WHEN hockey plans to make its return from July 18 across the state it won't just be a case of running back onto the field and playing out a traditional season.
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Premier League Hockey associations are one of many that have been in close discussions with Hockey NSW about how to best structure their competitions in 2020, which have been drastically affected by the coronavirus.
Helping coaches, players and organisations run a successful modified competition is what Hockey NSW regional coaching co-ordinator Kate Pulbrook is hoping to achieve.
"What we're doing in the background is our association readiness plan. We're contacting each of the associations to ask them what their return to play plan would be," she said.
"We're talking to them about modifying a traditional season of hockey. If we were to start in July then what would it look like? Would it be small sided? Will it only go for a few weeks, and will associations possibly have to change their constitution?
"We're in those conversations at the moment and they've been going positively. I think at the start everyone wanted a break from thinking about it but now that July could potentially happen everyone's in a better mindset.
"Everyone's been very positive about coming up with new ideas."
Pullbrook said the co-operation and discussions from winter sports across the state have helped to ensure smooth planning.
All sports have given themselves close to a three week buffer from the return date to ensure their teams can get in adequate training and preparation time before their competitions get underway.
"Sticking with the public health order that we've got from the NSW government, we won't be returning to the fields until that's complete. Essentially, the 1st of July is when we're okay to potentially resume training, then resume competitions on the 18th of July in line with other winter sports," she said.
"All the winter sports wanted to make sure they had a group approach to this, so one sport wasn't coming back before all of the other ones and creating competition with one another.
"All sports have been in close discussion with one another, which has been fantastic."
Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
