THE Mount Gambier Netball Association paved the way for Limestone Coast team sports over the weekend when it successfully held the first round of its 2020 season.
It marks an important milestone in a year which was thrown into turmoil due to COVID-19, with initial doubts any sport would be played in 2020.
With a maximum of 300 people permitted on site at the Olympic Park netball courts, the MGNA completed a full fixture of games – from Division 1 through to Junior 10 – across Friday night and Saturday.
Association spokesperson Jodie Cook deemed the opening round as a huge success and said she was impressed by the compliance to hygiene and social distancing protocols shown by everyone in attendance.
“There was lots of laughter and smiles and even the spectators enjoyed themselves,” she said.
“The spectators were really great – everybody used the sanitiser, they kept their distance and used the right entry and exit gates which was really good.”
While hosting any large-scale social gathering has its complications in the current climate, the weekend’s first MGNA round ran in a seamless fashion.
Patrons were required to provide their own seating, but this was well received, while the transition between games was done in a structured format with patience shown by all.
“We had a maximum of 300 (people) so after each time slot we had to wait for them to leave before the next lot could come in,” Cook said.
“Everybody was really good – they finished their games, did what they had to and then they left – it was pretty much empty when the next lot came in.”
Despite the round unfolding problem free, Cook said there was a sigh of relief from all involved after the final games had been completed.
“Come 5 o’clock Saturday night we were like ‘yes, we have made it through round one’,” she said.
The association will now look for another successful event for round two this weekend.
