News from the Past in Memory of Harry A. Sturges

RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — The registration period for winter sports at RCS opened this month.

Registration for junior varsity and varsity winter sports began Oct. 14, and will run through Monday, Nov. 21, and is open to students in grades 9 through 12, according to the RCS school district website.

Registration for modified winter sports began Oct. 21, and will continue through Monday, Nov. 28, and is open to students in grades 7 and 8.

Winter sports physicals will be held on Thursday, Nov. 10, starting at 8:30 a.m. at both the middle and high schools. These physicals are for students who have not seen their own doctor to get their sports physicals prior to the winter season. To make an appointment, contact your student’s nurse. Students will be called to the health office when it is time for their appointment. 

All winter varsity and junior varsity sports can begin on or after Monday, Nov. 14, while modified winter sports will begin a week later, on or after Monday, Nov. 21.

A new law went into effect this summer that impacts school sports. The Dominic Murray Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Prevention Act went into effect July 1, and requires that schools, students and parents have information on sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) signs and symptoms to ensure students at risk are evaluated before participation in athletics and that any symptoms of SCA are immediately recognized and treated to prevent death.

Although SCA is rare, there are steps parents/guardians and school personnel can take to identify students who may be at risk and help to identify students exhibiting signs or symptoms as they are an important indication that a student should be seen by a health care provider for an evaluation.

To ensure the health and safety of RCS student-athletes, and comply with this law, the district has updated the questions related to heart health in the Family ID Registration: Family Health History and Health/Medical sections. The questions help identify changes since the last physical examination or health history was completed. These sections must be completed for the student’s registration to be submitted.

The law requires any student who has signs and symptoms of pending SCA, or whose immediate family has had signs or symptoms of pending SCA, to provide clearance from a licensed physician or medical doctor prior to being cleared for or participating in athletics. Families who fill out “yes” for these questions will be contacted by their school nurse with additional information on how to provide this documentation. 

REGISTRATION

To register for a winter sport, a parent/guardian should visit www.familyid.com.

For new families and as a reminder from the fall of 2021, the district started using a new sports registration process during the 2021-22 school year, according to the RCS website. RCS families register online through FamilyID (www.familyid.com). This is the only way for families to register students for sports. If you cannot access the program, please contact your school nurse to make arrangements to do so at school. 

FamilyID is a secure registration platform that provides you with an easy, user-friendly way to register for athletics programs, and helps the district to be more efficient and environmentally responsible, according to the district’s website.

When you register through FamilyID, the system keeps track of your information in your FamilyID profile. You enter your information only once for each family member for multiple uses and multiple programs. Once you have created and logged into your FamilyID account, you will be able to view a full list of available sports for the winter once the registration periods begin.