Interscholastic Sports

Students in the 7th and 8th grades are eligible to participate in the Niskayuna Interscholastic Athletic Program if qualified. A listing of the sports available can be found on the Niskayuna School District website in the athletics page. Information about requirements for participation can also be found there. Middle school students often participate in the modified sports program or qualify to participate at a higher level by successfully completing the NYS Select Classification process. General information about these two areas can be found below.

This program is available to all students in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades between the ages of 12 to 15. A student reaching age 16 during a sports season many complete that season and must play freshmen, junior varsity or varsity the next sports season. Sport activities offered are determined by the existence of leagues, student interest, and the relationship to the high school program. At this level, the focus is on learning athletic skills and game rules, fundamentals of team play, socio-emotional growth, physiologically appropriate demands on the adolescent body and healthy competition.

The modified program is designed to offer students the opportunity to engage in a more highly organized competitive experience than what is found in intramural/extramural programs but not as involved as those found in varsity and junior varsity interscholastic competition. It is expected that a competitive program such as this will not always guarantee each member equal participation in contests. At the same time, each student who is eligible to play must play in each contest.

Niskayuna participates in the New York State Education Department- approved program that can provide the opportunity for seventh and eighth grade students to participate on varsity, junior varsity, and freshmen teams. This program has been designed for the exceptional few in each school who would be served by playing on a higher level team than age and grade might indicate. It is expected there will be very few participating under this program. Information must be collected and evaluated by the Director of Athletics before a student may tryout for a team. Considerations that must be met include:

2. Medical examination and approval by the school physician with the developmental or maturity level determined by the school physician in accordance with established guidelines for the level of a particular sport.

3. The six-item athletic performance test must be administered by a Physical Education teacher selected by the Director of Athletics. The athlete must meet or exceed the criteria established for the level of participation desired. Students who do not meet the criteria during the test may have an opportunity to try one more time.

4.The individual's prior experience and level is judged on the demands of the sport at the level of play at which the student is endeavoring to qualify.