‘Wet weather sport is dead’: parents fuming over council ground closures

Parents have slammed local councils for jumping the gun by closing facilities and cancelling weekend sport across Sydney despite sunny skies.

Families involved in community sports have slammed local councils for jumping the gun by closing facilities and cancelling weekend sport across Sydney despite sunny skies.

Participants in local AFL, rugby league, rugby union, soccer and cricket were confused by the news posted on Friday afternoon that over twenty-two local councils had completely or partially closed their sporting grounds, with only seven partially or mostly opening venues.

With sunshine and warm twenty-four degree weather set for Saturday and Sunday, parents in particular were shocked by the decision which would keep their kids off the field for another weekend.

It came as the third week of cancelled or postponed games for some codes due to wet weather, since the winter sporting season commenced.

Only venues with synthetic turf, indoor facilities or sufficient drainage systems were left open for the weekend.

Kellyville Magpies juniors from left Kais Elsoufi, 7, Zac Gardiner, 7, Jackson Madden, 7, Bryce Madden, 7, and Jake Gardiner, 9.

Sydney mum Mikayla said it was heartbreaking to have to tell her son, Bryce (7) that there would be no footy for another week, especially given it is often the highlight of his week.

“It was sad to hear that grounds were closed for the entire weekend given the forecast but more so because I had to tell Bryce he couldn’t play, again,” she said.

Parents are unhappy about ground closures again in Sydney over the weekend. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Bryce’s Kellyville Magpies junior AFL team have only played three games since the season commenced, six weeks ago, due to wet weather ground closures.

Other parents and community sport stakeholders have lashed out online, putting pressure on Sydney councils and local governments to review sporting facility closure policies and procedures.

Angry rugby league fanatics took to Facebook to condemn and criticise local councils.

“The sport has become a joke because of these councils,” said one parent.

“It’s like building a library at school and then telling the kids they can’t touch the books as they might muck things up,” said another parent.

Parents also expressed their worry for the kind of message these continued cancellations would send to their children.

“Kids have been through enough the last three years, if we continue to cancel due to a bit of water I worry they will grow up thinking if things are hard I’ll just cancel or not show up,” said a parent via Facebook.

Another football parent mocked the decision by councils, assuming closures were put in place to protect the appearance of facilities.

“Can’t have them (sporting fields) looking used and like footy fields with boot holes in them,” she said.

On a recent social media post from a local council advertising the addition of new nets at AFL grounds, one individual commented: “What’s the point when sports grounds are closed constantly? What a joke.” Comment from Sydney councils was being sought.

Originally published as ‘Wet weather sport is dead’: parents fuming over council ground closures