risk sport?

“There was a lot of confusion about the differentiation between volleyball as to why it was originally discussed to be a low- or moderate-risk and now why is it being considered high risk,” Zayas said. “Utilizing the National Federation of High School Sports Risk Assessment — they are our governing body — their risk assessment from their sports medicine advisory committee determined volleyball to be lower risk, based upon the potential of respiratory droplet spread. Now, when the guidance came out from the Department of Health in New York state, New York state has their own criteria and they also have no obligation to abide by the NFHS risk assessment. New York state determined volleyball, football and competitive cheer in the fall to be high-risk sports based upon criteria they developed.”

¯ Two spectators per participant will be allowed to attend games. What if people don’t come into the facility, but observe from the other side of the fence?

“That’s going to be so dependent upon what is the facility makeup and design,” Zayas said. “I think those are going to be (decisions) on a case-by-case basis.”

¯ High school football is being played in other states. Why the delay in New York?

“We have a unique situation here in the state of New York,” Zayas said. “We have leadership that is looking at the situation from an abundance of caution. I think we have to respect that and we have to realize that the guidance has been provided. About 208,000 student-athletes participate in the fall season. The decision by Gov. Cuomo last Monday is providing 130,000 student-athletes to start their season with very little restriction on Sept. 21.”