THE waiting game continues for basketball players hoping to shoot hoops at the Icehouse, with COVID-19 restrictions holding back a return in the immediate future.
The doors of the Bern Bruning Stadium remain closed despite level two of Basketball South Australia’s return to play road map implemented yesterday.
The second stage allows non-contact indoor training sessions without spectators to be possible.
But for now, Basketball Mount Gambier development manager Matt Sutton believes there is still a journey to go before on-court action can resume at the venue.
He said the association was keeping an open mind amid the fast-moving state of affairs.
“We are keeping our options open and hoping to get basketball going again at some stage,” Sutton said.
“We are positive with the opportunity to get people back in the Icehouse, but the restrictions provide a lot of challenges.
“We are getting pretty anxious, but until we know exactly what we are dealing with, we cannot make any promises.”
With a maximum of 20 players allowed in the entire stadium, it remains to be seen when and how competition will return.
Sutton said Basketball Mount Gambier was negotiating all potential options.
“We wish we could settle on a return date, but we are waiting for the powers that be to give us those indications,” he said.
“We would like to (get every grade playing) but it just depends on restrictions and how many people you can have in the building.
“If you cannot have any parents watching, you are probably limited with the really young grades, but the older players might be fine.
“We do not have anything in place and are just looking at potential solutions at the moment.”
During these times of uncertainty, Basketball Mount Gambier has been one of the most active sporting organisations in the Limestone Coast.
Utilising online platforms such as Facebook and Zoom, the association has held a series of live training sessions.
Sutton said the videos were aimed at keeping the youngsters interest in the sport alive during this quiet period, while he is also enjoying some personal benefits.
“We are doing the best we can to create a positive environment,” he said.
“Hopefully it keeps kids active and maintains their skills to some degree.
“The social aspect of being involved in sport is really important and it has allowed kids to interact with each other.
“It has been a huge learning process and the fact I am jumping around doing demonstrations has helped my fitness.
“It has been cool to do it.”
The sessions have proven to be a hit and Sutton said they had caught the eye of players from outside the Limestone Coast.
“The feedback has been really positive all over the place,” he said.
“Even other associations like Warrnambool, Portland and places in Adelaide were really open to it.
“People have just jumped on to give it a go.”
Despite the enthusiasm to hit the courts again, Sutton said one thing held priority over everything else.
“We have a responsibility towards safety and not to put anyone at risk,” he said.
“With restrictions limiting how many people can have in here, we are just trying to come up with the fairest and safest way to get people back on court.”
