THE grey skies are clearing for Limestone Coast basketball players as restrictions surrounding the sport begin to ease.
From this Friday, the maximum amount of people allowed inside a stadium will be increased from 20 to 75.
However, other implemented measures such as social distancing, time limits, hygiene practices and no spectators remain in place.
Basketball Mount Gambier development manager Matt Sutton said the lifting of numbers is another step in the right direction.
“We are excited with the restrictions opening,” he said.
“It means we can get more people in, which is really important because the more people playing basketball is a good thing.”
In more exciting news for people looking to shoot hoops, Basketball Mount Gambier has re-opened its doors and resumed training at the Icehouse.
Small-group training sessions have begun over the last two weeks with allocated time slots available for all grades from Under 12’s to seniors across Monday to Thursday.
Having only coached his players digitally over recent months, Sutton said it was a strange, but enjoyable experience to mentor on the courts in a unique way.
“It was a bit surreal seeing all the kids again – especially after noticing how much they have grown in such a short period,” he said.
“Not being able to walk past a kid and tell them what a good job they are doing by giving them a high-five was something I noticed as being really odd.
“But it was fun just to be coaching out there again.”
With a list of strict protocols in place, Sutton said the association had to come up with multiple solutions to make training possible.
“We used simple things,” he said.
“The participants would get dropped off at one entrance and leave through another, so there would not be any crossover or large gatherings with the following groups.
“We used hand sanitiser and wipes to clean the basketballs and had sitting areas marked on the benches.”
The hour-long indoor session has been welcomed as a suitable replacement for the popular Zoom programs during isolation.
Sutton said the aim of the small sessions was to see how sport can go ahead in a post-COVID world and paid credit to the participants.
“Everyone who attended was really respectful of the restrictions in place,” he said.
“We wanted to see how we can handle the restrictions and provide something that is beneficial to everyone.
“We feel like they have all been smooth and we are providing as reasonable service as we can at the moment in a safe manner.”
Despite activity starting, the Icehouse remains closed on weekends, as Basketball Mount Gambier continues to plot a path back to play.
Sutton said progress is being made on a return of competition, but admits there is still a long way to go.
“We are putting a lot of time into a season return and have not locked anything in,” he said.
“It is all pending on the green light (from authorities) and being able to facilitate everything.
“We would love to get something up and running in term three (next month), which I think we have the ability to do.
“But we do not want to rush something out and do it in an unsafe way, so we must provide a good service and not put anyone at risk.”
