Tamworth Netball Association has backed the state body in urging the NSW government for more clarity around the pathway for a return to community sport with president Bec McKenzie saying not having a definitive date when all netball can resume leaves them in limbo.
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This week the government announced that community competitions for those aged 18 years and under could restart from July 1. But participants in senior competitions still remain in the dark about when they can return.
In a statement following the announcement Netball NSW CEO Carolyn Campbell said it didn't go anywhere "near far enough".
"Community sport includes the whole community. Not just those under 18 years of age," Campbell said.
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"Senior players are the backbone of clubs, associations and competitions everywhere. They are the coaches, managers, umpires and administrators."
"Without senior players and officials, the whole netball ecosystem cannot function. What we need most of all is a return date for these key partners in our game."
It comes after some of the sports leading figures co-signed an open letter to Premier Gladys Berejiklian pleading their case.
McKenzie said they stand fully behind the state body.
As most netball associations do they cater for both junior and senior players with the competition's running pretty much in synchroneity. She also pointed out that a lot of their senior teams have junior players in them.
"Whist it's fantastic to get the go ahead for the juniors, to not have anything concrete for what is going on with the seniors puts us in a bit of limbo," McKenzie said.
She acknowledges netball is only a small fish in a very big pond and said they support the government in what is a difficult task.
"We're not looking for them to expedite things, we're not looking for them to put sport before anything else, we're just asking for some definitives," she said.
"It's very hard to plan ahead when we don't have anything definitive."
They would also like to know the guidelines around the resumption of play.
"All our members will be happy to run with what the guidelines are at the time," McKenzie said.
If that means no spectators, then they'll work with that - they just want to play.
But they just want to know.
Saturday 18 July has been floated as a tentative re-start date, and McKenzie has "fingers crossed" that will be the case. It would mean the juniors and seniors would be able to start at the same time.
While nothing has been decided yet (the executive will meet next Wednesday to discuss the way forward as things stand) she said they probably wouldn't be looking to start the juniors that first weekend in July given it is the start of the school holidays.
