Victorian kids’ and community sport set for post-lockdown changes

Community sporting clubs are planning their return to tournaments as participation is expected to soar following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions. Here’s how it’s set to work.

Amelie 7 and Saskia 10 are pleased they can continue with gym now restrictions have been lifted. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Community sporting clubs are planning their return to tournaments as participation is expected to soar following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

Team and individual sports are preparing for kids’ competitions to play on from Monday with all age groups to resume from mid-July.

CEO of Football Victoria Peter Filopoulos said he was expecting the vast majority – if not all – of the league’s 355 community clubs to resume matches in full this season.

“Our numbers are indicating there will be a strong take up,” Mr Filopoulos said.

“There’s a massive appetite in our community,” he said.

Mr Filopoulos said the junior teams would “definitely” be starting come June 22 with competitive matches to begin for everyone else by July 20.

With 36,000 fixtures, Mr Filopoulos said they had been in talks with local councils to extend the use of pitches past the end of September when competition usually wraps.

“We’re pretty excited to get our community back to being active and healthy,” Mr Filopoulos said.

Robin O’Neill, Gymnastics Victoria CEO, said the enthusiasm from the gymnastics community to get back in the gym was huge.

“We had one club get back 60 per cent of their participation capacity within just a few hours of registration opening,” Mr O’Neill said.

Mr O’Neill said the focus was getting clubs back up and running next Monday with a view to resume competitions later in the year once athletes had regained proper fitness.

Meanwhile, tennis tournaments are pencilled to begin from July 11.

A spokeswoman from Tennis Victoria said competitive matches were a welcome step after recreational tennis was reintroduced in May.

“We have been so proud of how the tennis community has safely and hygienically returned to the court recently under eased restrictions and returning to competition is the next positive step,” she said.

Tennis Victoria will offer all affiliated clubs with free hand sanitiser and players are encouraged to replaced handshakes and high-fives with tapping racquets instead.

Basketball could see a staggered return to competition based on the access to venues across the state.

Victoria CEO Nick Honey said the league was excited about the prospect of resuming of competition for domestic basketball at all levels.

“We are working with various stakeholders – including venue managers and providers – about access and restrictions to their courts,” Mr Honey said.

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